Opinion: Stay noisy
Communications Officer at Children in Scotland, Innes Burns, urges all corners of society to stay noisy about the demands of Scotland’s children. As parties set out their election priorities, renewed attention on the pressures facing families offers cautious optimism.
There has been a noticeable shift in tone over the past few weeks. Families struggling with the cost of living are back at the centre of political debate, and that is welcome.
At times it feels like we are pushing uphill on this issue. The pressures facing children and families that we see today have been going on for some time now. Progress is slow. Challenges are complex. Used-language is repetitive. It feels like we are running towards a dead end at times.
…but the noise over the past few weeks is encouraging.
When all corners are society are shouting loudly that things need to improve, it is difficult for our governments to ignore. Calls for renewed focus on early years intervention from organisations like the NSPCC are huge. Opposition parties like the Scottish Greens, so influential in the last term of parliament, calling for transformative change in childcare is huge. Eye-catching coverage on poverty statistics from news outlets… huge.
Why? Well, volume of discussion matters. When these issues are debating publicly and consistently, this gives the best chance for change to happen. It signals that these issues cannot simply be parked for another parliamentary term.
With the Scottish elections approaching, the likelihood of a parliament that requires cooperation between parties may prove significant. Collaboration demands compromise, but it can also create opportunity. Many of the challenges facing Scotland’s children do not sit neatly within one party’s ideology. They require shared responsibility and long-term commitments.
The early signs are encouraging. There is recognition across the political spectrum that investment in families is not a side issue. The task now is to keep the focus steady… Scotland’s children cannot afford for attention to drift once the headlines move on, nor do they deserve it.
Stay noisy.
