The people and groups working hard at heart of our community
It is just over four months since I was privileged enough to be elected by the people of Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy. In that time, I have dealt with over 1,100 cases, carried out over 100 constituency visits, meetings and surgeries and spoken in the House of Commons 16 times.
One of the best parts of this new job is working with the organisations that support and care for our local community. Organisations like Greener Kirkcaldy, The Cottage Family Centre, The Yard and Nourish embody the very best that our community has to offer.
Nowhere was this dedication clearer than on Sunday, when I had the honour of taking part in the hugely well-attended Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath Remembrance Parades and laid wreaths at a number of local memorials. We honour those who gave so much for our freedom.
Our people really do make Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy what it is. Yet they have been let down by 17 years of SNP failure in Holyrood and 14 years of Tory chaos in Westminster.
I have met amazing constituency groups working their hardest, but battling hard against cuts and economic chaos.
That is why I have been so proud that this Labour government has begun the much-needed work of change since July.
The Budget provided an additional £3.4 billion to the Scottish Government. While it is now up to the SNP to spend it effectively, it will provide the crucial cash for our NHS, where 1 in 6 Scots are on waiting lists, and our schools, where our young people face a growing mental health crisis.
A total of 110,000 Scottish households will benefit from Labour’s Fair Repayment Rate to reduce dependence on emergency food parcels. In Fife alone, more than 8,000 low-paid workers stand to benefit from the 6.7% increase in the National Living Wage, while our Employment Rights Bill delivers the largest workers’ rights rollout in a generation.
This all stems from our commitment to “make work pay”, and I was delighted when Rachel Reeves announced that over £1 billion would be returned to former miners from the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme, 827 of them in Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy.
I will continue to work hard to represent my constituents each and every day. That work has only just begun.