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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: 8 May 2025

Relationships and Behaviour in Schools

Martin Whitfield (South Scotland) (Lab): "Does the cabinet secretary share my disappointment that, after 18 years, we can still only talk about the ambition for our schools to be safe and consistent, rather than having safe and consistent schools?"

Chamber meeting date: 8 May 2025

Victory in Europe Day (80th Anniversary)

Martin Whitfield (South Scotland) (Lab): "In the honour roll of those who did not serve at the front but ensured that the front could serve, mention should be made of our mining communities, particularly here in Scotland."

Chamber meeting date: 7 May 2025

Programme for Government (Building the Best Future for Scotland)

Martin Whitfield (South Scotland) (Lab): "I welcome the debate…

Education, Children and Young People Committee meeting date: 7 May 2025

Education (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

Martin Whitfield (South Scotland) (Lab): "I remind the committee and those watching of my declaration of interests. Stephen Kerr highlights a number of points that, to a great extent, fall within the current inspection environment…

Chamber meeting date: 6 May 2025

Programme for Government

Martin Whitfield (South Scotland) (Lab): "It is a privilege to speak on behalf of Scottish Labour on the programme for government and to follow Douglas Lumsden, who I note, with the greatest kindness to him, is never knowingly undermetaphored…

Votes

How Martin Whitfield has voted in Parliament

Find out how Martin Whitfield has voted recently.

Motion ref. S6M-17416

Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill

Submitted by: Liam McArthur, Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats. Date lodged: Tuesday, May 6, 2025

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Tuesday, May 13, 2025

Result 70 for, 56 against, 1 abstained, 1 did not vote

MSP voted for

Vote Passed

Motion ref. S6M-17437.1

Programme for Government: Building the Best Future for Scotland

Submitted by: Jamie Greene, West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats. Date lodged: Tuesday, May 6, 2025

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, May 7, 2025

Result 30 for, 84 against, 1 abstained, 13 did not vote

MSP voted against

Vote Defeated

Motion ref. S6M-17437

Programme for Government: Building the Best Future for Scotland

Submitted by: Kate Forbes, Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Friday, May 2, 2025

Supported by: Tom Arthur, Richard Lochhead, Paul McLennan, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Kaukab Stewart
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, May 7, 2025

Result 59 for, 55 against, 1 abstained, 13 did not vote

MSP voted against

Vote Passed

Motion ref. S6M-17437.4

Programme for Government: Building the Best Future for Scotland

Submitted by: Murdo Fraser, Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, May 6, 2025

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, May 7, 2025

Result 28 for, 88 against, 0 abstained, 12 did not vote

MSP voted against

Vote Defeated

Motion ref. S6M-17437.2

Programme for Government: Building the Best Future for Scotland

Submitted by: Paul O'Kane, West Scotland, Scottish Labour. Date lodged: Tuesday, May 6, 2025

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, May 7, 2025

Result 48 for, 68 against, 0 abstained, 12 did not vote

MSP voted for

Vote Defeated

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 ref. S6O-04654

Asked by: Whitfield, Martin, South Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 7 May 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to address the reported lack of access to legal aid in rural regions."

Taken in the Chamber on 14 May 2025

Question ref. S6T-02486

Asked by: Whitfield, Martin, South Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 28 April 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure greater access to affordable early years provision, in light of reports of the rising cost of childcare for families with children under the age of three."

Taken in the Chamber on 29 April 2025

Question ref. S6O-04533

Asked by: Whitfield, Martin, South Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 26 March 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the reported rising childcare costs on families, particularly those on low and middle incomes, in light of recent research by the Coram Family and Childcare charity."

Taken in the Chamber on 3 April 2025

Question ref. S6W-35317

Asked by: Whitfield, Martin, South Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 28 February 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to local authorities to ensure the delivery of youth work services and programmes, and how it works with them to (a) ensure that youth work is integrated into broader economic and social development strategies, (b) measure and report on the impact of youth work on young people’s economic…

Answered by Graeme Dey on 13 March 2025

Question ref. S6W-35325

Asked by: Whitfield, Martin, South Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 28 February 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has a dedicated strategy for enhancing youth work provision in rural and island communities to help stimulate local economies."

Answered by Graeme Dey on 13 March 2025

Question ref. S6W-35326

Asked by: Whitfield, Martin, South Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 28 February 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government what work (a) it and (b) its agencies carry out with (i) local authorities and (ii) youth organisations to assess the economic value of youth work."

Answered by Graeme Dey on 13 March 2025

Question ref. S6W-35328

Asked by: Whitfield, Martin, South Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 28 February 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that delegating the delivery of youth work to local authorities does not compromise the quality or consistency of services."

Answered by Graeme Dey on 13 March 2025

Question ref. S6W-35330

Asked by: Whitfield, Martin, South Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 28 February 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering any direct interventions or policy initiatives to supplement local authority-led youth work, particularly in areas where local authorities are considered under-resourced."

Answered by Graeme Dey on 13 March 2025

Question ref. S6W-35312

Asked by: Whitfield, Martin, South Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 28 February 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of youth work on addressing (a) substance abuse and (b) other health-related concerns, and how it supports programmes that focus on promoting such work."

Answered by Graeme Dey on 13 March 2025

Question ref. S6W-35322

Asked by: Whitfield, Martin, South Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 28 February 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government what role local authorities play in assessing and reporting on the economic outcomes of youth work initiatives in their areas."

Answered by Graeme Dey on 13 March 2025

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