I was pleased to sign my support for Unite’s Fair Hospitality Campaign today in the Scottish Parliament. In the wake of the success of the Better than Zero campaign in forcing some of Scotland’s most exploitative employers in the hospitality industry to change their ways, Unite Scotland have launched the Fair Hospitality Campaign – a campaign which […]
[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2r15Ns4kVbo[/embedyt] In 2017 poverty amongst children and adults is on the rise. This cannot be right – it is not right – and we need government to accept responsibility. Nelson Mandela once famously said: “Overcoming poverty is not a task of charity, it is an act of justice. Like Slavery and Apartheid, poverty […]
[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sffA_cxsPpY[/embedyt] Tory austerity is having a devastating impact on those most in need of support. It is failing to support people to get to a point where they can access the labour market. It also targets those who are ill and unable to work. The cuts are not fair and the latest […]
Kinross-shire Day Centre spent the day visiting the Scottish Parliament as guests of local MSP Alex Rowley. The organisation which provides a welcoming, safe and homely atmosphere for elderly members took a day trip to learn about the workings of the Scottish Parliament and their local Mid Scotland and Fife MSP. The Deputy Leader […]
[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agUH6yh0_8g[/embedyt] Last week I raised with the First Minster a report published by Age Scotland that showed around 8,680 people in Scotland wait longer than six weeks for a care assessment and that potentially 8,550 older people may have waited longer than the maximum waiting period for a care package to be put […]
This week I spoke in the Scottish Parliament in a member’s debate brought forward by my colleague Neil Findlay MSP. Mr Findlay had table the following motion for debate: Motion S5M-04708: Neil Findlay, Lothian, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 20/03/2017 Flawed Airport Consultation That the Parliament notes what it sees as the growing concerns about […]
[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgHmzJLKL_Q[/embedyt] This week in the Scottish Parliament the Air Departure Tax Bill had its Stage One reading. I am supporting the draft Bill at Stage One as it is an enabling Bill to give the parliament devolved powers over Air Passenger Duty as was agreed through the Smith Commission on further powers for […]
[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjHWHt0W5FQ[/embedyt] The Tories brought about Brexit in order to try and sort out their own internal rows over Europe and deal with the UKIP threat to their vote. The Tories have created wider inequality and deeper poverty across our country since taking power in 2010. A Tory hard-brexit is a threat to […]
This week I spoke in the debate in Parliament on Scotland’s Choice over a second independence referendum. I wanted to emphasise the point that we can have a discussion in Scotland about the future direction of our country and people can disagree without being nasty or vicious to others. We must categorically treat each other […]
I met with a group of Unite campaigners who came through to Parliament before my Member’s Debate on local government finance and the state of the debt. In the debate I called for a debt amnesty on pre-devolution council debts owed to the UK Treasury. I have to say the SNP Government response to this […]