Latest News –  Martin Whitfield MSP

Christmas Jumper Day (7th December) is Save the Children's annual event to help raise money for the charity’s work supporting children who need it most. Every December, millions of people in Scotland and across the United Kingdom (and beyond!) put on a festive knit at their workplace, school or with friends and donate to Save the Children to help give children the magical future they deserve. This year Martin Whitfield MSP is again backing the charity’s campaign and encouraging people across South Scotland to join in and help raise much-needed funds for children. Martin Whitfield MSP said: “I’m delighted to [...]

Martin Whitfield MSP is encouraging residents in his South Scotland region to Be Winter Ready and, if eligible, to sign up to receive additional support in the event of bad weather. The UK’s energy networks are amongst the most reliable in the world, but no system can ever be 100 per cent weatherproof. Mr Whitfield is backing Be Winter Ready campaign, a campaign run by Energy Networks Association (ENA) on behalf of the energy industry, to ensure local residents are well prepared this winter. This year’s campaign aims to help people understand the steps they can take to prepare for [...]

Martin Whitfield MSP took part in an event at Holyrood last week to celebrate Scottish people on the Anthony Nolan stem cell register and raise awareness of the urgent need to diversify the register. The day was marked by Anthony Nolan, as part of its Communities vs Blood Cancer campaign, which shines a spotlight on the vital work being done to ensure that every patient in need of a stem cell transplant can find a lifesaving donor. MSPs were joined by Cameron, the 100th person to donate their stem cells after being recruited to the register by the Scottish Fire [...]

Martin Whitfield MSP has joined parliamentary colleagues and campaigners at Holyrood to help mark World AIDS Day 2023. Organised by Terrence Higgins Trust Scotland, Waverley Care and National AIDS Trust, the parliamentary photocall provided an opportunity for Members to commemorate World AIDS Day 2023 and to remember all those who have lost their lives to HIV/AIDS-related illnesses. It also allowed MSPs to reflect on how far we have come since the first diagnosis of HIV in Scotland 40 years ago, and on what more needs to be done for Scotland to make history and end new cases of HIV by 2030. [...]

Speaking during General Questions in the Scottish Parliament, Martin Whitfield MSP has again raised East Lothian Council’s challenging financial circumstances and the concerning situation facing the Loch Centre in Tranent. The South Scotland MSP highlighted the importance of community facilities for participating in sport and physical activity, like the Loch Centre, and asked the Scottish Government about the need for national political and practical support for funding and maintaining such facilities. In his reply to Mr Whitfield’s question Joe Fitzpatrick, Minister for Local Government Empowerment and Planning, agreed he was making a strong point and said that the government understands [...]

Martin Whitfield MSP has written to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Shona Robison, asking the Scottish Government to provide the funds required to get the swimming pool at the Loch Centre in Tranent open again. East Lothian Council has identified that essential repairs needed to re-open the pool will cost close to four and a half million pounds. This unanticipated additional bill means the council does not currently have the resources required to repair and re-open the pool. While the council’s administration is pulling out all the stops to try and identify funding from within its existing, already over-stretched, capital [...]