The past two months have been busy, representing my constituents and holding the SNP to account, but being an MSP has been as rewarding as ever.
I hope you all managed to enjoy some respite over the holidays.
This month saw my parliamentary annual report drop on doorsteps. Since being elected, I have held 40 surgeries either online or in person; responded to more than 1300 emails from constituents across the region; taken part in more than 120 votes in Parliament; submitted more than 30 motions recognising local causes; delivered more than 200 contributions to committee sessions and made more than 35 contributions to Parliamentary debates.
I have had lots of great feedback on the survey included in the report and I urge you all to have your say and respond.
In the last couple of months, I have taken part in three very important debates.
The first on ventilation in classrooms. I argued that without adequate ventilation children would continue to take the virus home to their parents and elderly relatives. Ventilation is crucial to keeping our schools open and our children and teachers safe.
The second was on Human Rights Day. Scotland is on a promising path towards its human rights realisations, but there is still a lot more to be done if we want to be a world leader in this area. The SNP should put aside political grievances and focus on passing laws in this area that will make a difference.
I then addressed the education failures of this SNP Government which is something I feel strongly about. Exams must go ahead as planned to avoid causing pupils additional stress and further disruption to their education.
More recently, I participated in the Members’ Business motion on the Asda Foundation and its community work during and after the pandemic. This was welcomed and showed that local businesses, groups and charities are truly at the heart of the community.
In portfolio questions, I asked the Finance Minister why the Scottish Government has chosen to slash essential funding from local councils in their recent budget. The SNP has continually taken funding from those who need it most.
Then later, during a Covid-19 update, I asked the First Minister when lateral flow tests would be available in more accessible places, such as supermarkets, following the advice to test more regularly.
After recess, I asked the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care what services are now in place to support and care for the 100,000 people in Scotland suffering from long Covid, and why the Scottish Government had not decided to invest in long Covid clinics.
Later, I challenged the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills about teacher safety, one of the most important and crucial responsibilities in making teaching an attractive, long-term career.
I also participated in the Ministerial Statement on Recovery and Improvement in schools and early learning. I called the Cabinet Secretary out on her government’s decision to divert the Attainment Challenge Funds from the most deprived areas where these funds are desperately needed to make positive improvements in people’s lives.
In the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee we have discussed a ban on conversion therapy, how women, disabled people, BME people and lone parents have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic and what more needs to be done to make sure they are adequately supported. More recently, we discussed the miner strikes and heard evidence about how these strikes negatively impacted people.
Throughout this time, I continued my regional surgery tour, by visiting Kirkintilloch and Bishopbriggs. I also got the chance to visit the Recycle Room, a fantastic charity in Clydebank which helps provide essential items to families who need it most.
I have also visited local businesses and organisations to find out how the pandemic has impacted them and how they have dealt with the challenges they have faced.
Thank you for your interest and support in the work I do as your MSP. If you want to know more please follow my social media links: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.