Labour's Rhoda Grant slams 50 per cent rise in severe rural poverty since the SNP took power
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Shortly after taking on the role of the the shadow rural affairs brief Highland MSP Rhoda Grant has taken on attacked the SNP's record on rural poverty.
New figures show steep rises in both severe and relative poverty, both areas accelerating faster than urban areas.
Those in severe rural poverty has soared by 50 per cent since 2007 – the year the SNP came to power.
An additional with 50,000 more households entered dire poverty between 2007 and 2022.
Meanwhile those households in relative rural poverty rose by 47 per cent to 220,000 – up by 70,000.
Mrs Grant said: “There is a big job of work to be done to protect our rural and islands communities.”
She went on to illustrate the scale of the task faced by Scotland’s politicians arguing that rural communities have been “abandoned”.
Labour accuses the SNP of presiding over “years of mismanagement and neglect” in rural policy, including the ferry fiasco, delays to the A9 dualling and cuts to rural Councils and enterprise agencies.
So as the new Scottish Labour rural affairs shadow cabinet secretary, Mrs Grant said: “These shameful figures show how badly rural Scotland has been abandoned by the SNP.
“Years of mismanagement and neglect has pushed thousands of people into poverty and left rural communities on the brink.
“Local services have been cut to the bone and lifeline transport links allowed to fall into complete disarray, and the worst off are paying the harshest price.
“Every single part of Scotland is being badly failed by the SNP – they must end this betrayal and set out a real plan to tackle poverty and revitalise rural communities.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “The First Minister has been absolutely clear that tackling poverty will remain a key priority for this government. However, many of the levers to tackle poverty remain in the hands of the UK Government, and we continue to urge them to use all the powers at their disposal to tackle this cost-of-living crisis on the scale required. This includes access to borrowing, providing benefits and support to households, VAT on fuel, taxation of windfall profits and regulation of the energy market.
“We will continue to take action within our powers and fixed budget. This includes providing free childcare and transport, as well as the game-changing Scottish Child Payment and the Carers Allowance Supplement – two of seven Scottish Government benefits only available in Scotland. In addition, our new Winter Heating Payment was automatically paid to 400,000 people this year to help with the cost of winter energy bills.
“We are also committed to supporting our rural, coastal and island communities, including through improving transport and infrastructure. We have invested more than £2 billion in our ferry services since 2007, and we have outlined plans to invest around £700 million in a five-year plan to improve ferry infrastructure. We remain fully committed to improving the A9 and A96.”
