The BBC is carrying a story about research done by Sheffield University boffins for the BBC.
It appears to show that Scotland has suffered badly in terms of poverty over the last 40 years with now 31.5% of Scottish households classified as 'breadline poor' - the worst figure measured (27.3% in 1970; 22% in 1980; 26.8% in 1990). Except the 31.5% figure which gives the BBC its headline of Third of Scots 'breadline poor' is from 2000 - eight years ago.
It's shameful that anyone should be in poverty in a nation as wealthy as Scotland - and that shame is thrown into sharp relief by the banks bail-out - but there are more recent figures (much more recent) and we should be using them to understand the depth of the problem and begin to get some understanding of what we might be able to do about it.
I know that Brown's imagery economic miracle and the measures he took to keep the boom going were damaging to Scotland's poor, and I know that some of the steps taken by the SNP Government in Edinburgh will go a small way towards helping Scotland's poor, but before we start excoriating Brown and praising the SNP we should get the up-to-date figures.
Then we can get on with it.
4 comments:
strange opinion poll in the Independent - Tory lead in youkay down to 1%. Better news in small Scottish sample SNP up 8% since last poll.
Labour 37
SNP 34
Tory 17
Green 5
LD 4
why are the LD's so high?
The LDs could really be finished, Im really surprised, and quietly impressed by the progress the tories have made in scotland. To opposing devolution to being the third largestr party is no mean feat
It's beginning to be a fascinating landscape in polling.
Lib Dems always overpoll in the Indy (which explains why the Greens aren't further ahead of them) and the Conservatives are holding steady in Scotland while leading in England.
It looks now like it's going to be a Conservative victory by a substantial margin in England with Scotland being fought out between the SNP and Labour
I'm looking forward to it.
If the Tories get in, even the best polls show they will only have a handful of Scottish MPs. In the referendum argument, the majority ov voters, as a consequence, will not have voted for the incumbent UK Government. The Yes campaign could argue that as an escape route to a perceived undemocratic situation for Scotland, they should vote yes in the independence referendum.
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