HOLYROOD election pledges across the parties fall “well short” of the action needed to tackle child poverty, a charity warns.

About 100,000 children must be lifted out of poverty in the next term if the Scottish government’s legally binding target of cutting child poverty to 10 per cent or under by 2030-31 is to be met.

Analysis of political parties’ manifestos by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) has, however, concluded: “Rhetorical commitment to tackling child poverty has not been in short supply, but it is action that is required.

“And whether taken individually or even together, the manifestos do not contain the scale of action, or ambition, to meet those targets.”

Cautioning against a tendency to pit social security investment against supporting people into work it brands “as harmful as it is wrong,” the report went on to warn: “Without course correction, the next parliament will not deliver its promises to the electorate, nor will the next Scottish government meet the legal requirements the parliament has put them under.

“They fall well short of the action necessary to meet the child poverty targets, setting the next Scottish government a challenge of matching their electoral rhetoric with action.”

JRF associate director for Scotland Chris Birt said: “Whoever wins the election in just a few days’ time will have a difficult task to match the rhetoric of the campaign with the delivery that government demands.

“Public disaffection with politics is also concerningly high, with hardship at shocking levels across our society and low expectations around what politicians can deliver.

“But taking radical action to drive down child poverty and provide greater security for families in Scotland could be key to rebuilding that trust.”