Recently I was able to visit three schools within Fife to answer pupil’s questions on being a MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife.
I visited Kirkcaldy West and Falkland Primary schools both of which were doing projects on the Scottish Parliament before visiting Glenwood High School in Glenrothes to speak to 4th year pupils ahead of sitting their National 4 exams.
Last week I was delighted to be asked to launch Burntisland’s Totally Locally Campaign. The event which was launched with a dance mob and an unveiling of the map of the town aims to promote the high street in Burtnisland.
Totally Locally has been successful throughout the UK having being initially launched in West Yorkshire and will hopefully be a positive experience for the town. It is a great opportunity to promote local businesses that have signed up and boost footfall in the high street.
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
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.
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.
Today I was able to answer questions from pupils at Falkland Primary School as they visited the Scottish Parliament. Ahead of a tour of the building the pupils from primary 6 were able to quiz me, and fellow MSPs Roderick Campbell and Willie Rennie on the parliament and our roles as MSPs.
One of the many positives of having a Parliament in the capital is that it allows schools from across Scotland to visit and see first-hand how the Parliament works. Continue reading
Today I lodged a motion in Parliament to recognise the work of Greener Kirkcaldy. The community based charity works hard to ensure action is being taken to tackle environmental issues in the Kirkcaldy area and I was delighted to attend it’s annual gather the previous week with Councilor Judy Hamilton.
I’m delighted that the motion has already secured enough cross party support that it will be put forward for consideration for a member’s debate. As Scotland continues to attempt to reach its Climate Change targets – and sadly we have missed our first two – the work of such charities as Greener Kirkcaldy is invaluable and should be highlighted in Parliament.
Today I was delighted to invite a group of Primary 7 pupils from Kirkcaldy West Primary to my office in Carlyle House. The pupils were able to see how my office works and I was able to answer their questions on being a MSP and on Scottish Politics in general.
The class are currently studying a new topic based on the Scottish Parliament and it was great to see the class engaged in politics and able to ask good questions on the subject.
This week in Parliament I raised a topical question on the recent air pollution monitoring results for 2013. The report found that more than over 20 streets throughout Scotland breach safety limits regarding air pollution. This follows a report that found that nearly 1,600 people in Scotland die each year due to particle pollution.
In my questions to the Environment Minister I highlighted both reports and worrying statistics. With air pollution contributing to heart attacks and lung disease it is important that the Scottish Government is committed to tackling air pollution across Scotland. Continue reading
This week I continued my campaign for the Great Tapestry of Scotland to come to Kirkcaldy after holding a productive meeting with Fife Cultural Trust. The meeting followed questions I raised in Parliament highlighting the popularity of the Tapestry and calling for the nationwide tour to visit Fife.
The Great Tapestry of Scotland was immensely popular when it was exhibited at the Scottish Parliament with crowds queuing out the building and around the corner. I’m pleased that my campaign to bring the exhibition to Fife has been positively received so far and there is a clear will for the tapestry to come to Fife.
