The Scottish Parliament has now passed the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Bill at Stage 3. Once implemented, the bill will set out new laws and guidance around the purchasing of fireworks in Scotland with the aim of curbing their misuse. These include the introduction of a new license, which you will be required to […]
Rail Workers Strike
I was proud to join the RMT union picket lines in their fight for pay, pensions, conditions and safety, and against compulsory redundancies. This is a strike against the levelling down of wages and conditions. These workers have continued to work through the pandemic, and have had a pay freeze for 2 or 3 years, […]
Stagecoach Cuts
I have received a number of letters from constituents concerned about Stagecoach’s proposed cuts to the vital X34 and X36 services. These are currently the only bus services that connect Garnock Valley, an area holding a population of around 20,000 people, and Glasgow, which is just over 20 miles away. These cuts will mean residents […]
Scotland’s Economic Priorities
I spoke in this parliamentary debate on what Scotland’s economic priorities should be. There is no doubt that the challenges of record inflation, the pandemic, Brexit and the Ukraine war affecting supply chains, have been exacerbated by the UK Government other economic policies which fail to put ordinary people first and tackle the cost of […]
Community Wealth Building
I was proud to contribute in a debate about community wealth building in parliament. The key principles of community wealth building are vital for regenerating our economy: progressive procurement; fair employment; shared ownership; the just use of land; and financial decisions that benefit the local community. However, we need a local-first approach to all procurement […]
Striking University Staff
I was proud to contribute in the debate on striking university staff. The Scottish Government cannot wash its hands of conditions in a sector it contributes over £1 billion a year to. Staff pay in the sector has fallen dramatically over the past decade and too many workers are on precarious fixed term contracts. I […]
Lecturers Rally
I was pleased to join the EIS FELA rally outside the Scottish Parliament to pay tribute to the extraordinary work college lecturers have done during the pandemic. They have delivered online and on-campus support but face yet another real terms pay cut. The Scottish Government must intervene to ensure they get the pay rise they […]
Public Ferries Debate
My motion on keeping CalMac in the public sector was selected for debate following cross-party support. Leading the debate, I laid out in my speech why the Scottish Government’s long term failure to invest in new fleet for Calmac is responsible for the ongoing crisis rather than the public ownership model. I am fighting […]
Student Housing
I was proud to join students, activists and colleagues on the NUS Housing Rally at the Scottish Parliament. Student housing is broken, with costs rising just 34% in three years, at a time of rising inflation, increasing food and fuel prices and high energy bills. More than one in 10 students have experienced homelessness. I […]
P&O Licences
I have written to the UK Transport Secretary to make clear that P&O’s licences must be stripped on all routes.