How Humza Yousaf has set out Scottish Government's direction of travel in anti-poverty mission

Tax, targeting, and tough choices – those were the ‘three Ts’ set out by Humza Yousaf at his anti-poverty summit in Edinburgh.

That was where the detail ended, however, with a lack of substantive policy announcements or proposals. Instead, this was a performative demonstration of where the – still relatively new – First Minister intends to go in his budgetary approach.

Ditched is the universal approach of benefits that see the middle classes receive taxpayer-funded bonuses, replaced by targeted measures intended to help the worst off.

Ditched – it appears – is millions of pounds of future policy not yet enacted, but at least discussed in government, that may not tackle poverty quite fast enough. And ditched, potentially, a commitment to expand free school meals to include a pilot in secondary schools.

First Minister Humza Yousaf speaks during an anti-poverty summit at Dovecot Studios in Edinburgh. Picture: Peter Summers/PA Wire

This will all be paid for by a nigh-on guaranteed tax increase for higher earners and those the Government deems to be wealthy. The point of this summit, rather than to highlight at a list of future policies that would be introduced to radically tackle poverty in the short term was, instead, simply to indicate the general direction of travel.

That is one of higher taxes, tighter spending, and more targeted funding.

Fundamentally, this is a Government that is intent on breaking away from the Nicola Sturgeon era, one that wants to be judged on its merits and that – bluntly – needs to move on from the mistakes of the previous era as quickly as possible.

While the continuity candidate pitch worked for Mr Yousaf during the leadership election, it is not one that suits him now, nor would it be sustainable in the longer term with a Scottish Labour party chasing him down.

First Minister Humza Yousaf (left) during an anti-poverty summit at Dovecot Studios, Edinburgh

Mr Yousaf has a degree of convincing to do, though, with opposition parties less than sold by what they termed “platitudes”. They, and some stakeholders such as unions and charities, are not yet convinced this is a new direction of travel.

But when placed alongside his disrupted priorities for government speech, which went down well with swathes of the business world and the first real narrative-controlling day of his Government going off without a huge hitch on Wednesday, it is clear that continuity will not cut it, not even for the First Minister.

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