Kirk invites Chancellor to meet poverty-stricken Scots

CHANCELLOR George Osborne has been challenged by a leading Church of Scotland minister to come north of the Border to hear directly from poor people about their daily struggles.

The Rev Ian Galloway, convener of the Kirk's church and society council, believes the recent benefit proposals show how out of touch the Government is with deprived communities. He said the assumption seemed to be that all benefit claimants were scroungers.

Mr Galloway said: "Sometimes it is hard to understand something that you have never experienced yourself.

"This is why we have invited the Chancellor to hear first-hand the stories of struggle and survival in poverty. Who knows, some really creative and dignity enhancing back-to-work schemes might be the outcome of such an encounter."