A Scottish Government minister has warned that the north-east faces a “poverty time-bomb” because of Westminster cutbacks.
Social Justice Secretary Alex Neil made the remarks as he embarked on a tour of the country as part of a nationwide consultation aimed at reducing inequality.
The SNP MSP met housing association bosses in Aberdeen and toured a local food bank, where he said he heard “harrowing” stories linked to a 350% rise in its use since 2010.
He said: “The worrying thing is not just the number of people relying on food banks, but also the number of people turning up who are actually starting to starve.”
With the Conservative government at Westminster raising the prospect of another £12billion of cuts, Mr Neil added: “I think we’re on the brink of a poverty time-bomb with these cuts, and it’s going to hit prosperous places like Aberdeen as well as poorer parts of the country.”
The Scottish Government is consulting on a new Social Justice Action Plan.
Mr Neil said: “The overarching message is about a fairer Scotland. We’re going out, right across the country, and asking ‘what in your opinion do we need to do to make Scotland a fairer society’.
“We’re not promising anything because we don’t know how much money we will have.”