Eluned Morgan, Labour FM in Wales: ‘the levers of power to make a difference to the number of children living in poverty in Wales lie with the UK Government.’
By stewartb
The Herald had this headline on September 9: ‘Leading charity demands ‘new honesty’ over child poverty’. The plea came from the CEO of the Aberlour Trust in Scotland. Let’s see what can be done to help further this worthy objective.
From Labour List (September 30, 2025), there is an article entitled: ’Bringing emotion and reality to the debate on child poverty.’ It’s written by a Labour Party conference attendee, a campaigner who is described as bringing a ‘parent voice’ to a Child Poverty Action Group fringe event.
The writer states that ‘the single quickest win in terms of lifting children out of poverty would be abolishing the two child cap. The fact that Nigel Farage has committed to it already gives Labour all the political cover they need to the point where one simply wonders ‘what are you waiting for’.’ (my emphasis)
The fact an well-meaning advocate for a shift in this policy in particular deems it relevant, considers it necessary, to assure the Labour leadership of ‘political cover’ on this matter – and what’s more, ‘cover’ provided by Mr Farage – speaks volumes about how what is now the Labour In Name Only (LINO) party is perceived!
In the same Labour List article, we are told more about this Labour government’s position on poverty: ‘.. we should not forget that in opposition Labour – rightly – opposed the abolition of the Covid era £20 a week uplift in UC which was worth £315 more a year (in 2020!) than what is pledged now by 2029.’
We’re told the author of the article is active in ‘Changing Realities’, an online project involving over 100 parents and carers living on low incomes across the UK. This project, also involving the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG), aims ‘to document people’s experiences and push for change’.
The CPAG, the IPPR think tank and participants in the Changing Realities project have published proposals for a child poverty strategy aimed at influencing the British Labour Party government in Westminster.
Source: Parkes et al. Getting the child poverty strategy we need: a co-produced agenda for change. IPPR, Child Poverty Action Group and Changing Realities report. (https://cdn.sanity.io/files/brhp578m/production/54a71941c10420474c1e4d5fa5de7852a39c02b6.pdf )
It makes the following observations and demands: ‘Any credible child poverty strategy must act directly to put more money into parents’ pockets. This starts with the removal of the 2-child limit and benefit cap, alongside restoring benefit rates for children in real-terms to before the benefit freeze. Beyond this, the system should better recognise the challenges lone parents face, for example by allowing them access the higher standard allowance currently reserved for couples.’
And: ’Beyond increasing cash, we also need social security and child maintenance systems which treat people with dignity and respect, and which are genuinely supportive of a family’s individual circumstances, rather than systems which make their lives actively harder.
The report makes the following specific mentions of Scotland:
- On the social security system: ‘There is a growing consensus that the system must be reoriented around dignity and respect. This principle is embedded in the Scottish social security system, where legislation explicitly commits to delivering support in a way that treats people with fairness, dignity and human rights at its core. (Social Security Scotland 2018)’
- ‘From 2018, a nationally administered School Clothing Grant in Scotland has provided a minimum support of £120 per year per child in primary and £150 per year in secondary for those in receipt of means-tested benefits, administered by local authorities. (Scottish Government 2022). In England, various local authorities provide some support with uniform costs varying in generosity and eligibility but there is no national scheme in place.’
A full account of the Scottish Government’s social security safety net for families – the Scottish Child Payment and the rest – can be read here https://www.gov.scot/policies/social-security/.
In a TuS blog post recently (October 13) entitled ‘In April 2025 Swinney wrote back to the Herald to commit to eradicating child poverty but they chose instead to misrepresent him’, we were reminded of a succession of negatively framed headlines about child poverty in The Herald newspaper in May this year above articles favourable to the British Labour Party in Scotland. The Herald also presented views of the management of certain third sector organisations critical of the Scottish Government. Candidly, these were lacking reasonable acknowledgement of prior policy actions by the Scottish Government and their impact, lacking in context and lacking in perspective.
Notably, it is the British Labour Party’s FM in Wales who has it right: Eluned Morgan’s frankness is in stark contrast to the hypocrisy over the issue of child poverty of her Labour colleagues in Holyrood.
In an article in Labour List (September 27, 2025), the Labour FM in Wales sets out the actions on child poverty taken by her government and then states unequivocally: ‘But even with all of that, we know it is not enough. Despite all the efforts we make, we know that more needs to be done. The truth is that the levers of power to make a difference to the number of children living in poverty in Wales lie with the UK Government.’
Source: https://labourlist.org/2025/09/eluned-morgan-child-poverty/
Back to The Herald and this headline: ‘Leading charity demands ‘new honesty’ over child poverty’. It quotes the CEO of the Aberlour Trust: ‘A “new honesty” is needed to transform the lives and futures of Scotland’s poorest children, according to a leading charity.
‘SallyAnn Kelly, chief executive of Aberlour Children’s Charity, has called for a greater culture of cooperation across public, private and third sectors in Scotland to improve the lives and life chances of children growing up in poverty.’
Rather than continue to rely on the British Labour Party in Holyrood, viewing them as allies in opposing the present Scottish Government, the leadership of this worthy charity if seeking ‘honesty’ should reflect on the truthfulness of the Welsh FM’s statement. As in Wales so also in Scotland, mitigating what Westminster does (or fails to do) can only achieve so much!
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Don’t forget the Scottish Child Payment. It’s a significant addition and doesn’t affect existing benefits.:
Scottish Child Payment – mygov.scot
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“Don’t forget the Scottish Child Payment”
Indeed Capella.
Therein lies the problem with much of the media here and also opposition politicians.
I respect (and also suspect) it’s success being the main reason why many of the opposition politicians may not want to highlight or even mention this effective policy to try to lesson the impact of poverty.
However for the media to give it a wide berth in them not emphasising it’s positive impact in Scotland, as acknowledged by others outwith Scotland, especially it’s success in it doing something seen to be as effective in trying to help alleviate Child poverty within Scotland.
As that omission by the media is something that then makes it even more obvious that they are indeed politically compromised with their links to some opposition parties and also in their constitutional position as those on the UK side.
Where it sticks in your craw is when the media here in Scotland misrepresent the severity of child poverty in Scotland and they exclude the significant fact that the Scottish government , as in the SNP, have introduced measures, such as the Scottish Child Payment, that other governments within the UK have not introduced to also try to alleviate child poverty elsewhere……….
This is yet another example where Scottish exceptionalism cannot be identified , as in seen to exist, by the UK media…..who instead prefer to suggest (demand) that Scotland follows England’s example…….well in this instance, had we done that , then child poverty would be as bad in Scotland as it is within England……
Child poverty is less in Scotland compared to England & Wales.
In 29 January 2025 The Guardian newspaper reported that “Child poverty is on course to increase in most of the UK by the end of this parliament, with only Scotland bucking the trend”.
In April 2025 it was also reported that “UK figures released last week show that child poverty rates are now 35% higher in England than in Scotland“.
Yet on the 29 June 2024, just before the UK GE, the Daily Record’s front page headline was declaring “Voting Labour is the way to eradicate poverty”…..
Brown claimed that “a Labour government would “turn the tide” on child poverty despite his party’s refusal to scrap the two-child benefit cap”……….
Also in the Daily Record in August 2025 they stated that “Gordon Brown warns child poverty in Scotland is getting ‘worse everyday’ as he calls for UK Government action”
However the official data said the opposite where “Relative child poverty in Scotland fell from 25% (2021) to 23% (2024)”….so not “worse everyday”…..
In fact Gordon Brown was speaking about his home area in Fife, where he says “poverty is worsening” however once again that was not accurate as “DWP figures show child poverty in Fife has been falling“.
The Labour UK government have not abolished the (Tory) two child cap however the Scottish government, the SNP, have announced they will “abolish it in Scotland from 2026”.
So Gordon Brown’s declarations were false on child poverty getting worse in Scotland as “Child poverty in Scotland is not “getting worse every day” – it’s falling.
Experts credit policies like the Scottish Child Payment and lower housing costs”.
“Meanwhile, child poverty in England and Wales is rising. Scrapping the two-child benefit cap could help – but in Scotland, that’s already planned, meaning the gap north and south of the border is likely to grow unless Westminster acts” –
However the Daily Record is a classic example of one paper in Scotland who are politically compromised with their links to the Labour party…..that is then why we get headlines from them such as those above….as in those sourced from the likes of Gordon Brown , the ex Labour PM (and annoying) ‘interventionist’ , who intervenes sporadically to try to boost the Labour vote in Scotland in any up and coming elections….
The next expected (yet unwelcome) intervention from him will be in the up and coming Scottish election campaign next year……..where more falsehoods and lies will be unleashed by him no doubt……..as that is something that will never apparently “Change” with this Labour man…as an unfortunate and most unwelcome intermittent event.
#DoNotVoteLabour (or listen to Gordon Brown….and if you do have to listen to him…then FGS do not believe him).
Liz S
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