Edinburgh unveils plan for ending poverty by 2030

The City of Edinburgh Council has unveiled a ten-year delivery plan outlining the actions it will take to help eradicate poverty in the Capital by 2030.

Published just under two months since Edinburgh became the first UK local authority to set a target date for ending poverty, the End Poverty in Edinburgh Delivery Plan 2020-2030 sets out key actions to be taken by the council over the next decade, in response to the final report from the Edinburgh Poverty Commission, which was published in September this year.

Among the priority actions outlined in the delivery plan are: preventing poverty through people-focused and ‘poverty-proofed’ council services; helping households maximise their incomes; establishing Edinburgh as a Living Wage City; and pressing the UK and Scottish Governments for changes to housing investment and social security policy.

Adam McVey, leader of the council, said: “Tackling poverty and inequality in our City drives the choices we are making as a council. We have to act decisively if we're to eradicate poverty in the Capital by 2030. The first iteration of the delivery plan, just weeks after we received the final recommendations from the Edinburgh Poverty Commission, is the next major step towards that aim.

“The ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has hit those on lowest incomes hardest, this should challenge all of us to join the fight to end poverty in Edinburgh. We’ll be ensuring this is central to the choices we make when setting our budget and refreshing the Council’s Business Plan in early 2021. This isn't something the council can achieve in isolation, however, and this plan is only the first step towards meeting the call to action the Commission has set for us all. The next year will be critical in making sure we pull together and start the long-term work we need to do to end poverty in Edinburgh.”