stewartb
I note in the Daily Record article on poverty by Mr Hutcheon this (with my emphasis): ‘Labour MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy said: “The SNP’s failure to tackle poverty is A SHAMEFUL BLIGHT on their record in government.
“A single person in poverty is one too many and a single day spent in poverty is a day too many – but the SNP SEEM CONTENT to let things stall at these devastating levels.
“It’s clear both of our governments have FAILED MISERABLY to protect people from the cost of living crisis, SQUANDERING THE LEGACY OF THE LAST LABOUR GOVERNMENT.”
Now I have much regard for Ms Duncan-Glancy, especially her forensic interrogations in Parliamentary committee but, candidly, this is poor, crass politicking, trivialising a too important subject. It does her and the leadership of her party no credit!
I noted earlier this from the Centre for Research in Social Policy Loughborough University for the End Child Poverty Coalition:
‘.. areas affected by already high rates of unemployment and in-work poverty, particularly in the North East of England and in WALES, saw SUBSTANTIAL INCREASES IN CHILD POVERTY BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER HOUSING COSTS between 2019/20 and 2020/21.’
I wouldn’t dream of berating the Drakeford government in Cardiff with ‘shameful blight’, ‘miserable failure’ or ‘seeming content’ with children in poverty. And to use Ms Duncan-Glancy’s words, given the rate of child poverty in Wales, has Welsh Labour also ‘squandered the legacy’ of a prior Labour government? Do her Labour colleagues in Wales know of the implications of her remarks?
As long-in-office Welsh Labour have found, with severely limited tax raising and borrowing powers plus the imposition of a decade or more of Tory austerity plus other Union ‘benefits’ bestowed by Westminster (e.g. cuts to Universal Credit) plus the impact of a global pandemic, doing ALL one would wish to advance poverty reduction/elimination is, let’s say, easier said by a Labour MSP than done by (any) devolved government!
Talking-up Scotland 
Ahah—- But Scottish Labour have discovered a huge pot of money, it seems, as they want to fork out £billions on everything under the sun, for more of everything.
Teachers, doctors, dentists, nurses, houses, free travel on trains and buses, more ferries, better roads (without potholes), more funding for local government with no strings, close down Prestwich airport, £15 pph for care staff and more of them, free child care for all, NO MORE POVERTY (by law), tax the rich, grow the space industry, “nukes” in every town and a free lucky bag for everyone with a limp.
A “dusky maiden” for every Labour cooncillor, with a pie and chips.
Sunshine on Leith with a prohibition on winter.
And a Peerage/Dame-hoodie for Starwars, Bailie et al if they form a coalition with DRossie, Cauld-Ham and Auld Nick.
Glenn and Juan never ask—“but how can you fund this”?
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You have hit the nail on the head your regard for “Ms Duncan-Glancy, especially her forensic interrogations in Parliamentary committee” that is her own work.
“This is poor, crass politicking, trivialising a too important subject” is her reading her FMQs script from her party’s London HQ. As you say “It does her and the leadership of her party no credit!”
How can someone with her obvious intelligence and ability in committee churn out such dross in chamber?
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Labour are tackling poverty by – sending as many apparatchiks as possible to The House Of Lords .
”That’s the way to do it !” as Mr Punch would say .
After all , that’s all politics is to people like Pam Duncan-Glancy – a Punch and Judy show !
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Maybe she’s not old enough to remember the £1 billion that her party returned to the treasury as they couldn’t think of what to do with the money.
The FM at the time was lord mcconnell of glensscorrowdale, now collecting the ermine collar.
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