​Poverty would be alleviated by greater investment says Corbyn on a visit to Social Bite

Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn has praised organisations fighting poverty on a whistle-stop tour to Scotland.

Visiting Glasgow, Corbyn singled out charities fighting homeless as worthy of support.

He said inequality was the result of under investment and pointed to both Holyrood and Westminster for funding decisions that reduce the cash available to the city council.

He said: “Glasgow is a growing economy a growing city but it does have areas of very bad housing and enormous levels of inequality.

"And that is partly through inefficient funding of local authorities from Scottish Government as well as the problem of underfunding of Scotland from the UK government.”

On a visit to Social Bite’s café in the city, Corbyn said third sector organisations need more backing and councils need to be funded sufficiently to allow them to do more too.

He said: “I would want to give more support to organisations like this but crucially it’s about move-on accommodation. Hostel accommodation short term accommodation is obviously necessary and at least it gives them a roof over their head but unless there is move-on accommodation by local authorities then the hostel accommodation gets full up and there’s no way forward.”

He said he gives money to beggars even though he doesn’t think it is a solution to their problems.

’I don’t think it solves the problem I don’t think begging is a solution but I’m a human being just like everybody else and I meet people on the streets of my own constituency and other places who have been through the most incredible hardships in their lives and I talk to them and urge them to get help and support and also support worthwhile causes.

Just because somebody is homeless doesn’t mean they can’t make a massive contribution - Jeremy Corbyn

“Social Bite is a worthwhile cause, Simon Community is, Crisis is, Shelter is, all of those.

“Just because somebody is homeless doesn’t mean they can’t make a massive contribution.”

And as a way out of poverty, Corbyn said Labour would invest in a programme to develop new industry and better paid jobs.

“What we would do is invest far more on all parts of the UK through a National Investment Bank and a Scottish Investment Bank would give at least £20bn in capital in Scotland which would, yes, be in infrastructure but would also be support for new industry and new development particularly in skills based industry,” he said.

Corbyn’s tour is his first foray to Scotland since Labour’s gains at the snap general election in June.

Labour’s Scottish leader, Kezia Dugdale, said she was hugely optimistic a political revival was taking place.

“I do think we are seeing a revival … The party with the greatest potential to grow is the Labour party.”