EAST Lothian MSP Iain Gray is calling for an investigation into poverty and inequality levels across the County in a bid to tackle the problem.

The politician has called on East Lothian Council to lead a full review of the issue and come up with a plan deal with problems and improve opportunities for people.

It is estimated one in five children in the County are living below the poverty line and East Lothian Foodbank has reported a coninual rise in demand for its help.

Mr Gray said: "“Recent days have seen the residents of East Lothian respond with great compassion to the plight of refugees fleeing conflict, often with little more than the clothes they stand up in. I have welcomed that.

“We are fortunate that most of us will never face that level of catastrophic need. Yet that does not mean that there are not families in the County for whom daily life is a constant struggle against poverty. That should not be the case in this day and age, but it is.

“East Lothian Council’s statistics show that almost one in five county children are living in poverty. Almost half of local residents have had to cut back on heating to save on fuel costs. Almost 70% would face financial difficulty if they had to find £500 for an emergency."

Mr Gray’s call for action follows the success of an initiative in Renfrewshire, where the local authority launched its Tackling Poverty Commission in April 2014. Renfrewshire’s was the first of its kind in Scotland to look specifically at child poverty at a local level.

The Commission’s aim was to bring a fresh and independent approach to consider how best to break the poverty cycle. It gathered evidence on a range of issues including health and wellbeing, education and attainment, housing and community, childcare and the impact of welfare reform.

He said: "I believe that the Renfrewshire Poverty Commission offers us a blueprint for investigating the factors contributing to poverty and inequality locally, and then taking tangible steps to combat it now and for the future.

“A local commission, led by the council and with a remit similar to that used in Renfrewshire, would enable local charities, organisations and individuals to bring forward their own ideas for action. In Renfrewshire, the council is now implementing real improvements suggested by the commission. We could do that in East Lothian too."