Queens Cross Chief On New Poverty Group

The chief executive of Queens Cross Housing Association, Shona Stephen, has been named on a new group to monitor poverty in Scotland.

The Poverty and Inequality Commission has been established as an advisory non-departmental public body. It replaces the existing non-statutory commission, which will ceased operation at the end of June. The group will have a key role in advising ministers and reviewing progress in reducing poverty and inequality in Scotland.

Cabinet secretary for communities and local government, Aileen Campbell, has appointed seven members to the commission for a three-year period.

The new members include Yvonne Blake, a lifelong social justice anti-poverty campaigner, Shona Stephen, chief executive of Queens Cross Housing Association, and Douglas White, head of advocacy at the Carnegie UK Trust.

The panel is completed by Linda Bamford, convenor of the board of trustees at Disability Equality Scotland, Alex Cobham, chief executive of the Tax Justice Network, Lindsay Graham, a former community nurse and local government officer from the Highlands, and Morag Treanor, professor of child and family inequalities at Heriot-Watt University. 

Commission chair Bill Scott said: “I’m delighted to welcome the new members to the Poverty and Inequality Commission. Each of them brings a unique combination of experience and skills to the commission which will be essential to the commission’s role in advising Scottish Ministers, monitoring progress and promoting the reduction of poverty and inequality in Scotland.

“We are looking forward to working alongside Scottish Government, local authorities, the NHS, the third sector and businesses to achieve the shared goal of reducing poverty in Scotland. Only when the evil of poverty has been eliminated will all of Scotland’s citizens be able to achieve the wellbeing and happiness that is their right.”