I BELIEVE that one of the things a country should be judged on is how it treats its children.

I have long campaigned against the UK Tory Government’s deliberate undermining of the social security system. Instead, we need a compassionate and supportive approach that helps families provide a good start in life for their children.

The Tories’ determination to continue with their draconian two-child policy in Universal Credit and its abhorrent rape clause is callous in the extreme.

Instead of ending these policies, they are intent in making things worse with their planned removal of the £20 uplift in Universal Credit.

It has been calculated that this will place 10,000 children living in Scotland into relative poverty.

Testimony to the Child Poverty Action Group, from families impacted, suggests that it will lead to hunger, rent arrears and misery for many.

How can the UK Government think that this is what we expect and need from them if we want to see children have the platform they need to thrive and contribute to society?

It is no wonder a group of at least a hundred people, including charities, think-tanks, teachers and politicians recently sent an open letter to Boris Johnson about this.

They point out the planned cut will create “immense, immediate and avoidable hardship”.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has assessed that this will be the biggest overnight cut to the basic rate of social security since the Second World War.

We need to support families escape poverty - not drop them deeper into it.

This needs a social security system that has compassion, dignity and respect at its core.

I welcome the progress we have made in introducing the Scottish Child Payment with the additional social security powers devolved to our Scottish Parliament.

This provides £10 a week to eligible families with children.

Scottish Government figures demonstrate that 2,415 families in West Dunbartonshire have benefitted from the support since its introduction.

It has been described by charities as game-changing and we are seeing that difference across Scotland, and I urge families in Clydebank who are eligible to make sure they claim it too.

We will go further by extending it to children under 16 and double the payment to £20.

Work is being done to ensure this happens as soon as possible as part of our commitment to you during the election.

In Scotland, we are building a social security system built on fairness, dignity and respect.

Contrast that with the system at Westminster where the Tories are planning on cutting Universal Credit, at a time when vulnerable families, in Clydebank and across the country, need it most.