THE Scottish Government recently published its Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2022-26, setting out bold and ambitious actions the Scottish Government will take with partners to provide the support families need both immediately and in the medium to longer term.

The package of measures to tackle child poverty is hugely welcome and the impact it will have on households in East Lothian cannot be underestimated.

Shona Robison announced an increase of a further £5 to the ‘game-changing’ Scottish Child Payment – benefiting 2,075 children in East Lothian already in receipt of the payment. This stands in stark contrast to the Tory Chancellor’s Spring Statement, announced two weeks ago, which utterly failed to provide any meaningful lifeline support for people in East Lothian who are facing soaring energy bills and a cost of living crisis now.

All the while, the conflict in Ukraine grows ever more desperate. The retreat of Russian forces around Kyiv has left harrowing evidence of war crimes. Images of the destruction and apparent killing of civilians emerged on Sunday, sparking universal condemnation.

We must continue to do everything we can to stand in solidarity with Ukraine without escalating the war any further. The Scottish Government and my SNP colleagues in the Scottish Parliament are doing all we can.

The Scottish Government have already committed a £15 million fund to aid Scotland’s Ukraine response. Additionally, we are supporting Ukraine with medical supplies worth £2.9 million.

I am pleased that families both locally and in Ukraine have an SNP Scottish Government taking serious, life-changing action to protect them where it can within limited powers and a fixed budget.

These actions from the Scottish Government once again make clear that we would be better off with independence and all the levers to protect the most vulnerable at home and abroad.