FIRST MINISTER John Swinney is facing demands to “prove his mettle” on fair taxation to fight poverty and fund struggling public services.

Organisations including Oxfam Scotland, the Scottish Women’s Budget Group (SWBG), and the STUC have united to call for a radical shake-up in tax.

Oxfam Scotland’s Jamie Livingstone said “to deliver meaningful progress” on his pledges to tackle child poverty, Mr Swinney must now “prove his mettle on fair tax reforms.”