Susan Murray speaks on poverty in north east Glasgow
Susan Murray, MP for Mid Dunbartonshire, took part a Westminster Hall Debate talking about poverty in the north east of Glasgow. 33% of children across Glasgow are growing up poor but that rises to 37% in the Glasgow East constituency which is the highest in Scotland.
New figures from the Joseph Roundry Foundation reveal 6 million people are living in very deep poverty in the UK today, with nearly half a million in Scotland.
Poverty of this scale is not just a social failure. It's an economic own goal and a drag on growth.
We need investment, not in handouts, but in the human capital that will pay Scotland dividends for decades.
Three interventions stand out.
- Extend free school meals to every child in poverty throughout primary and secondary school.
- Make every home in north east Glasgow and beyond warm and efficient, cutting bills and carbon alike.
- Ensure universal access to NHS dental care for all children in a timely manner.
Behind every percentage point are hundreds of pupils whose concentration is broken by hunger, whose homework is done under blankets because the heating is off, if it is done at all.
Susan Murray MP