Nicola Sturgeon to meet with Poverty Alliance activists as group marks 30th year in Glasgow

Nicola Sturgeon is to address the annual conference of a poverty campaign group in Glasgow on Friday, as the group marks its 30th year.

The First Minister will speak at the event hosted by the Poverty Alliance.

Ahead of the speech, she said: “The Poverty Alliance and the members it represents have worked tirelessly over the last 30 years supporting people experiencing poverty, feeding into policy development and campaigning for many vital changes to help create a Scotland where no-one is left behind.

“Poverty is an injustice and building a fairer, more equal Scotland is a priority for not only me, but the Scottish Government as a whole.

“I value the positive relationship the Scottish Government has with the Poverty Alliance, particularly when they challenge us.

“As we tackle the current crisis, working together is the best way to amplify our asks of the UK Government.”

Poverty Alliance director Peter Kelly said the organisation has “achieved a lot in the last 30 years to combat the injustice of poverty”.

He added: “These achievements show that ending poverty is a realistic and achievable goal.

“We can redesign our economy so that every worker gets at least the real living wage, and we can renew and rebuild our social security system so that every one of us has an income that’s enough to meet our needs.

“Now – during this time of crisis – is the moment for us to turn our shared values of compassion and justice into action and build a better future free from poverty.”