After years of hurt, this is a Budget that will give us a shot at making a world of difference

THIS weekend, as many across Scotland struggle to afford daily essentials, all eyes are on the Chancellor Rachel Reeves, ahead of her Budget statement on Wednesday.

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This is not simply about managing spreadsheets, it is a moment to define who this country is for.

The national conversation has been poisoned by political division - a manufactured chaos designed to distract from the economic failure of Tory and SNP governments. We are constantly subjected to cynical narratives that seek to divide us, scapegoating the most vulnerable, including asylum seekers and refugees.

These false choices are a destructive distraction designed to mask a truth - the people paying the price for the economic crisis are not the ones who caused it.

The burden has fallen squarely on working families and pensioners while those at the very top have continued to profit.

A progressive feelgood package that helps people with bills is urgently needed.

The Budget is a moral moment, and the UK Labour Government has a historic mandate to deliver real change and prove a fairer economy is possible.

The two most immediate and impactful steps must be delivered on Wednesday. First, the two-child benefit limit must be scrapped.

Introduced by the Tories, this tax on siblings is the single biggest driver of rising child poverty in the UK today, pushing hundreds of thousands of children deeper into poverty.

It penalises low-income families who cannot keep up with the cost-of-living.