An observer who attended last night's Poverty Alliance hustings at the SYHA, Haddington Place, tells us the level of debate was high.
Questions and issues covered included:
- the financing of local government;
- central government measures to alleviate poverty versus local accountability;
- the impact of poverty on children's health;
- wellbeing and learning;
- children's centres and support for early years;
- school uniform grants;
- working motherhood;
- poverty-proofing government measures;
- custodial sentencing and rehabilitation policy;
- dealing with the root causes of poverty versus tinkering round the edges.
Broadly, there was cross party agreement on the living wage of £7.15.
Attending were: Sheila Low (Scottish Conservative), Malcolm Chisholm (Scottish Labour), Alison Johnstone (Scottish Green), Shirley-Anne Somerville (Scottish National), Jacquie Bell (Scottish Liberal-Democrat), Ken O'Neill (Independent), Catriona Grant (Scottish Socialist Party). John Dickie (Head of Child Poverty Action Group, Scotland – pictured standing – chaired.)
'Some spoke better than others, no-one disgraced themselves,' commented our Labour-leaning correspondent, 'although the Tory, Sheila Low, seemed to focus on the role of schools and education, and a simple view of wealth creation, as the sole solutions to the problems.'
Whatever your party allegiance or non-aligned scepticism, Spurtle welcomes your Broughton election thoughts, irritations and observations.