People who shared personal stories with Humza Yousaf about their experiences living in poverty have expressed their disappointment with his first programme for government. They feel that the lack of concrete action was like “a kick in the teeth”.
As one of his first acts as SNP leader, Yousaf organized a cross-party, cross-sector summit on tackling poverty in May. Linda Craik, who attended the event to share her experience as a full-time carer, expressed her frustration: “I left my dignity at the door when I went to that summit and shared my very personal experience with the first minister. Now I wonder: was he even listening?”
Yousaf defended his programme for government, claiming that it is “unashamedly anti-poverty” and includes expanded childcare provision, minimum income guarantees, and more investment in the Scottish child payment. However, charities and campaign groups have criticized it as timid, hollow, and a missed opportunity.
Craik, who used to work as a civil servant before becoming an unpaid carer, accused Yousaf of only paying lip service, stating that his programme consists of piecemeal interventions, repackaged existing plans, and pilot schemes that will take a year to report back. She questioned whether he even understands how bleak things will look in a year.
Yousaf responded to similar criticisms by highlighting the financial constraints of devolution on his budget. The Scottish government is facing a projected spending gap of £1bn, which limits their ability to implement costly new policies.
Craik emphasized that the public understands there is no money tree, but she believes that Yousaf should be honest with people instead of making vague promises.
Another attendee of the summit, Danielle Ramage, called on Yousaf to be brave and felt that the programme for government did not meet the expectations of those living in poverty. She stated that people in poverty have to be brave every day just to hold their heads high.
Ramage, who works with struggling families, also mentioned the importance of considering “parent poverty” and the toll it takes on adults who are fighting to hide their living conditions from their children. She criticized the lack of provisions for the living costs of older children and support for parents seeking employment.
Leaders in the third sector share the disappointment expressed by individuals. They have called on Yousaf to connect his progressive rhetoric with actual policy implementation, which they feel was lacking under Nicola Sturgeon’s leadership.
David Reilly from the Poverty Alliance stated that the actions of the government do not align with their ambitious rhetoric. He pointed out that they are not on track to meet their own child poverty targets. Charities are particularly concerned about the lack of new resources for addressing homelessness.
The Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland acknowledged the financial pressures faced by Yousaf’s government. However, they challenged him to consider raising taxes in his first budget as a means of matching ambition with resources.
Yousaf mentioned that progressive tax and spending policies are crucial in tackling poverty. However, he hinted at the possibility of reconsidering this approach due to concerns over tax flight if rates are cut in the rest of the UK.
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