Latest News –  Martin Whitfield MSP

As Keep Scotland Beautiful’s 2023 Spring Clean campaign to help tackle Scotland’s litter emergency gets underway, Martin Whitfield MSP has joined local councillors in leading a community litter pick in Prestonpans. Mr Whitfield, who is a Prestonpans resident, was joined by Preston/Seton/Gosford ward councillors Colin Yorkston and Brooke Ritchie for the litter pick which took place today (Saturday 18th March) starting from Prestonpans Labour Club. Last year’s Spring Clean saw thousands of volunteers roll up their sleeves and join more than 100 litter picking events across Scotland. This year the campaign is taking place from 17 March to 17 April [...]

March is Brain Tumour Awareness Month and 31st March is Brain Tumour Research's Wear A Hat Day, one of the UK’s most popular annual charity fundraisers. Wear A Hat Day events have raised more than £2 million over the last decade to help fund vital research and raise powerful awareness of brain tumours. This year's event is involving scientists engaged in life-saving research on brain tumours to showcase how the funds raised are making a difference. This has included developing three Brain Tumour Research Centres of Excellence, making crucial discoveries, providing career-defining opportunities for dozens of young researchers, and pushing [...]

While the SNP tears itself to pieces in its leadership campaign and the Tories seek to sow division with their controversial migration bill, most people remain more concerned with the ongoing cost of living crisis. New public opinion data collected by 38 Degrees has mapped the extent of the crisis in every constituency in Great Britain. In East Lothian, more than one in three (37 per cent) people could not afford to turn the heating on when cold in the past month. Just over one in four (27 per cent) people locally are worried about having to use a food [...]

Today (Wednesday 15th March) is Young Carers Action Day (YCAD) 2023, an annual campaign day organised by Carers Trust Scotland with the aim of raising awareness of young carers and young adult carers and the immense contribution they make to their families and local communities. YCAD also provides an opportunity to push for improved support for these children and young people at local and national levels and Martin Whitfield MSP has joined colleagues in welcoming the day and pledging his support for young carers. This year’s theme is ‘Make Time for Young Carers’. This was chosen after Carers Trust spoke [...]

Following the UK Government’s confirmation that it will bring in regulations in England for compulsory microchipping of pet cats, Martin Whitfield MSP is backing a call from Cats Protection for the Scottish Government to do the same here in Scotland. Cats Protection’s Cats and Their Stats (CATS) Scotland report 2022 found there are 900,000 pet cats in Scotland with 29 per cent of them not microchipped, which means 243,000 cats have no permanent means of identification. Microchipping a cat gives them the best chance of being identified and returned to their owner if they are lost or stolen, or even [...]

Every March, Marie Curie holds its Great Daffodil Appeal, the charity’s biggest annual fundraiser to support its vital frontline services in Scotland. Marie Curie is here for people living with any terminal illness, and their families and offers expert care, guidance and support to help them get the most from the time they have left. Research conducted by the charity projects that 10,000 more people in Scotland will be dying with palliative care needs by 2040, with two thirds of all deaths expected to take place at home, in care homes and hospices. Martin Whitfield MSP is backing Marie Curie’s [...]