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Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs)

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Martin Whitfield

Scottish Labour

MSP for South Scotland (Region) 2021 - present day

About Martin Whitfield

Contact details

Contact online

X (previously known as Twitter): @_MWhitfield

Facebook: Martin's facebook

Contact at the Scottish Parliament

The Scottish Parliament
Edinburgh
EH99 1SP

Phone: 0131 348 5827
Text relay calls welcome.

Committees

Cross-party groups

Martin is a member of 1 cross-party group

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on St Andrew's Day

Member

Parliamentary and Government Roles

Martin has 2 parliamentary and government roles

Conveners Group

Member

Parliamentary Bureau

Member

Party Roles

Martin has 3 party roles

Business Manager

Scottish Labour

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Children

Scottish Labour

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Young People

Scottish Labour

Previous roles

Martin has had 3 previous roles

Previous roles in cross-party groups are not included in this list.

31 May 2021 - 10 April 2023

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Lifelong Learning

Scottish Labour

31 May 2021 - 10 April 2023

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Youth Employment

Scottish Labour

17 June 2021 - 22 June 2021

Standards Procedures and Public Appointments Committee

Member

Register of interests

Martin's register of interests

MSPs must provide details of their financial interests in the Register of Interests. They make an initial statement on becoming or being returned as an MSP. This is then updated with any changes they provide.

Recent Activity

What was said

What Martin Whitfield has said in Parliament

These are the official transcripts of what was said by this MSP in the chamber and at committee meetings. You'll find the topic discussed and how many times this MSP has contributed to the discussion.

Wellbeing and Sustainable Development (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Chamber meeting date: 22 January 2026

Martin Whitfield (South Scotland) (Lab): "Will the member take an intervention?"

Digital Assets (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Chamber meeting date: 22 January 2026

Martin Whitfield (South Scotland) (Lab): "In a sense, this casts us back to medieval England and the market overt, whereby, if somebody bought during the daytime with everyone watching them, they got the title even if the good was stolen…

Digital Assets (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Chamber meeting date: 22 January 2026

Martin Whitfield (South Scotland) (Lab): "In a sense, this casts us back to medieval England and the market overt, whereby, if somebody bought during the daytime with everyone watching them, they got the title even if the good was stolen…

Wellbeing and Sustainable Development (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Chamber meeting date: 22 January 2026

Martin Whitfield (South Scotland) (Lab): "Will the member take an intervention?"

Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

Chamber meeting date: 20 January 2026

Martin Whitfield (South Scotland) (Lab): "Will the member take an intervention?"

Votes

How Martin Whitfield has voted in Parliament

Find out how Martin Whitfield has voted recently.

Wellbeing and Sustainable Development (Scotland) Bill

Motion ref. S6M-20414

Submitted by: Sarah Boyack, Lothian, Scottish Labour. Date lodged: Tuesday, January 13, 2026

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, January 22, 2026

Result 25 for, 91 against, 0 abstained, 13 did not vote

MSP voted for

Disagreed

Motion ref. S6 SP Bill 57 Amendment 43

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Tuesday, January 20, 2026

Result 28 for, 72 against, 18 abstained, 11 did not vote

MSP abstained

Disagreed

Motion ref. S6 SP Bill 57 Amendment 42

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Tuesday, January 20, 2026

Result 46 for, 73 against, 0 abstained, 10 did not vote

MSP voted for

Disagreed

Motion ref. S6 SP Bill 57 Amendment 40

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Tuesday, January 20, 2026

Result 47 for, 73 against, 0 abstained, 9 did not vote

MSP voted for

Disagreed

Motion ref. S6 SP Bill 57 Amendment 38

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Tuesday, January 20, 2026

Result 47 for, 71 against, 0 abstained, 11 did not vote

MSP voted for

Disagreed

Motions

Questions

Questions Martin Whitfield has asked

These are the questions that this MSP has asked in Parliament. It also includes any answer to those questions.

Question reference: S6W-43098

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, South Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged: 21 January 2026

Current Status: Answer expected on 4 February 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government what its reasoning is for commissioning an independent review of the legislative landscape around children in care by Professor Kenneth Norrie, in light of the Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise noting in the Chamber on 14 January 2026 that the Scottish Government has already received legal advice…

Question reference: S6W-43097

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, South Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged: 15 January 2026

Current Status: Answer expected on 29 January 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government what information it currently holds regarding the need for a review of the legislative landscape around care experienced people, and whether it will publish this information."

Question reference: S6W-43021

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, South Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged: 14 January 2026

Current Status: Answer expected on 28 January 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been identified for youth work in the draft Scottish Budget 2026-27."

Question reference: S6O-05312

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, South Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged: 10 December 2025

Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 December 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of an increase of 63 full-time equivalent teachers in 2025 compared with the previous year, how it will fulfil its commitment to recruit 3,500 new teachers before the end of the current parliamentary session."

Question reference: S6W-42138

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, South Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged: 25 November 2025

Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 3 December 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the safety of nuclear power."

Question reference: S6T-02777

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, South Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged: 1 December 2025

Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 December 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to reports that private residential childcare providers are making an estimated £10 million a year in profit from publicly funded contracts."

Question reference: S6O-05225

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, South Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged: 20 November 2025

Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 November 2025

"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will commit to structured engagement with MSP staff trade unions on an ongoing basis."

Question reference: S6T-02757

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, South Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged: 17 November 2025

Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 November 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the University of Edinburgh plans to reduce jobs by up to 1,800 as part of £140 million in budget reductions by 2026-27, including what action it will take to protect staff and students from the impact of any such redundancies."

Question reference: S6W-41260

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, South Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged: 13 October 2025

Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 10 November 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of kinship carers have reported that the financial allowance they receive does not cover the full cost of care since May 2021."

Question reference: S6W-41252

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, South Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged: 13 October 2025

Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 10 November 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government how many families have lodged complaints regarding flexibility of hours in the early learning and childcare system since May 2021."

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