POOR SHOW

Nicola Sturgeon bows out of office on day new stats reveal number of Scottish children living in poverty has risen on her watch

- PAUL HUTCHEON

NICOLA Sturgeon's reign at Holyrood come to an end yesterday - on the same day Scottish Government stats showed child poverty had risen under her rule.

Figures revealing one in four of our kids remains trapped in poverty came out hours before the First Minister made an emotional farewell speech.

The report showed 24 per cent of Scots children were in relative poverty, after housing costs, between 2019 and 2022.

This is up from 23 per cent between 2014 and 2017.

The 24 per cent figure is also the same as between 2007 and 2010, when the Nationalists swept to power.

Working age poverty rose from 19 per cent between 2018 to 2021, to 21 per cent.

The number of Scots living in poverty is the highest it has been for almost 20 years, with the figures showing more than 1.1million adults, children and pensioners are affected.

Legally binding targets passed by Holyrood commit ministers to reducing the number of children in relative poverty in Scotland to 18 per cent by next year.