LABOUR’S POVERTY LEGACY – TIME FOR SCOTLAND TO TAKE CONTROL

For immediate use: Monday 4th October 2010

Attn: NEWSDESKS

POLITICAL / SOCIAL CORRESPONDENTS

The SNP today called for the Scottish Parliament to have greater economic

and financial responsibility to properly tackle poverty in Scotland.

Responding to the latest index of multiple deprivation which shows the

impact Labour’s recession has had on communities SNP MSP Bob Doris said

the results were part of Labour's poverty legacy and backed up a recent

study by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation that most of the levers to tackle

poverty were out of Scotland’s hands.

The Rowntree report stated that while the Scottish Government had taken

action:

“Most of the subjects where there are gaps in the Scottish Government’s

anti-poverty programme are to do with matters over which it has little

direct control. Obviously this includes the UK Government’s tax and

benefit system. But it also includes employment practices and the

provision of essential services which are in the hands of private and

public sector  bodies.”

Glasgow MSP Bob Doris said:

“These figures are Labour’s legacy.  Decades of Labour control did nothing

to tackle Scotland’s problem with poverty and now Labour’s recession has

hit the progress being made under the SNP.

“With a new Tory and Lib Dem government topping up Labour’s cuts and

slashing spending too far and too fast the importance of transferring

responsibility for Scotland’s economy and support for those who are

struggling to the Scottish Parliament has never been higher.

“The only alternative to a decade of dismal cuts – and a possible

deepening of poverty levels in Scotland – is for a Scottish Parliament

with full economic responsibility to invest in the kind of growth,

economic regeneration and support that will bring benefits to all our

communities.

“In government the SNP is taking what action we can with benefits checks,

a council tax freeze, new affordable housing, investment in insulation,

increasing free school meals, smaller class sizes and real investment in

jobs and training with 20,000 apprenticeship places.

“With Westminster cuts coming alongside welfare reforms that risk pushing

people further into poverty Scotland must have the powers to tackle her

own problems.

“Decades of Westminster control has done absolutely nothing to tackle

poverty in Scotland. It is time for a different approach and that means

transferring all the levers to tackle poverty from Westminster to the

Scottish Parliament so we can properly address the problems of poverty and

deprivation that we all have a duty to tackle."

ENDS