David Mackay: “The current scale of child poverty is a result of political choice”

As children, young people and families call for change, David Mackay, our Head of Policy, Projects and Participation, reflects on the recent King’s Speech, exploring the growing pressure on the UK Government to tackle child poverty, give young people more say in political decisions, and ensure society is more equal and fair for all.

Last week saw a mini rebellion in the Labour benches as MPs voted on an amendment to the King’s Speech lodged by SNP MP Stephen Flynn. The vote was the first major test of Keir Starmer’s premiership and continues to put pressure on the Labour Party’s policy position around the two-child limit.

The two-child limit restricts child tax credit and universal credit to the first two children in most households. The policy keeps thousands of families trapped in poverty, affecting low-income families across the UK. Within Scotland alone, it's estimated the policy impacts 87,000 children, while projections indicate that scrapping the two-child limit would immediately lift 300,000 children out of poverty across the UK.

For a government elected on the promise of change, many have questioned why such an unfair and punitive policy is allowed to remain, and why scrapping the limit – which was originally implemented by George Osbourne in 2017 – is not a key priority for the Labour Party. Much has been written in newspaper articles and on social media over the last few months and weeks and the message coming from across civil society is clear – the sooner we see the back of the two-child limit, the better.

Labour has said it will not commit to spending plans without them being fully costed, and has announced a new cross-government taskforce to tackle child poverty. This will be little comfort to the one in four children in Scotland who are currently feeling the effects of poverty on a day-to-day basis.

We know that growing up in poverty can have wide-ranging impacts.

Poverty strips away opportunities for children and young people to grow, learn and lead happy and thriving childhoods. As we scrutinise Westminster decision-making, it is important for us all to remember that the current scale of child poverty in Scotland and the wider UK is a result of political choice.

Children in Scotland has been calling for the two-child limit to be scrapped for many years through our campaigning work with the End Child Poverty Coalition (click here for more). It was also a call in Children in Scotland’s Manifesto for the 2019 General Election. Through our membership and work with partners, we will continue to apply pressure to the UK Government, as well as calling for increases to anti-poverty measures here in Scotland, including an immediate uplift to the Scottish Child Payment.

Children in Scotland had hoped the King’s Speech would progress another of our key 2019 Manifesto calls – to reduce the voting age to 16 for all parliamentary elections across the UK.

While this policy pledge was included in the Labour General Election Manifesto, a bill to reduce the voting age was not included in the King’s Speech, although Labour says it is still committed to introducing the change. Young people aged 16 and 17 in Scotland were given the chance to vote in Scottish Government elections and local elections back in 2015, and we know through our direct work with young people that many are passionate about democracy and voting. They are eager to have their voices heard and, nearly a decade on, it is surely well past time for this change across the UK.

Finally, the King’s Speech also announced that Labour will reintroduce a Tobacco and Vapes Bill. This proposed legislation was originally introduced by Rishi Sunak but had to be scrapped with the announcement of the General Election and the dissolution of parliament. Under plans, there will be a ban on disposable vapes and limitations introduced on the sale and marketing of e-cigarettes, so they don’t appear as attractive to children and young people.

Children in Scotland’s youth advisory group, Changing our World, will be pleased to hear this news. They have been campaigning for increased restrictions around vapes for nearly two years. You can find out more about their views in their recent evidence paper (click here for more).

During this General Election campaign, Children in Scotland has joined the Children at the Table (click here for more) movement, calling for the needs and ‘voices’ of babies, children and young people to be placed at the heart of decision-making in the new government.

As a policy and campaigning organisation, we understand that change takes time, however, when it comes to cruel policies that punish some of the most vulnerable within our society, change cannot come soon enough. By focusing on work to improve the lives of babies, children and young people, and investing in children and families, we hope the positive change we are all looking for will come sooner rather than later.