MIN Stands with the Scotland Demands Better March
MIN members will join the Poverty Alliance on the 25th of October to march and rally in Edinburgh in the ‘Scotland Demands Better March’ as part of the Anti-Racist Bloc.
What is the Scotland Demands Better March and Rally about?
Poverty Alliance have been working towards a march and rally that combines the shared issues affecting communities in Scotland. The march and rally are to demonstrate to politicians the need for changes in our society “where every household can thrive and prosper”.
MIN has joined over 300 other organisations to share our insight on how practical changes that politicians can implement will allow everyone to support and enjoy a better Scotland for all, where justice and compassion are central to a stable and prosperous public life.
These demands are centres around three main issues:
- We demand better jobs for everyone who needs one with fair conditions and wages that pay the bills.
To get there we need policies which:
Contribute to ending in-work poverty in Scotland by taking bold action to drive up pay and conditions; and
Give everyone in Scotland affordable access to the education, training and skills they need and recognise education as a public good.
- We demand better investment for life’s essentials: like affordable homes, good public transport, a thriving natural environment and strong public services.
To get there we need policies which ensure we all:
Have an affordable, accessible and warm home.
Can travel to work, education, health and leisure using affordable, accessible, safe and green public transport wherever possible.
Can access the public services we need to support us to live a decent and dignified life free from poverty; and
Take fair, bold and fast action on climate that benefits local communities, protects those on low-incomes and ensures that the biggest polluters pay for their damage.
- We demand better social security so that all of us have a foundation for the future.
To get there we need policies which:
Ensure Scotland meets its legally binding child poverty targets.
Enable disabled people to live lives of dignity, free from poverty.
Place the value of care at the heart of our society and invest in it.
Deliver an acceptable standard of living for everyone.
Why Are We Joining?
MIN is dedicated to fighting and advocating for a Scotland that is based on solidarity with people seeking asylum and refugees. The demands of the Scotland Demands Better campaign align closely with our values and the campaigns that we continue to work on.
The Lift The Ban campaign focuses on granting every person seeking asylum to have access to work, putting their skills and talents to use and supporting their livelihoods, improving mental and social health. We advocate for a Scotland where New Scots can contribute their wealth of experience and expertise to society under fair and equitable conditions—protected from exploitation, especially when current asylum policies deny them legal access to work.
Additionally, access to affordable homes, safe and healthy housing, and accessible public transport are other essential rights that the MIN Voices group has been campaigning for. At the moment in Scotland, 54% of households in temporary accommodation are newly recognised refugees. The current housing crisis is a concern for all, where many people are falling through the gaps of policies and misaligned investment. The recent far-right protests outside of asylum accommodation has also proven on multiple accounts unreasonable and dangerous living situations for people seeking sanctuary. Affordable, safe and healthy housing is a universal right for all, and should not be used as an instrument to pit community members against one another.
A Scotland that is better for people seeking asylum is a Scotland that is better for All.
Join us this Saturday, and march alongside us!
To find more details of the rally, visit the website: scotland-demands-better.com
