Church leaders including Most Rev Mark Strange, Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church and Bishop of Moray, Ross and Caithness, call on UK and Scottish governments to tackle cost of living crisis
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Church leaders in Scotland have urged the UK and Scottish governments to set aside their political differences and tackle the cost of living crisis together.
The Church of Scotland, the Scottish Episcopal Church and the Roman Catholic Church say they are deeply concerned about the plight facing low-income families and a joint approach to come up with solutions is needed.
The Most Rev Mark Strange of Moray, Ross and Caithness, who is the Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, has signed a joint statement with Lord Wallace, Moderator of the General Assembly, and Rt Rev Hugh Gilbert, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, ahead of Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s budget tomorrow.
It reads: "The cost of living is rising fast.
"Energy bills are expected to increase significantly in April and inflation is pushing up the cost of essentials, including food.
"This will hurt low income families more than most and push more people into deep poverty, creating for some the grim choice between eating or heating.
"These are not luxuries, they are the very basics."
The church leaders said it is a tragedy that poverty, especially child poverty, continues to be a significant problem in the United Kingdom in 2022.
"We urge both the Scottish and UK Governments to set aside political differences and come together in a spirit of pragmatism and compassion to seek effective solutions to this very serious and worsening situation," the statement continues.
"We call on political leaders to listen to those who have lived experience of poverty and to follow this engagement with the creation of conditions necessary to support people out of poverty and to prevent people falling into poverty in future.
"At the same time, we applaud the hard work of third sector and charitable organisations who, despite having to contend with a surge in demand and financial challenges of their own, continue to support the poor and vulnerable in our communities through essential and life-sustaining services."
The statement acknowledged that all Christians, people of faith and none are deeply concerned about the situation.
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