John swinney blasts margaret thatcher as he sets out vision to end child poverty

THE FIRST MINISTER SAID THERE IS "NOTHING WITHOUT SOCIETY" IN A SWIPE AT THE FORMER TORY PRIME MINISTER. 04:30, 15 Jan 2025Updated 16:01, 15 Jan 2025 John Swinney has attacked

Margaret Thatcher as he sets out his vision for ending child poverty today. The First Minister said there is "nothing without society" in a swipe at the former Tory Prime Minister.

Thatcher famously said "there is no such thing as society." Swinney also said he can "guarantee" that the money used to mitigate the two-child benefit cap will be used

for child poverty measures even if the UK Government scraps the limit. He said: "If the UK government does the right thing and abolishes the two-child cap across the UK, the resources

we have committed to this policy will continue to be used on measures to eradicate child poverty in Scotland." He continued: “I cut my political teeth in the 1980s and I remember

vividly Margaret Thatcher’s assertion that there is no such thing as society. A phrase which captured a hugely damaging ideology. “In my view, there is nothing without society – nothing

without community and connection. We thrive and flourish not when we stand alone but when we stand with others. If one child in our community hurts, we all hurt. If one child struggles, we

all struggle. Article continues below “Helping our most vulnerable children is not just a moral imperative – it is a social and economic one too. Because Scotland will never reach its full

potential until each and every one of us is able to flourish." READ MORE: Tory MSP branded 'fantasist' for suggesting Nicola Sturgeon divorce 'connected' to

Operation BranchformREAD MORE: Double jobbing ban given royal assent green light after Stephen Flynn backlash Swinney said his government will use benefits, deliver more personalised public

services, and use the education system to tackle poverty. He promised "to think big and act bold about our future. He said: “I am determined to make progress as swiftly as possible

towards our goal of eradicating child poverty – including putting in place the systems needed to end Labour’s two-child cap. “But I am under no illusions that we will be able to end child

poverty in Scotland overnight. It will take strong, collective action in the long-term – and that is what my government will deliver in partnership with people and organisations working in

our communities. “I want us to both imagine and create a better Scotland – because there is nothing wrong with Scotland that can’t be fixed by what is right with Scotland." He added

that the ambition to end child poverty "must be central to the government’s agenda". He said: “As a nation, I want us to think big and act bold about our future. That is what I am

determined to do now and over the course of the next Parliament, if I am privileged enough to be re-elected as First Minister. Our ambition to end child poverty must be central to the

government’s agenda, now and beyond 2026. “I am committed to putting in the hard yards – to bringing people together and identifying lasting solutions. If we work together, identify the

solutions that work and make that happen relentlessly across Scotland, we have the potential to make a radical difference to our children’s lives. “There is no greater long-term investment

in our future success as a nation, and that is an investment I intend to make as First Minister.” Article continues below TO SIGN UP TO THE DAILY RECORD POLITICS NEWSLETTER, CLICK HERE