NICOLA Sturgeon has a "record of shame" when it comes to tackling child poverty, the leader of Scottish Labour has said.
Anas Sarwar made the comments after the First Minister said she wanted to make ending child poverty "a driving mission" for the next parliamentary term.
Mr Sarwar said almost half of children in Ms Sturgeon's Glasgow Southside Holyrood constituency live in poverty.
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In an online speech to the SNP’s campaign conference, Ms Sturgeon said she would increase the Scottish Child Payment from £10 per week for each eligible child to £20 per week.
Speaking to journalists, Mr Sarwar said: "That was a policy that I announced in February, which I'm pleased the government is now looking at.
"What I would say though is, it's one thing to say fighting child poverty is going to be your national mission when you're coming new to government.
"But having been in government for 14 years, having been First Minister for seven years, Nicola Sturgeon has presided over a quarter of our children across this country living in poverty.
"And in her constituency in Glasgow Southside, almost 50 per cent of children live in poverty.
"That's a record of shame, and frankly Scotland deserves better than that."
He said Ms Sturgeon's push for another independence referendum is a distraction from Scotland's pandemic recovery.
Earlier, Ms Sturgeon said: "I want to make ending child poverty a driving mission for the next Parliament.
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"If we are re-elected on May 6, we will - over the course of the next term - increase the Scottish Child Payment from £10 per week for each eligible child to £20 per week.
"It’s time to end the scandal of child poverty and this will help do it.
"It is a downpayment on what will be possible when we have the full powers over tax and social security that only independence can deliver."
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