By cuckooshoe
Re “The BBC Scotland broadcast this morning finishes with ‘Scottish Labour accusing the SNP of attempting to distract from their own failure to drive down child poverty.’”
BBC Scotland should have ended by asking what a UK Labour government would do.
From the statement by Shirley-Anne Somerville on the tackling child poverty delivery plan annual progress report for 2022-23.
On 13 June 2023, during his response to Shirley Anne Somerville’s statement in Holyrood on Child Poverty, Paul O’Kane (West Scotland) (Labour), see above for a picture….of his dad, said
“It is revealing that the cabinet secretary was only five paragraphs into the statement on child poverty before she shifted the focus back on to the constitution. The reality is that people across Scotland are being failed by two Governments who are too focused on their own internal issues rather than on relentlessly tackling poverty. Will the cabinet secretary focus on the detail of eradicating child poverty and outline to the chamber how the new modelling will affect the Scottish Government’s ability to hit its own targets on absolute poverty, relative poverty and persistent poverty?”
Among her responses to Paul O’Kane remarks, Shirley Anne Somerville added
“I point out gently to Paul O’Kane—I am quite happy to be corrected on this if I am wrong—that, on aspects around welfare, it does not appear at this stage that there would be any change in some of the most concerning policies if Labour got into power. We would still need to mitigate the benefit cap, issues around the two-child clause and the impact of discretionary housing payments if Labour got into power. There is genuine sadness about that genuine context, which this Parliament needs to take into account. Paul O’Kane might not like the fact that his party at UK level is not changing its welfare policies—I would encourage him to ensure that it does—but it is important that we take account of that context.”
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
Labour led Edinburgh Council are ahead of the curve as it passed a budget this year that includes ending free travel for under 22s on the trams.
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Ah but …. maist o the under 22s isnae weans, so the two child cap disnae apply tae maist o thum! But Embra Cooncil hud tae dae sumthin because thon SNP government husnae gi’ed them enough money.
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Hit widna maitter whit da guvermunt gae dem, hit wis nivir be anyoch før whit dey wantit whin dey wirna i da drivin saet.
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But, BBC Scotland will NOT ask any unionist politician making a criticism of the SG, what they would do if they were in power in Scotland.
Anas Sarwar and others claim that there are many things that can be done with existing devolved powers to mitigate poverty. So, the question ought to be: “What powers would you use?”
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One of the things to remember is that under the devolution settlement welfare is devolved only to a limited degree, focused mainly on the disabled and carers. Such as Universal Credit- where the two child limit (and indeed the bedroom tax) live here is most definitely NOT devolved. The point here is that, if/when Starmer becomes PM, it would be possible politically at least to address these two unfairnesses.
Listening to Starmer increasingly reminds me of a less radical Harold Wilson (1964). At that election, and indeed through most of that administration, Wilson banged on about “productivity” (eg more output per hour) – we would probably describe this as “modernisation” now, but the desired outcome is the same – “economic growth”. This was such a mantra that it almost a relief (though not quite) when Margaret Thatcher kicked thirty years of economic policy failure into the long grass of “the market rules”.
Starmer is taking us back to these days with his cop-out that they’ll do away with the two child limit when govt finances allow – ie have grown enough that the deficit increase wont scare the financial markets. With other depts having their own aims/ projects as well as the conservatism of the Treasury if you’re looking to see the limit removed even when conditions allow, I wouldnt hold my breath.
But note the influences –
1. fear of the market, though in fairness Truss’s utter lunacy still resonates, and Covid and the energy crisis have been significant negative factors, though they were for other even smaller/ less wealthy countries as well, who seem to have managed this better. Moreover, what is the consequence of the traditional nostrum in the face of inflation – higher interest rates – transfers income from the less off (younger folk with mortgages for instance) to the better off (bond holders etc, who are already wealthy). Moreover it increases bank profits – if you have savings, are your rates going up? But the take home point is that financial interests trump social need. Hardly a surprise with the likes of Sunak, but the leader of the Laabour Party?? One of the positives with Gordon Broon was that during his time as Chancellor he did get childhood poverty down (though other types were less influenced), leading nicely to the second influence.
2. the balance of opinion within the Lablour Party which seems likely to let Starmer away with this. Dont know if you witnessed Dame Jackie Baillie’s performance on this has been described as “car crash”
“Asked whether she was “embarrassed” by what’s happened on Good Morning Scotland, Baillie said: “No look Scottish Labour have a very clear position on this, we’ve not changed that position and we remain completely opposed to the two-child benefit cap because we know it damages families, we know it exacerbates poverty.
My understanding of what Keir Starmer was saying is that they are worried about the financial mess that we will inherit from the Tories.”
It was then pointed out to Jackie Baillie that Anas Sarwar (below) had agreed with this, claiming that changing the policy would risk a repeat of the disastrous Liz Truss mini-Budget. (note here that the cost is estimated to be 1.3 billion)
“There is absolutely a recognition as there should be among responsible politicians that we’re not going to be able to do everything immediately.
“We recognise we can’t do everything immediately and my understanding is Keir Starmer doesn’t want to make pledges that he cannot then deliver on.”
She said that it was not possible to know the “financial mess” the Tories would leave should Labour come to power at the next General Election.
The most positive commitment of a practiced liar, sorry astute politician like Dame Jackie, was this
““The party has agreed to reform universal credit and I would expect the two-child benefit cap as part of that process. It’ll be examined as part of that process.” It will be examined – or put another way, mibbes aye, mibbes naw.
But of course, despite this not being a devolved matter, it’s the fault of the SNP. She suggests ““But I’m very clear. In Scotland it would take 80,000 children, it would have an impact on them, it would cost £250 million. We all care about tackling child poverty.
Indeed we do Jackie, but that small amount is twice the proportion of the Scottish Government budget, as the proportionate cost in the UK as a whole. I expect you hope we dont know/ wont ask
The SNP in Scotland have the power and the opportunity to change this. They haven’t changed it so far and that is the disappointing thing.
“Because we could have ended that cap in Scotland almost immediately because we had the power to do that.”
This last bit reminds of the edition of QT when Damian Green brayed at Stephen Gethins (think it was the bedroom tax,) “go ahead create a benefit. You have the power to do this”. which the Scottish Government does. But, I have the power to order up a Rolls Royce – I just dont have the money to pay for it. Moreover for the Scottish govt this is a real constraint, as having much more limited borrowing powers they are on a much more cash limited budget than the UK where it’s always possible to just borrow.
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The Scottish Gov has introduced Child benefit payment. Mitigated the bedroom tax. Personal care. Prescriptions. Bus passes for old and young. Helped students. Smaller debt. Kinship payment. MUP. Build affordable houses. Foster care allowance.
Built bridges, railways and roads.
HS2, Hinkley Point, Trident £Billions wasted. Westminster cut Education £6Billion a year. Cut Welfare £18Billion. Cut NHS £20Billion instead of increased funding. 2015-20.
Brexit another disaster. Costing £Billions.
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