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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.

Chamber meeting date: 20 November 2025

Covid-19 Inquiry Modules 2, 2A, 2B, 2C Report

Martin Whitfield (South Scotland) (Lab): "The Deputy First Minister has defended Cabinet responsibility during Covid and has gone as far as to say that she disagrees with the conclusions of the report…

Chamber meeting date: 19 November 2025

Education

Martin Whitfield (South Scotland) (Lab): "Did Miles Briggs take away from that conference the message that I took away from it—he has hinted that he did—which is that, without 100 per cent support from the Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament, school leaders will not be able to enforce such a ban?"

Chamber meeting date: 18 November 2025

University of Edinburgh (Redundancies)

3. Martin Whitfield (South Scotland) (Lab): "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. (S6T-02757)"

Chamber meeting date: 13 November 2025

School Buildings (Asbestos)

Martin Whitfield (South Scotland) (Lab): "As was highlighted in the chamber earlier this year during the debate on the action for mesothelioma day, Scotland has one of the highest rates of mesothelioma in the world…

Chamber meeting date: 13 November 2025

Scottish Parliament (Recall and Removal of Members) Bill: Stage 1

Martin Whitfield (South Scotland) (Lab): "I thank everyone who contributed to the scrutiny of the Scottish Parliament (Recall and Removal of Members) (Scotland) Bill; the respondents to the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee’s call for views; the stakeholders and academics who gave evidence; the Scottish Government for its input; and, of course, Mr Simpson for…

Votes

How Martin Whitfield has voted in Parliament

Find out how Martin Whitfield has voted recently.

Motion ref. S6M-19754.2

Education

Submitted by: Jenny Gilruth, Mid Fife and Glenrothes, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, November 18, 2025

Supported by: Natalie Don-Innes, Ben Macpherson
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, November 19, 2025

Result 64 for, 53 against, 1 abstained, 11 did not vote

MSP voted against

Agreed

Motion ref. S6M-19756

Scotland's Skills System

Submitted by: Daniel Johnson, Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour. Date lodged: Monday, November 17, 2025

Supported by: Pam Duncan-Glancy
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, November 19, 2025

Result 61 for, 57 against, 0 abstained, 11 did not vote

MSP voted for

Agreed

Motion ref. S6M-19754.1

Education

Submitted by: Miles Briggs, Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, November 18, 2025

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, November 19, 2025

Result 53 for, 63 against, 0 abstained, 13 did not vote

MSP voted for

Disagreed

Motion ref. S6M-19754

Education

Submitted by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, Glasgow, Scottish Labour. Date lodged: Monday, November 17, 2025

Supported by: Paul Sweeney, Martin Whitfield
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, November 19, 2025

Result 63 for, 54 against, 1 abstained, 11 did not vote

MSP voted against

Agreed

Motion ref. S6M-19756.2

Scotland's Skills System

Submitted by: Ben Macpherson, Edinburgh Northern and Leith, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, November 18, 2025

Supported by: Natalie Don-Innes, Kate Forbes, Jenny Gilruth
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, November 19, 2025

Result 58 for, 60 against, 0 abstained, 11 did not vote

MSP voted against

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: 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."

Question reference: S6W-41244

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, South Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged: 13 October 2025

Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 7 November 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government how many parents involved in child protection cases have not been offered advocacy support since May 2021."

Question reference: S6W-41219

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, South Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged: 13 October 2025

Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 7 November 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the proportion of kinship carers who have reported relying on food banks or emergency grants to support the child in their care since May 2021."

Question reference: S6W-41266

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, South Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged: 10 October 2025

Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 7 November 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government how many Disclosure Scotland employees have left their job, including through resignation, within their first year of employment since 2022."

Question reference: S6W-41269

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, South Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged: 10 October 2025

Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 7 November 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact that any delays in the processing of Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) certificates by Disclosure Scotland have had on recruitment in the (a) social care and (b) teaching sector in the last year."

Question reference: S6W-41211

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, South Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged: 10 October 2025

Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 7 November 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the number of complaints that have been received regarding dampness, mould or ventilation issues in council-run nurseries since 2021."

Question reference: S6W-41245

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, South Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged: 13 October 2025

Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 7 November 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government how many referrals to social work have been made due to parental poverty or housing conditions since May 2021."

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