SNP accuse Labour of failing to deliver a £150million “war chest” to fight child poverty in Scotland

The Scottish National Party (SNP) has accused the Labour Party of failing to deliver a promised £150 million “war chest” to combat child poverty in Scotland. SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn has called on Scottish Secretary Ian Murray to provide the funds as pledged during the election campaign.

During the campaign, Ian Murray stated that his department would receive new spending powers to utilise funds aimed at unlocking opportunities in disadvantaged communities. There was an expectation that Rachel Reeves would allocate money in the recent budget to enable the UK Government’s Scotland Office to distribute levelling up funds directly to councils, bypassing the Scottish Government.

Stephen Flynn highlighted the absence of action on child poverty in the UK budget, pointing out that the failure to address issues like the two-child limit, bedroom tax, and benefit cap would result in more Scottish children falling into poverty. He emphasised the broken promises of the Labour Party, including the failure to scrap the two-child cap and deliver the pledged £150 million for poverty alleviation.

Flynn insisted that the missing £150 million could have a significant impact on reversing cuts like the Winter Fuel Payment reduction and enhancing child poverty initiatives such as the Scottish Child Payment. He called for urgent action from the UK government to address poverty by delivering the promised funds to the Scottish Government, among other measures.

In response to previous statements where Ian Murray appeared to dismiss the £150 million figure as fabricated by a journalist, a UK Government source defended Labour’s budget allocation to the Scottish Government, emphasising substantial financial support. The source highlighted significant investments and initiatives intended to support public services and tackle poverty across the UK.

The SNP’s challenge to the Labour Party underscores the ongoing debate and concerns surrounding child poverty in Scotland, highlighting the importance of effective policies and financial support to address this pressing issue.

**Summary:**
The SNP has raised concerns over Labour’s failure to deliver a promised £150 million “war chest” to combat child poverty in Scotland. SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn has demanded the funds pledged during the election campaign be provided to address pressing issues like the two-child limit and bedroom tax. The debate underscores the ongoing challenges of child poverty in Scotland and the need for effective measures to alleviate this critical issue.