Dani Garavelli says the Scottish National party has not eradicated child poverty in Scotland (The SNP’s woes are a boost for Starmer. But he’s not promising the change Scotland wants, 27 May). Maybe not, but it has made great strides in this direction, within the budgetary constraints imposed by Westminster. The Scottish child payment is the policy of the SNP-led Holyrood government and is paid to all families on benefits in Scotland at £26.70 per week per child. And all children in primary 1 to 5, at schools run by their local council or funded by the Scottish government, can get free school lunches in term-time. Moreover, money has been invested into this to ensure that the meals are of good quality.
As Garavelli goes on to say, Keir Starmer will not even commit to abolishing the two-child benefit cap. Child poverty is a scandal in a rich country like the UK, but it is less of a scandal in Scotland than elsewhere. No one in Scotland who cares about this should vote Labour.
Sue Hawthorne
Haddington, East Lothian
• Dani Garavelli thinks Labour isn’t offering change in Scotland. But surely, by changing the emphasis on Scottish politics away from obsessive squabbling about referendums and the constitution, and on to the real problems of the average voter – ie the cost of living, jobs, the economy, education, the NHS and so on – Labour is offering a change, not just in detail and policy, but in the philosophy of the governing party. And that’s the biggest, most effective change possible for the people of Scotland.
Alex Gallagher
Largs, Ayrshire
• John Swinney kicked off the SNP’s election campaign saying: “It’s as simple as ABC: austerity, Brexit and the cost of living”. The same three letters reflect the SNP’s time in Holyrood: Anything But Competent, resulting in A Broken Coalition. Yours sincerely, A Bitter Citizen.
Mark Openshaw
Aberdeen
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