One of the highlights was, as always, an incredibly enjoyable and informative County Show weekend.

The weather was mostly on our side throughout July and August, but we had our moments.  I’m looking at you, downpour on the morning of the show!  But rain or shine, the conversations with folk were invaluable.  Time and again, the same concerns were flagged up on every island and in every community: the cost-of-living crisis is still very much a reality for too many people. It’s a real injustice that so many are still struggling to meet their most basic needs for food and heat.

I came into politics because of a belief that decisions about our future were better made by the folk in Scotland than elsewhere, but I also came from a place of lived experience.  Having personally experienced some of the very issues my constituents face, I know intimately how necessary a strong social safety net is.  From my perspective, the damaging austerity policies started by the Tories and continued by Labour at the UK level are the reason too many households are still forced to rely on food banks.

That’s why I am so proud of the social security system we are building in Scotland.  I see it as an investment in people, putting dignity, fairness, and respect at its heart; values I know we all share.

So, while the UK Labour Government has once again failed in its promise to lower electricity bills – with those on flexible tariffs seeing their costs rise by 2% at the start of October – it’s heartening to see how the SNP Government at Holyrood is tackling poverty.

The recent statistics show the real progress we’re making in our key priority of eradicating child poverty in Orkney and across the country under the leadership of John Swinney.

As of the end of June, 760 children and young people in the islands were actively benefiting from the Scottish Child Payment. Across Scotland, that figure is 322,125.  On top of that, 685 children in Orkney also received Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods payments during the same period, which helps families with the costs of being pregnant or raising a young child.

The Scottish Child Payment is making a real difference for families in Orkney, with money going directly into the pockets of those who need it most.  It’s easing household pressures and tackling child poverty head-on.

While Labour continue to sit on their hands at Westminster and refuse to reverse the cruel two-child cap, a major driver of child poverty, the SNP has acted to effectively scrap this policy in Scotland from next March.

That’s the difference an SNP government makes; and it shows what happens when decisions for Scotland are made in Scotland.  Just imagine how much more we could do with the full powers of independence.

This is a regular column by SNP MSP Emma Roddick. All Highlands and Islands MSPs have been offered the same space in The Orkney News to share their personal views.