As the SNP’s much lauded, revolutionary Child Payment begins to widen the gap between levels in Scotland and the rest of the UK, the First Minister, John Swinney has announced £16 million for childcare services to help deliver his vision of a Scotland free from child poverty: In a statement to Parliament, the First Minister set out the four priorities that will underpin the work of his government. He said eradicating child poverty would be his government’s single most important objective. Over the next two years, the Scottish Government will provide additional funding to expand access to childcare services within … Continue reading SNP to be first in Europe to eradicate child poverty as it surges under Cons and Labour

By Professor John Robertson From the Guardian today, the above, and: The deployment of the government’s childcare scheme to tens of thousands more families is facing “significant uncertainties” and may struggle to meet its own targets, according to a report by Whitehall’s spending watchdog. The National Audit Office revealed the Department for Education (DfE) had assessed the likelihood of being able to deliver the funded childcare places it promised for September 2024 and 2025 as “amber/red problematic”. Even if the government managed to successfully navigate the multiple difficulties ahead, it was not clear whether the policy would achieve its primary aim of … Continue reading Sunak’s childcare scheme struggles, Starmer refuses to pledge support and Scottish scheme reporting no problems