Campaigners say tens of thousands of people on low incomes are at risk of being ‘disenfranchised by deprivation’ in the upcoming Scottish Parliament elections.
New research by the Poverty Alliance has found an 11% gap in voter turnout at the last Scottish elections between the top and bottom 10 constituencies in terms of deprivation.
The charity is calling on politicians to close that ‘democratic deficit’ by supporting community get-out-the-vote campaigns – and by delivering on policies that close inequality and lift people out of poverty.
Poverty Alliance chief executive Peter Kelly said: “Our democracy can only work when politicians listen and act on people’s priorities. When that doesn’t happen, people lose trust in the system and simply stop participating.
“For years people in Scotland have put issues around the cost of living and the economy near the top of their political priorities. But lack of fundamental change has led to a democratic deficit, with people in areas of higher deprivation losing faith in the process more quickly.
“We regularly work with people struggling on low incomes. They are often highly political, with strong views about what is needed in their communities, in our society, and in our unjust economy. But they increasingly feel disenfranchised from a political process that is failing to address deprivation, poverty, and inequality. That has to change.”
The Poverty Alliance research found that in 2021 the average turnout in the 10 least deprived Scottish Parliament seats was 68%. In the 10 most deprived constituencies it was just 57%. That amounts to a gap of more than 60,300 voters.
The biggest democratic deficit was found between Glasgow Maryhill & Springburn with a turnout of 52%, compared to a 76% turnout in Eastwood. If the Glasgow seat had matched that level an additional 13,300 voters would have went to the polls there.
If the 10 most deprived seats had matched the turnout in Eastwood, an extra 108,000 votes would have been cast.
The Poverty Alliance has more than 450 members organisations across Scotland. It has created ‘Vote Your Values’ campaign materials that those groups can use to help people in their communities get registered to vote, and to get to cast their ballot on election day.
Peter Kelly said: “There is evidence that get-out-the-vote campaigns can help decrease the democratic deficit in communities, and we’d like to see greater support for them from political leaders for future elections.
“But the biggest thing politicians can do to help strengthen our democracy is to invest in a better future free from the threat of hunger, debt and destitution, where each of us has what we need to build a more secure life for ourselves and our households, and a better society for everyone.”
The Poverty Alliance manifesto calls for progress towards a Minimum Income Guarantee – which would give everyone the right to an income that never falls below what is needed for life’s essentials. The policy would be delivered through a combination of fair paid work, high quality services, and strengthened social security.
The charity says new MSPs can commit to piloting the approach among unpaid carers and in rural areas. And it calls for policy steps along the road to a full Guarantee, including encouraging and incentivising employers to deliver fair work with real Living Wages, raising the Scottish Child Payment to £55 a week by 2030, and investing in home energy efficiency and affordable heating to cut people’s energy bills.