Alex constituency work and important updates
This week I spoke in a debate in the Scottish Parliament calling on the Government to re-set the target for addressing fuel poverty. I also highlighted the advances on energy efficient homes made by local councils and housing associations, and argued that action must be taken to introduce similar standards in the private rented […]
Given the scale of the cuts to local councils we need to move beyond rhetoric and address the impact on jobs, on staff and on those who depend on the services. That is what I asked the Minister to address. The Scottish Government have had their budget cut by 6% through failed Tory austerity, […]
Last week in the Scottish Parliament we saw the difference in approach from the political parties to the funding of local public services. The SNP proposed changes to the upper bands for Council Tax. Whilst Scottish Labour did not oppose the proposal that would make the tax a little more progressive, we were very […]
Today is Equal Pay Day, it marks the symbolic point where women effectively earn nothing from today to the end of the year because of the gender pay gap. It is shocking that despite the Equal Pay Act, which was enacted 46 years ago, we still see women earning less than men in 2016. […]
One of the first experiences that I had in understanding poverty was when, as a child, I was in a graveyard and came across an area with no headstones, which I was told was the area of the paupers’ graves. At the weekend, I watched the film “I, Daniel Blake” and heard the […]
Last week a group of campaigners came to the Scottish Parliament to raise awareness of the impact of sanctions on people who rely on social security because they have very low incomes. I agreed to meet with the campaigners and hear the issues they were raising. One of the campaigners used a tin of spray […]
This week I spoke in the Scottish Government debate on their strategy document for a Fairer Scotland, where they have set out 50 actions they plan to take to achieve this goal. It is clear that the Westminster Government’s policies in areas like welfare reform have had the impact of creating a growth in […]
Brexit is far too important to be left to the politicians! That was one view expressed by an attendee when I hosted my first “Brexit – what next?” public meeting this week. I thought they have a point and certainly it cannot be simply left to Theresa May and a few of her […]
I recently spoke in a debate in the Scottish Parliament on the devolution of employment services. This topic is becoming increasingly important as we see the effects of austerity push people further and further away from the job market. But, we do have an opportunity to get this right for every person that needs to […]
Alex Rowley Scottish Labour Deputy Leader and MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife has signed up to Shelter Scotland’s Homelessness: Far From Fixed campaign. The campaign has called for a national homelessness strategy to ensure: There is a safe and affordable home for everyone Help is available for everyone to keep or find a […]