Endorsement of the Stick Your Labels Pledges by Dundee City Council

Click on image to read the pledges more clearly

Yesterday lunchtime, I met Peter Kelly, the Director of The Poverty Alliance who was in Dundee to promote involvement in the Alliance's 'Stick your Labels; Challenge the Stigma of Poverty' campaign.

As a Councillor and Fairness Commissioner, I was pleased to join the Leader of the Administration, Councillor Guild and Councillor Sawers in City Square to symbolically sign the organisational pledges (see above) on behalf of Dundee City Council.

I hope that the Fairness Commission that the Council has established will help the Council and partner organisations to set out clearly our practical contributions towards tackling Poverty in Dundee. In addition that the way we respond to poverty in our city does not stigmatise those people living on the lowest incomes. Finally I think we should be more robust in challenging the negative stereotypes applied to people experiencing poverty and which tend to blame those folk for their situation. This campaign is, I believe, much needed.

Appointed to Dundee Fairness Commission

At the end of April, I attended the inaugural meeting of Dundee Fairness Commission. I am one of two City Councillors to have been nominated to serve on this body. 

The formation of the fairness commission is a serious attempt to tackle poverty and inequality in Dundee by bringing together councillors, members of the community and professionals with expertise in this area to investigate successful approaches elsewhere, understand the concerns here and recommend a way forward.

I feel a strong sense of responsibility to work with the other commissioners to try to devise ways to reduce the unacceptable scale of inequalities in our city. For example, I am acutely aware that many residents of The Ferry, which I represent as a Councillor, can expect to live on average 10 years longer than residents in some other parts of our city. Additionally a postcode is likely to predict the average attainment of pupils in our schools. 

It is not right and fair that there should be such a stark gulf in life chances in our city.