Covid was the biggest disaster we are ever likely to face in this lifetime. Millions of people died around the world and the global economy was put under severe strain.
Lockdowns forced people to stay indoors and our mental health suffered untold consequences. But the pandemic also showed the difference interventionist governments can make in the collective interest.
In the UK, the furlough scheme ensured wages were paid and extraordinary efforts were made to protect the NHS and other key services.
But post-pandemic we seem to have reverted to the old ways of believing only modest change can be made to difficult problems. SallyAnn Kelly, the chief executive of the Aberlour charity, is correct to call for a pandemic-style response to child poverty.
Around one in four kids languishes in poverty in Scotland, a figure that has barely moved in over a decade. Poverty impacts on life expectancy, opportunities and health and is the biggest blight in our society.
Governments have the levers to tackle poverty and the causes of poverty but have proven to be complacent. With a Labour government in charge at Westminster, the newly-created taskforce on child poverty is an opportunity to change the dial.
The last Labour government took millions of kids and pensioners out of poverty and the same outcome is achievable again. SNP Ministers also have to contribute more, starting with the Budget next month.
Child poverty is Scotland’s shame and should be the priority of all our politicians to fix.
Waste of space
The Scottish Greens are on the right track calling for ScotRail to ditch first class carriages on trains.
Figures show that just two per cent of top-priced seats were used in the last year. That wouldn’t be so much of an issue if rail users always managed to find a standard seat elsewhere on the train.
But most of us at one time or another have been in busy carriages, perhaps having to stand, while rows of seats are empty in first class. At the very least, this points to an over-provision of a service that’s in very low demand.
ScotRail should take a look at London Northwestern Railway, Southeastern Rail and Greater Anglia who have all taken steps to get rid of first class seats.
The move would make rail travel on the busier routes much more pleasant and should be seriously consider by bosses.
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