John Swinney pledges to ‘think big and act bold’ on child poverty

Scotland must “think big and act bold” to eradicate child poverty, John Swinney has said.

Ahead of a speech on Stirling on Wednesday morning, the first minister said tackling the issue would require “strong, collective action in the long-term”.

In the second in a series of speeches focused on the Scottish budget, he will set out how government tax and spend plans will help deliver that ambition.

The approach includes bolstering social security support for families, delivering family-centred public services, and improving education to help young people overcome barriers.

Ahead of the speech, Swinney said: “Our ambition to end child poverty must be central to the government’s agenda, now and beyond 2026.

“I am committed to putting in the hard yards – to bringing people together and identifying lasting solutions. If we work together, identify the solutions that work and make that happen relentlessly across Scotland, we have the potential to make a radical difference to our children’s lives.”

The last child poverty statistics found that almost a quarter (24 per cent) of all children in Scotland were growing up in poverty.

This has been broadly stable for a number of years, despite high profile interventions such as the Scottish Child Payment.

The Child Poverty (Scotland) Act set a target to reduce the proportion of children in poverty to 10 per cent by 2030.

Meanwhile Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar is also set to deliver a speech on Wednesday morning, focused on using university research and innovation to grow the economy.

Speaking in Glasgow, he will say Scotland needs to increase AI-related jobs and opportunities, linking this to the UK Government plan launched earlier this week.

He is expected to say: “While our country is brimming with ideas and creativity, the potential of too many young Scots is being wasted by a government with no ambition for Scotland. 

“By better joining the dots between higher education and our economy, we can make the most of Scotland’s untapped potential for groundbreaking innovation and research. Using the convening power of government to deliver the growth we need, plug our skills gaps and rewire our economy – that is what we offer.”