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 […]
Category: Parliamentary Updates
Wormit Primary 7 Class Visit to Parliament
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 […]
Austerity is a Political Choice
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 […]
A&E Performance Getting Worse
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 […]
Care Home Residents are Being Fleeced
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. […]
ME/CFS Campaigners at Scottish Parliament
I have called for the Scottish Government to fully implement their NICE Guideline on Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME)/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) after meeting campaigners for ME awareness at the Scottish Parliament. The campaigners from ME Action were representing their #MILLIONSMISSING campaign, calling for more ME specialists in the NHS to ensure people are being diagnosed appropriately […]
UK Government Must End Immoral Culture of Secrecy on Welfare Reform
I have highlighted the immoral actions of the UK Government in a motion in the Scottish Parliament following reports that UK Ministers have been deliberately attempting to hide the impact of wide-ranging welfare reforms by concealing a range of official reports into benefits. The actions of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions should […]
Scottish Tories Reject Calls for Unity Over Energy Price Freeze Demand
The Scottish Conservatives have rejected my call for all Scottish Politicians to unite in demanding more action from the UK Government on skyrocketing energy bills. The Scottish Conservatives refused to sign my motion calling on emergency action from the UK Government in the form of an immediate energy bill freeze. I also wrote to Scottish […]
Poor NHS Fife and Forth Valley A&E Waiting Times Raised in Parliament
I have tabled questions in the Scottish Parliament to try and find out why some Health Boards are falling far behind others with A&E waiting times. In raising the figures from the latest weekly Public Health Scotland data I drew comparison between health boards in the region. NHS Tayside achieved a figure of 83.8% of […]
Civil Unrest if the UK Government Does Not Act on Energy Bills
I am calling on all Scottish politicians to unite in a demand on the UK Government to freeze energy costs. I believe there will be poverty on a scale not seen in modern times and civil unrest across the country if the UK government does not act. I have written to both candidates competing to […]