"What's the modern Scotland that we believe in?" @cdbirt.bsky.social closing our conference. Thanks so much to everyone who joined us in Edinburgh today. Looking forward to working together to built support for a better Scotland 🌟

Good to be in the Scotsman today with Peter Kelly @povertyalliance.org on how Scotland Demands Better can be the alternative to the hate we've seen spill out elsewhere. Full article available in the paper and online: www.scotsman.com/news/opinion...

Come along tomorrow evening to this public meeting hear from @cdbirt.bsky.social and me about why we are supporting the ‘Scotland Demands Better’ campaign.

On 25th October people are taking to the streets of Edinburgh for Scotland Demands Better. A chance for us to use our voice to demand better from our politicians. A Scotland where everyone can flourish. Come hear about why tomorrow night with me, @satwatr.bsky.social and others 👇👇

If you can spare a wee bit my wife and pal Liz are doing the Great North Run raising funds for Breast Cancer Now in memory of my Mum and Christina McKelvie and all the other women taken too young. Well done Liz and El, ha’way the lasses! ajbellgreatnorthrun2025.enthuse.com/pf/liz-lloyd...

🚨STOP THE BUS🚨 We have a new vacancy in JRF's Scotland Team. We're looking for a Senior Policy Adviser to join our brilliant team here. Passionately believe we can deliver a better Scotland free from poverty? Then it could be 🫵 Details 👇🕑 10/8. www.jrf.org.uk/careers

⏰⏰You may have already seen this but we're looking for a partner to work with us to consider our approach to movement building and grassroots organising in Scotland. More info in the link below - closing date for applications 16 July. www.jrf.org.uk/funding

A pleasure to join Scotcast earlier to talk about a Minimum Income Guarantee. Quite the contrast while the UKG were attacking the living standards of disabled people. We need big ideas at the moment, not rehashed cuts. www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Sir Geoff Palmer is one of those people that when they pass they leave a massive hole in our society. He brought such wisdom, passion and drive for justice into Scotland. A Scottish legend. Thoughts with his family and friends. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

A couple of weeks ago @satwatr.bsky.social and I wrote the piece below for the Scotsman on how politicians in Scotland can meet the moment we're in. With their permission have popped it on my Medium for all to see. Have a shifty - see what you think. medium.com/@cdbirt/we-c...

It's no bad thing that the UKG are looking for ways to re-instate the £300 per year that some pensioners have lost from Winter Fuel Payments. But how, then, can they defend the £4,500 per year loss ON AVERAGE, through PIP alone, they want to take away from disabled people? 🤨🤨

@cdbirt.bsky.social & I wrote a piece on the urgency to tackle child poverty. ‘We no longer live in a country where a tweak to the status quo will meet people’s expectations. We can no longer accept that the only way for our people to prosper is to make small changes …’

In today’s Scotsman @satwatr.bsky.social and I on why defending the status quo is no longer a serviceable political strategy. So politicians must take on poverty and deliver what people want. Decent homes, decent pay and services when they need them. www.scotsman.com/news/opinion...

📢Head on over to Carla's Corner 🛣️for a bit of a deeper dive on the Poverty and Inequality statistics published today. What we've called "a thundering wake up call" to the Scottish Government and all the parties in the Scottish Parliament in the race to meet the child poverty reduction targets.

Currently hammering refresh on the SG's poverty stats website... Worth noting, although probably obvious, that the Chancellor's cuts yesterday won't be reflected in these annual stats which cover the period up to April 2024.

Crucial analysis from over on Mordor from my colleague @iainkporter.bsky.social Welfare cuts actually increase poverty by closer to 400,000 but DWP sleight of hand attempting to mask it.

The Chancellor said today that she would not do anything to put household finances in danger Yet the government’s own assessment shows their cuts to health related benefits risk pushing 250,000 people into poverty, including 50,000 children 📢 Their assessment also found... 1/3

Confirmation of chunky cuts to SG and NI Executive budgets because of PIP cuts. Big choices for those Ministers as to whether to copy the cruel choices of UKG.

📢Not just a big week with the Chancellor's statement on Wednesday... 📝Thursday will tell us whether or not the Scottish Government have met the Scottish Parliament's interim Child Poverty Reduction targets. Signs not great, catch up work needed in the next Parliament.

The lowest income households will be £900 per year worse off than they are today, a 6% fall in their disposable income. The poorest third are disproportionately affected and could see their overall incomes fall twice as fast compared with the middle and the top.

NEW: Analysis from @jrf-uk.bsky.social ahead of the Chancellor’s spring statement this week shows families worse off by £1400 by 2030. This would mean missing the PM’s living standards milestone and could be the first government since 1955 to see a fall in living standards across a parliament.

💜 Happy #SingleParentsDay ! 📣 Today, we’re joining 16 orgs across the UK & Ireland to launch the #SingleParentCommunity campaign! Together, we’re amplifying voices, raising awareness of support & building a community for single parents. 💜 Follow, share & get involved! 🔗

Have always loved @aiannucci.bsky.social but added a wee bit more after this episode of Strong Message Here. People spouting mince about things they know nothing about on disability benefits cuts would do well to give it a listen. www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Big picture today is Government chose to cut unprecedented £5bn of income from disabled people at highest risk of hardship. This drive for cost savings undermines any positive changes contained in the disability benefits green paper. Here are some other big problems:🧵1/11

There seems to be some thinking that the cuts announced today to disability benefits would've gone down better if there hadn't have been a trickle of leaks... THERE ARE £5,000,000,000 WORTH OF CUTS TO PIP However you announce that IT IS VERY BAD. #politicalanalysis

From SG perspective obviously big choices for them to make facing huge cuts to PIP and SG budget. But also if health related UC will now share PIP assessment - how will this work in Scotland with Social Security Scotland doing the assessment?

From JRF's CEO, "No truly moral choice would leave disabled people without the very support that is designed to allow them to lead a dignified life, nor would it leave them facing hardship. These would be unprecedented disability benefits cuts." 👇 t.co/MIPKplkzMA

This is just speculation at this stage. But a £5,000 cut potentially impacting on the most severely disabled? Come on! If you’re a politician who can influence this, use your voice. Let’s stop using disabled people in a game of chicken. End the speculation, bin the cuts.

As I said the other day cuts to disability benefits are a shocking attack on disabled people and need to stop. They will also impact severely on the Scottish Government's budget - FAI setting out how much here👇👇 Over £100m per £1bn cut to PIP by UKG. fraserofallander.org/weekly-updat...

Yesterday, a Government press release claimed the number of people “considered too sick to work” had "quadrupled" since the pandemic (a "383% rise"). This is incorrect. In fact, it’s not even close. It's more like 40%. This thread explains why 🧵1/7

Last day for this tomorrow!📢

The proposed cuts to disability benefits are unacceptable and immoral, full stop. And if the big cuts come from PIP, the impact on the SG's budget will also be massive. The next SG will have to cut disability payments too or fill the gap and find the money on a fixed budget.

📢Just a few days left to apply for this Policy and Research Officer role in our team. Got policy skills combined with research skills and a passion for working with people with lived experience of poverty in delivering change? Then it could be you! jrf.octo-firstclass.co.uk/candidates/c...

I’ve been late to the game in terms of the importance of Gaelic but with my son starting GME and learning it a bit myself it really opens up new windows into our amazing country. @kateforbes.bsky.social is right to prioritise it, long may it continue. www.heraldscotland.com/news/2495534...

⏰At Scottish Labour Party Conference this week?⏰ Then come to our fringe event: ⏲️Sat - 22 Feb - 17.30 to 18.30 Come hear @pfokane.bsky.social, @mrsemmajacko.bsky.social and me talk about what needs to be done to meet the child poverty reduction targets and why it is so important.

My mum would’ve cheered this para from Tressa Burke. Any muppet who thinks support for disabled people is generous should read every word of this by @neilmackay.bsky.social Freedom from poverty and basic dignity are the minimum in any decent society www.heraldscotland.com/news/2493865...

🧵The First Minister is right - we predict the gap will grow between child poverty rates in Scotland and England and Wales - to around 10 percentage points. The gap is largely as a result of the Child Payment and the commitment to end the two child limit. Shows the power of social security. 1/3

It's Friday, it's freezing 🥶 Don't go outside! Apply for these jobs! Two brilliants roles in Northern Ireland to join our new team there. An analytical role and a policy one. It could be you 🫵

Just a few days left to apply for these jobs in Northern Ireland. We can’t wait to have our full team up and running and it would great if you could be part of it!

Busily trying to catch up with emails but brutally distracted by a reminder of the gritter names. I'd never seen "Plougher O' Scotland" before. If whoever came up with that is not in the New Year's Honours then the King needs to have a word with himself. www.traffic.gov.scot/gritter-trac...

Just to add to my Perthshire scenery displays. Loch Tay looked amazing this evening. Snow on Lawers and a beautiful sunset. Back indoors from tomorrow…

Listen to the penguin. Many people back to work and school tomorrow “you can do this”. For those who have worked shifts the whole time and hardly had a day off you can probably just about endure people moaning about being “back at work”. Maybe.

Glen Tilt really is magnificent and the walk into it is like Narnia with the dusting of snow. Had John Grant’s Glacier going through my head the whole time. Partly because it is a great song and mainly because of the spectacular landscapes. Highland Perthshire is quite good in my biased view…

Just giving these two roles a boost again. Still plenty of time to apply. Make 2025 a brilliant year - come join us!

@danigaravelli.bsky.social channelling something of great importance here. We cannot simply rollover to autocracy, hate and inequality. It won’t change without action and bold action. The status quo is fuelling where we are now. 2025 is a big year. www.heraldscotland.com/politics/vie...

Wise words of euphemism from @statspeter.bsky.social

Two new job roles in our Northern Ireland office 🚨 Are you passionate about delivering change? Do you have experience of working on antipoverty issues? Are you a team player who can work with colleagues across the sector in Northern Ireland? Sounds like you? Read this thread 🔽 1/3

One of the, vanishingly few, benefits of briefing for FMQs every week was that I had free access to the Debating Chamber in the Parliament at any time. I snuck into the back when the Bill on marriage equality was voted through... a lovely moment to witness close up. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

🚨As advertised - TWO NEW ROLES IN NORTHERN IRELAND🚨 We were delighted to have Ursula O'Hare join us - now could you join her in getting our new NI team firing on all cylinders?! There are 2 different roles to make up the team of 3. 🧵with timings - then jobs. 1/5

Not sure how many folk in Northern Ireland follow me on here but... 📢We are about to advertise for two further jobs in our new Northern Ireland Team. 1️⃣ - A Senior Policy Adviser 2️⃣ - A Senior Analyst Adverts will go out tomorrow but closing date not until mid Jan so plenty of time.