Can't shout loud enough about the scandal of poverty in Scotland

As the Poverty Truth Commission gets ready to publish its report to Turn Up The Volume on Poverty, I think it's time for a few home truths. I have no doubt from the trail in today's Herald that this report will make grim reading - people going hungry; working families balancing different, insecure jobs which don't cover basic living costs; and people who have to turn to the benefits system being penalised, stigmatised and socially isolated. What kind of country have we become when it's deemed acceptable to push people down, and keep them there, rather than giving them a hand which lifts them towards a better and more secure life? Economist after esteemed economist tells us that the neo liberal economy beloved by most political parties is clearly at fault. Far too many of our fellow citizens got knocked down spectacularly during the last recession and never got back up. So as this report launches, I hope politicians of all flavours listen and listen hard. Try not to drag the public health disaster of poverty into the constitutional debate because poverty will still be here regardless of the referendum result. As a MSP said to me yesterday, it can't be "business as usual" on 19 September. The Poverty Truth Commission report will confirm this. No one has a get out of jail free card when it comes to the absolute mess we are in - economically and socially. We get angry about poverty, just not angry enough. And I hope that in our anger, the action we take causes many more politicians to complain about third sector campaigning because it means the truth about poverty is hitting home. Come 19 September, one of the biggest policy priorities must be to eradicate poverty once and for all. We need collective action to take on the energy companies who think it's acceptable to charge people already in poverty far, far more for power because they use pre-pay meters. The recent report from the Expert Working Group on welfare made a strong argument for a new social security partnership, and highlighted the structural, economic and social challenges we face in tackling poverty. That kind of partnership is needed to tackle every aspect of policy which impacts on poverty - wages, benefits, housing, education, health and the labour market. More importantly, I want to see the genius ideas for practical assistance, identified by people in poverty within the Turning Up The Volume On Poverty report become part of mainstream policy. Nothing less will do.