I don't want to reduce child poverty..I want to end it completely

FIRST MINISTER JOHN SWINNEY

SINCE becoming Scotland's First Minister, I have been clear that I want to work constructively and collaboratively with other parties. We have to unite as a Parliament in the national interest.

Unity is important for its own sake - our democracy is always best served when parties can work together and compromise. But unity behind a clear purpose is even more powerful.

Each of the parties represented in the Scottish Parliament have different values and different priorities - that is the essence of democracy. Unanimity is always hard to come by in politics and we will never agree on everything.

But one area where I hope everyone across the political spectrum can come together and work to the same goal is on making sure that no child in Scotland has to live in poverty. That is why I have made the mission to eradicate child poverty in Scotland my top priority as First Minister.

And I use that term deliberately. I do not just want to reduce child poverty. I want to see it ended completely.

There can be no acceptable number of children living in poverty one is too many. Indeed, every child living in poverty is a national tragedy.

I am under no illusions that eradicating child poverty will be an easy task. It will not be.

We are facing a cost-of-living crisis as a result of Brexit and the UK Government's mismanagement of the economy, which is making it much harder for many families to make ends meet.