THE Scottish and UK Governments are being urged to work together to tackle child poverty, after a new poll showed a minority of people think they are doing so.
The survey for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) revealed that only one in four people in Scotland think the two governments are trying to work together on the issue.
This is despite both John Swinney and Andy Burnham putting tackling poverty and lifting people’s living standards at the heart of their political agendas.
The poll, carried out by the Diffley Partnership for JRF, surveyed more than 2,000 adults in Scotland.
Asked if they believed the two governments are trying to work together to reduce child poverty, a total of 40 per cent disagreed, of which 15 per cent strongly disagreed.
Only 25 per cent said they either strongly or somewhat agreed, while 22 per cent said they neither agreed nor disagreed and 12 per cent said they did not know.
JRF said the findings showed there is ‘huge potential’ for both of Scotland’s governments to work together to drive progress on reducing child poverty.
The charity said key areas for cooperation included economic development, employability, and social security, with this week’s UK budget an early chance to show what working together could look like.
It added that the focus of both governments should be on making it easier for people to access services, and on making sure they reach the places that need them most.
Polling carried out for the JRF’s recent Poverty in Scotland 2026 report also showed that most people think both governments are “highly responsible” for poverty reduction.
Nearly two thirds (63 per cent) said they thought the Scottish Government was highly responsible for reducing poverty in their area, while more than half (54 per cent) said the same of the UK Government.
Jack Evans, senior policy adviser for Scotland at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, said:
“People in Scotland rightly hold both the UK and Scottish Governments responsible for improving their lives and easing the strain that far too many face, but they also have their doubts that both governments are trying to work together to do so.
“Both Andy Burnham and John Swinney have put lifting people’s living standards and fighting poverty at the heart of their ambitions, which is welcome, but too often the focus is on areas of disagreement rather than cooperation.
“Through economic development, supporting jobs and improving social security, there is huge potential for ministers to work together for the benefit of people in Scotland.
“Indeed, it is a chance to show how devolution can deliver, with all tiers of government making their own decisions, but with a laser focus on the people they serve.
“The Prime Minister and the First Minister each have their own responsibilities to the people of Scotland and will rightly be held to account on those, but there are also things that they can and should do together – and people expect them to do so.”
