I'LL HAMMER THE RICH

Yousaf declares himself socialist who'd tax wealthy to help poor kids  | He'd slap profit levy on energy and give public stake in wind farms

- PAUL HUTCHEON

HUMZA Yousaf has declared that he will tackle poverty by taxing wealthy Scots and cash-rich energy firms if he wins the race to be first minister today.

The SNP Health Secretary says he will look at raising money through taxes on land and property, income tax rises for the better off and a windfall levy on energy firms to make Scotland a fairer society.

Yousaf said the wealth tax plan would be discussed at an antipoverty summit which would be his first major act.

And he insisted the extra money raised could be spent on an increase in the £25-a-week Scottish Child Payment benefit paid to poorer households.

The three-way contest between Yousaf, Kate Forbes and Ash Regan ends today, with the winner announced at around 2pm.

Figures published last week showed child poverty is at the same level as it was when the SNP swept to power in 2007.

Humza declared his first act as FM would be a summit to look at new ways to tackle poverty, saying: "The very first meeting I would have would be a roundtable with poverty organisations because I have many ideas around how to tackle poverty.