ENDING child poverty would be achievable in an independent Scotland, claims Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

Ms Sturgeon, making the main speech at a conference organised by the End Child Poverty campaign, said Scotland should be looking to go further than just reduce child poverty.

But her views were slated by a Glasgow MSP, who said her government's record on child poverty was "one of total failure".

Ms Sturgeon, speaking in Edinburgh, said: "The independence debate is, at its heart, about the powers we need to tackle much more effectively the deep seated challenges that face our nation, challenges like child poverty.

"Challenges that the Westminster system, under governments of all colours, has long failed to address.

"My argument is that instead of looking to the Scottish Government just to soften the blow, we need a Scottish Government and a Parliament with the powers to stop the blows in the first place.

"While we are doing all we can with the current powers available, projections by the Institute For Fiscal Studies suggest that by 2020 child poverty in Scotland will rise by more than 50,000.

"But with access to our own resources and the ability to join up policy across devolved and reserved areas, we could make a substantial difference. Indeed in the long term, we could end child poverty altogether."

However, Glasgow Labour MSP Drew Smith, below, said: "Nicola Sturgeon says she wants to eradicate child poverty, but her government's record on this has been one of total failure.

"Even the Scottish Government's own report says the reduction has flat-lined under the SNP.

"It is unacceptable for Nicola Sturgeon to ignore her own record in government. It is equally unacceptable for her to tell our poorest to stay poor and wait until a separate Scotland in 2016.

"The Scottish Government can, and should, do more now to tackle child poverty."