Category Archives: Parliament News

Claire calls for promotion of the living wage

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I have urged for active promotion of the living wage in Fife after a YouGov poll found that 90% of Scots believe companies should be paying the wage to their workers. Figures estimated that there are over 23,000 workers in Fife who are paid less than the living wage, the 3rd highest total across local authority areas in Scotland. The wage, currently set at £7.65 an hour, would see a rise of £2,600 per year for a full time worker currently earning the minimum wage.

I have called for the living wage to be actively promoted amongst the private sector and has urged the Scottish Government to back a tax rebate for firms who pay it, along with establishing a National Living Wage Strategy.

I met with workers outside the Parliament as the Procurement Reform Bill was passed by Parliament. During the passage of the bill proposals from Scottish Labour to deliver the living wage to workers on public contracts were defeated by the SNP and Conservatives. Continue reading →

Claire to debate Greener Kirkcaldy in Parliament

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Local organisation Greener Kirkcaldy will this week be debated in the Scottish Parliament as Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Claire Baker secured an opportunity to discuss the Fife based charity.

The charity helps locals take action to ensure environmental issues are being tackled both at home and in the wider community.

The organisation has ran initiatives such as Shine on Fife and Cosy Kirkcaldy with a consultation on plans for a community food hub currently running.

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Claire in Living Wage Call

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Recently I joined with party colleagues in calling for the Scottish Government to use their spending power to deliver the living wage for workers in Fife and across Scotland.

The call followed a debate in the Scottish Parliament which will change the way public contracts are handed out to private companies; covering goods and services from the provision of stationary to the delivery of major capital projects, such as the Queensferry Crossing.

Public sector procurement is worth at least £9 billion a year in Scotland and the Scottish Labour Party has called for those employed in these contracts to be paid the living wage, set at £7.45 an hour. Continue reading →

Kinship care postcode lottery continues

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The postcode lottery of financial support for kinship carers has remained in place in Scotland after the Scottish Government failed to support Labour’s amendments during the Children and Young People bill that has passed in Parliament last week.

Kinship care, where a member of the child’s extended family looks after the child as the parent cannot, can vary wildly in both eligibility and support depending on where in Scotland you live.

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Fife must be ‘Clued Up’ on legal highs

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Yesterday I was pleased to be able to highlight the good work undertaken by Clued Up, a Kirkcaldy based charity, during a Government debate in the Scottish Parliament on the issue of New Psychoactive Substances, also known as ‘legal highs’.

‘Legal Highs’ are synthetic drugs that can be legally purchased from head shops in the high street or online. Continue reading →

Claire calls for action to tackle the need for food banks

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Yesterday in Parliament I raised the challenges facing food banks across the Kingdom during a Member’s debate. Having attended the launch of the food bank in Kirkcaldy I have seen first hand the demand for these services and the vital role they play in helping those that need it most. 

Recent reports that the food bank in Glenrothes is running low on food as it struggles to keep up with demand highlights how important these services are for the Kingdom. Those that have taken the time to help, from volunteering in the banks or donating food whilst they do their weekly shop, deserve our thanks. Without them the situation throughout Fife would be a lot worse.

My full speech can be found on the Scottish Government website.

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Claire votes to end Bedroom Tax

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Today I was able to vote on a Scottish Labour amendment to effectively end the much hated bedroom tax in Scotland. The amendment, which was lodged by our finance spokesperson Iain Gray, was voted on during the Scottish Government’s budget debate.

Labour has been consistently calling for the Scottish Government to make the right decision and fully mitigate the impact of the bedroom tax in Scotland. Today they finally listened.

The bedroom tax adversely impacts on those that need help the most. The policy is particularly hurting those with disabilities and those faced with no prospect of downsizing due to lack of housing stock. A Labour UK Government has committed to ending the bedroom tax throughout the UK and it was only when pushed by Scottish Labour that the SNP finally agreed to take at Holyrood.

Labour have been consistent in pushing for the Scottish Government to fully mitigate the bedroom tax in Scotland by providing sufficient resources to make the bedroom tax redundant in Scotland. If the Scottish Government had refused to back Labour’s call my colleague Jackie Baillie had introduced a member’s bill to address the situation but I am glad the Scottish Government has taken action in the budget.

Only last week there was an interim report, released by the Parliament’s Welfare Reform Committee, that highlighted the impact the tax is having on society throughout Scotland. The report followed extensive evidence sessions and research undertaken by the committee. The report called for the Scottish Government to explore further ways to mitigate the effect of the tax in the short term.

Thankfully today we saw movement on that issue and I was delighted that I was able to vote on Iain’s motion and support a budget that will effectively end a policy that is deeply unpopular throughout Fife.


Common Agricultural Policy – Parliamentary Debate

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This week I opened for Scottish Labour on the Government debate on the Common Agricultural Policy. Farming plays an important role in Scotland’s economy, society, and well-being.  Our agricultural sector not only produces food for our country and beyond, but also contributes to the vitality of our rural communities.  CAP reform is the opportunity to make sure the support, which is public money, is directed to areas where it delivers the widest public benefit.

When we consider some of the current payments – subsidy being given to land which is not actively being used, highly profitable businesses receiving significant sums of public money, while other areas receive no or little support but, it can be argued provide greater community and social benefit – this is an opportunity to deliver a fairer system that is clear about what it values.  Continue reading →

The Food Train arrives in the Parliament

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Recently I spoke during my colleague Elaine Murray’s member’s debate on the food train initiative and highlighted the positive example and work of the food train in Stirling within my region.

I previously met with staff and volunteers during an event in Parliament, along with those that benefit from their hard work. It was clear then that it was a valued programme and everyone spoke positively about their experience, which is why I was delighted to speak during the debate and congratulate staff and volunteers from across the country on the work they do. Continue reading →

Claire shows support for Living Wage

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The other week I signed up to the Living Wage pledge at a lobby of Parliament organised by the Scottish Living Wage campaign, alongside the Scottish Trade Unions. The campaign was organised to push for a living wage to be implemented at the heart of procurement policy in Scotland. 

At a time where so many households across Fife are facing a cost of living crisis it is important that we take all opportunities to ensure that work pays by having employers adhere to the living wage.

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