I have called on the Scottish Government to cost a bus fare cap that would benefit all bus users by making bus travel more affordable in a question to the Minister for Transport, Fiona Hyslop MSP. I previously raised the issue of disparities in fares and access to bus services across the country, and pointed […]
Housing or the lack of housing remains a big issue for constituents. My office works with local councillors and the housing services within councils who do a good job but the fact remains there is just not enough houses and the idea that the private market was going to plug the gap has proven to […]
I have raised the need for greater partnership between the Scottish Government and local authorities, businesses and communities on electric vehicle charging infrastructure in a debate in the Scottish Parliament. I spoke of my village of Kelty, which has zero public electric vehicle chargers, during the debate on the Prime Minister’s recent U-turns on key […]
I attended a drop-in event on Wednesday 31 May 2023 in Holyrood to discuss the need to tackle financial hardship in later life. The event was held by Independent Age, the national older people’s charity, as latest figures show that 1 in 7 older people now live in poverty in Scotland, a 25% rise in […]
I raised concerns in the Scottish Parliament about the numbers of teaching staff across schools in Scotland and called for a detailed recovery plan to be put in place by the Scottish Government to tackle the problems. I specifically raised concerns over the number of pupils studying STEM subjects, following information showing that between 2008 […]
I have raised a motion in the Scottish Parliament on the reports of major staff vacancies across the care service. If we are to truly tackle the crisis facing care services in our country we need to start by addressing the poor pay and poor terms and conditions faced by workers across the sector. We […]
I was delighted to meet and answer questions from P7 pupils from Wormit Primary School in Parliament. It is always great to listen to what questions children have to ask of politicians. It was great to hear their concerns about climate change, questions about exactly what MSPs do and even if you have to wear […]
I have spoken out against the news of further proposed cuts to public spending – the impact of the cost-of-living crisis, worsened by an inept Tory government cannot be landed on the shoulders of those least responsible and most affected by its impact. I have lodged a motion in the Scottish Parliament restating my earlier […]
The numbers of people not being seen within the target times for visiting Accident and Emergency has increased again, leading to the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) issuing a statement stating, “The situation as we enter winter is dire. Month-on-month, more and more patients face longer and longer waits – that we know are […]
I raised the issue of self-funding care home residents facing ever increasing charges – self-funders are being fleeced and are at the mercy of care home owners. Care home residents are self-funders when they have savings and or a capital asset and have been assessed as having to pay for their own care home fees. […]