Latest News –  Martin Whitfield MSP

Martin Whitfield MSP has called the failure to extend rates relief to retail businesses a “hammer blow” to high streets, as new figures reveal that the number of employees in the retail industry in Scotland has hit a 15-year low. Between 2023 and 2024 alone, more than 10,000 jobs were lost from the industry – almost 1 in 20 retail jobs. Despite the challenges facing retail, the Scottish Government snubbed the industry in its budget by choosing not to follow the UK government’s lead and extend 40 per cent rates relief. While all hospitality, retail and leisure businesses in England [...]

2024 will be remembered as the year the public voted for a change of direction. That change has now begun, and we have already started to see the benefits of electing a new government for the UK. However, we are now only just over a year away from another election, for the Scottish Parliament, which will afford the electorate the opportunity to vote for change here too. I will be making the case for that change throughout the next year and up to May 2026 when voters will have their say on Scotland’s future. In the meantime, as we head [...]

Martin Whitfield MSP has visited the Dirleton Solar Walk project, a scale model of the Solar System developed in partnership with Dirleton Primary School, to find out more about the unique initiative and the benefits it offers to local pupils and the whole community and help mark its official opening. The South Scotland MSP was invited by Dan Arnold, a local resident and Associate Professor at Heriot Watt University, who has led the initiative, a collaboration between the school, Heriot University, the University of Edinburgh and Glasgow School of Art. The project entails a 1:3.6 billion scale model of the [...]

Commenting on the announcement by LINK that it is recommending a new shared banking hub for Dunbar, Martin Whitfield MSP said: “I raised this matter with LINK just a few weeks ago, and strongly welcome this announcement. There is no doubt that our growing communities need to have good access to banking facilities and this is absolutely the right decision for Dunbar. "It will bring benefits for individual customers as well as the town’s many businesses and community groups. However, I also believe there is still scope for banking hubs in other local communities that have lost branches and intend [...]

Martin Whitfield MSP visited local wood turning supply and training business Why-Aye Wood at Cockenzie House and Gardens on Saturday 7th December to help celebrate and promote this year’s Small Business Saturday. Now in its twelfth year in the UK, Small Business Saturday encourages customers to go out and support all types of small businesses, online, in offices and in stores. While it is timed to coincide with the busy festive period, its intent is to support and promote small businesses throughout the year. Mr Whitfield has been encouraging businesses in East Lothian and across the South Scotland region to [...]