Under pressure to report on the schism in the Labour Party between its Scottish branch and its leader and, laughably, between the Scottish branch comments in the last few days and its comments only days earlier, BBC Reporting Scotland had a go this morning.
They were careful to make sure that they opened with ‘that’s according to research produced for the SNP.’ See what they’re doing with ‘produced for‘ as opposed to the more common ‘commissioned by?’
Anyhow, what matters most is the lack of any independent, credible, research specifically on those families more directly impacted by the cap in the past, in the BBC report.
In 2021, the Joseph Rowntree Trust, in a report quite critical of the Scottish Government’s ability to meet its child poverty targets, did reveal this stark contrast with regard to larger families (3 or more children):
Child poverty in Scotland’s larger families is at around two-thirds of the rate in England or nearly 50% higher in England than in Scotland. Why?
Two reasons.
First, more affordable housing
https://www.jrf.org.uk/report/poverty-scotland-2021
Second, the Child Payment:
The Scottish Government’s decisive and compassionate move to bring in the new Scottish Child Payment is the lifeline children and their families need, and is a beacon of progressive policy for the rest of the UK.
https://www.jrf.org.uk/blog/scottish-child-payment-will-turn-tide-child-poverty
What is the Child Payment, unique to Scotland?
“The Scottish Government increased the payment; first from £10 to £20 then to £25 in November when it was extended to include all eligible children from birth until they turn 16.
“That amounts to an increase of 150% and today’s statistics show just how important that support is.
“The incredible reach of Scottish Child Payment means that it is helping the families of around 303,000 children and young people.
https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/news-events/news/more-than-300-000-children-receiving-new-25-scottish-child-payment#:~:text=%E2%80%9CThe%20Scottish%20Government%20increased%20the,birth%20until%20they%20turn%2016.
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.’
There is of course no time for an SNP response. What data might have been in that response:
Percentage of children in poverty, 2021/22, by country:
- UK – 29%
- Wales – 28%
- England – 31%
- Scotland – 24%
- Northern Ireland – 22%
https://www.actionforchildren.org.uk/blog/where-is-child-poverty-increasing-in-the-uk/
Would that be the kind of balance BBC Scotland love to claim and useful information for their audience in making a judgement?
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
The figures are still coming through of the reduction of child poverty because of the new payment.
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Really is time the BBC in Scotland came clean and admitted that it is the (not so ) clandestine propaganda arm of Labour in Scotland . Time to reveal all the ties its presenters and journos and executives have to Scottish (sic ) Labour .
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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.
https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament/meeting-of-parliament-13-06-2023?meeting=15365&iob=131071
On 13 June 2023, during his response to Shirley Anne Somerville’s statement in Holyrood on Child Poverty, Paul O’Kane (West Scotland) (Labour) 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.”
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No surprise whatever…
BBC Scotland ran radio silence on this until they published an article yesterday on the Scottish/Politics page, https://archive.ph/pvGNr.
It’s a blatant attempt to downplay public fury over it in Scotland, complete with ‘Analysis by Philip Sim’, essentially trying to lessen the damage to Sarwar’s Labour electoral prospects.
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The analysis by Philip Sim included a link to a twitter account claiming a poll founf most people were in agreement with the UK Labour stance. However while the account maybe or may not be for a pollster the twitter account making the claim, I noticed that while they responded to tweets about that claim, did not provide the source.
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I heard that poll mentioned by Pat on the Lesley Riddoch podcast, about 31 minutes in – Apparently it was a YouGov poll of English voters…
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