Peter Kelly and Carla McCormack call for action in the new post-referendum period towards banishing poverty

The referendum and associated campaigns have re-invigorated Scottish democracy and engaged voters in a way never seen before. Voter registration hit 97% and turnout was a record 84.5%. We saw all sections of society engaged in serious discussion about the type of Scotland we want to live in and how we best achieve this. It is clear that people want change and there is now a critical need to act on demands for a more socially just Scotland.

For many people, issues surrounding welfare and social security were at the heart of the debate and it is important that we keep the focus on these issues as we move forward. Poverty is the biggest issue in Scotland. In 2012/13, 16 per cent of people were living in poverty; this figure rises to 19 per cent for children (see web reference below). These figures are too big to ignore and whichever party is in government – at Scotland and UK level – will need to make tackling poverty their priority.

The three main UK parties have all promised the devolution of further powers to the Scottish Parliament. The Poverty Alliance, alongside other anti-poverty campaigners, will need to consider these offers, and the implications of devolving welfare powers on the delivery of social security in Scotland. We do not want to see people left worse off as a result of splitting up social security powers.

It is important that there is a clear understanding of what is being offered, and what this means for people experiencing poverty in Scotland. It is also imperative to remember that this is about more than where power lies. This shouldn’t be about a simple transition of power from Westminster to Holyrood; there needs to be meaningful change and there has to be the political will to find a solution that works for Scotland.

Perhaps, one of the most important aspects of the referendum campaign has been the re-engagement of thousands of people across Scotland with debates about the future of the society they live in. In communities that have borne the brunt of poverty people have come out to vote in numbers not seen for generations. Maintaining the levels of engagement will be a challenge, but it is something that all of those who care about social justice in Scotland must now focused.

It is this re-engaged electorate that should encourage the political parties to find the political will to make change. The Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat parties have each put forward different proposals, and the SNP and Greens are both committed to working with the Scotland Devolution Commission to ensure that meaningful agreement can be reached in the tight timetables laid out.

The commission, led by Lord Smith of Kelvin, is due to publish its recommendations by 30 November and there is concern that this leaves limited time for civil society organisation to engage and consider the implications of new powers on those most in need. This is a real cause for concern. If we are to build on the high levels of participation that we have witnessed over the last few months, then the Smith Commission needs to find ways to engage with these grassroots voices.

It is our intention to work alongside our others in the voluntary sector to feed into the commission and make sure that our members and people experiencing poverty are heard so that any new powers deliver real change for those who need it most. Our starting point for this will be the Poverty Alliance’s annual conference that will take place in Glasgow on the 13 October.

It is now important that both sides of the campaign are able to work together to ensure that we do not lose the momentum that has been built over the recent months. Over the course of recent months, it has been clear that there is significant common ground on social attitudes and now that the referendum is over, there has to be a way of bring together all those who care about social justice to find common ground. Ultimately poverty is a political choice. The fact that we still have the levels of poverty that exist in Scotland is a political failure. There is no need for poverty to exist in twenty first century Scotland and this is something which the campaigns have agreed upon. We now have the great opportunity for meaningful change in Scotland. By working together and keeping poverty at the centre of debates about new powers, we can create a fairer, more equal Scotland.

Scottish Government (2014) http://www. scotland.gov.uk/topics/statistics/browse/ social-welfare/incomepoverty/publications

Peter Kelly, Director, and Carla McCormack, Policy and Parliamentary Officer, work at the Poverty Alliance (www.povertyalliance.org)