SNP Government Minister: Eradicating child poverty is “hypothetical”

In a bizarre response to Willie Rennie, the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice said his question about the cost of ending child poverty was a “hypothetical” one.  

Speaking in the Scottish Parliament this afternoon, Mr Rennie asked the Cabinet Secretary how much she estimated it would cost to eradicate child poverty. Eradicating child poverty has been a target for the Scottish Government since at least 2017, when the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act set out in statute targets for the eradication of child poverty by 2030.

In response to Mr Rennie, Ms Somerville said that this was a “very hypothetical question. But it is a very interesting one.”

Speaking after the exchange, Mr Rennie said:  

“I asked a simple question, how much would it cost, but the minister couldn’t even tell me that. You would think that if it was a government target enshrined in law, they may have a clue as to what the cost would be.

“It’s pretty clear the SNP are not seriously planning to meet their legal target. They have no costings. They seem content to blame everyone else rather than taking action now.”