AWARD-WINNING actor Brian Cox called on the UK and Scottish governments today to deliver on “their promises to reduce poverty,” as he threw his weight behind the Scotland Demands Better (SDB) campaign.

Organised by union body the STUC and the Poverty Alliance, SDB demands for an end to cuts, investment in people and services to fight poverty — and sectoral collective bargaining.

The campaign has already won the support of almost 300 organisations ranging from trade unions, anti-poverty charities and climate campaigners, to community and faith groups.

First Minister John Swinney has vowed that tackling poverty is his government’s “defining mission,” but that pledge was called into question in June when Finance Secretary Shona Robison announced plans to cut spending by £2.6 billion a year by 2030 at an estimated cost of 12,000 jobs.

Now the SDB campaign, which aims to shake politicians across the spectrum into anti-poverty action ahead of May’s Holyrood elections, is set to reach a crescendo on Saturday. Thousands from across the country are expected to rally at the Scottish Parliament, before marching through Edinburgh to the Meadows for a family-friendly rally with speeches and music.

Speaking ahead of the demonstration, Mr Cox said: “It’s time that politicians, whether in Holyrood or Westminster, delivered on their promises to reduce poverty.

“We all need the same things: a warm, safe place to call home. A decent income that at least covers the essentials. Healthcare when we need it. Good schools for our children. Decisive action to address Scotland’s appalling record on drugs deaths and the damage caused by alcohol addiction, all problems with their roots in poverty.

“We need to invest now in these priorities for all our futures. We need real change in Scotland, and Scotland Demands Better will help deliver it. That’s why I’m supporting the campaign — you should too.”

Welcoming his support, Poverty Alliance chief executive Peter Kelly said: “I am delighted that Brian Cox is supporting this campaign.

“He may have played a fictional billionaire, but he knows the reality of poverty.

“He knows that the promises made by governments need to be delivered — and that we must do more to heal the damage done by poverty in Scotland.”

The SDB march will assemble at Holyrood on Saturday at 10am before marching off at 11am to rally on Edinburgh’s Meadows at 12.30pm.