JOHN SWINNEY must show urgency and put the eradication of child poverty at the heart of his government, according to a leading anti-poverty charity.

The SNP return to its fifth term of government facing the challenge of meeting the Scottish Parliament’s legally binding target to cut child poverty to 10 per cent or less by 2030.

Latest data shows the figure stood at 21 per cent between 2022 and 2025.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s associate director for Scotland Chris Birt said: “One of the stories of the election was a sense that what was on offer was underwhelming, contributing to a general feeling of political disaffection.

“The campaign was often focused on political posturing rather than on what should be at the core of politics: making people’s lives better.

“As he appoints his cabinet this week, the First Minister must put the eradication of child poverty at the heart of his government. This would not only lead to a dramatic improvement in the lives of children across Scotland but would also be transformational for our economy and public services.

“To achieve that, ministers will need to show urgency and match the public’s thirst for change.”

Throwing down the gauntlet, he said: “This is a huge test of the Scottish government and the new parliament: can they deliver a genuinely fairer Scotland where every child has the chance to flourish?”

A Scottish government spokesperson responded: “Tackling child poverty is critically important to the Scottish government and our policies are estimated to keep around 100,000 children out of relative poverty this year.

“More than £111 million is being committed to updated plans in 2026-27 and we are also laying the foundations to raise the Scottish child payment to £40 a week per child under one in 2027-28.

“Previously announced action includes a new £20m fund for charities to streamline support and link up services so that people get help where they need it, when they need it, committing a further £21m to upskill parents to boost their incomes through work, and the expansion of breakfast clubs so that all primary schoolchildren are able to access a free breakfast club by August 2027, while free school meals are being expanded to a further 5,500 pupils in 2026-27.”