Westminster has failed Scots, says Swinney ahead of Scotland Demands Better demo

Westminster has had its chance to improve the lives of Scots and has failed, the First Minister has said as thousands of people prepare to take to the streets of Edinburgh.

The Scotland Demands Better march – organised by the Poverty Alliance and announced at the STUC congress earlier this year – will start at Holyrood on Saturday morning before making its way to the Meadows for a rally.

The activists on the march are pushing for improved social security, better jobs and more investment in areas such as housing and transport to benefit Scots.

Speaking ahead of the march, John Swinney offered his “best wishes” to those taking part, adding it is “really welcome to see people campaigning for a positive vision of hope for the future”.

He added: “Of course those marching today are right that too many people are living in poverty and too many people – many of them in work – are struggling to make ends meet.

“In a country as rich as Scotland, that is simply not acceptable to me.

“In Scotland, we have managed to make good progress – child poverty is falling here while rising in the rest of the UK, and stands at a 30-year low.

“But too often we find ourselves held back by decisions made at Westminster which make matters worse.”

Child poverty in Scotland is lower than any other part of the UK and the only rate which is falling, but the Scottish Government still missed its statutory interim target to reduce child poverty below 18% by last year, with the rate sitting at 23%.

The First Minister added: “Energy bills are up, food prices are up and too many people just cannot afford the basics.

“That is because of a Westminster economic system that is completely broken – and which does not even try and work in the interests of ordinary people.

“More than 40 years of Thatcherite economic policy have caused real harm in our communities, and the UK Labour Government is doubling down on the same failed approach to this day.

“The only change that the Westminster system appears able to offer comes in the form of (Reform UK leader) Nigel Farage and his brand of politics, which we all must stand against.

“The fact is that Westminster has had its chance and it has failed – we need to take decisions here in Scotland to build an economy that works for everyone, where our huge energy wealth brings benefits to people here, brings bills down and contributes to a more equal society.

“Westminster offers nothing but continued decline and despair. The fresh start of independence is the hope we need for a better future.”

A UK Government spokesperson said: “We are determined to bring down poverty. We’ve uprated benefits, increased the national minimum wage, are supporting 700,000 of the poorest families by introducing Universal Credit changes and will publish an ambitious strategy later this year to tackle child poverty.

“The UK Government is also investing more than £1.8 billion to deliver economic growth and a decade of national renewal for communities the length and breadth of Scotland.

“We are working closely with and supporting the Scottish Government through the largest real-terms settlement in the history of devolution for spending on policies that are key levers to improving living standards.”

Published: 25/10/2025 by Radio NewsHub