Poverty the priority insists charity chief

A LEADING charity chief has called for Scotland’s poorest families to get more cash before any rise for public sector workers is considered.

Martin Sime said reversing the impact of benefit cuts on individuals and families facing disadvantage and disability should come before improving staff pay.

Mr Sime, chief executive of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, the charities umbrella group, said he had sympathy for public sector employees.

But many children and families were reliant on food banks and facing fuel poverty, debt and despair.

Writing in The Herald today, he said that while food parcels, soup kitchens and public generosity can help, it is “nowhere near enough”.