It’s not all fun in sun this summer
School’s out for summer and it’s a time for making happy childhood memories.
Unfortunately, the summer holidays can be a miserable time for some children and their families.
Here in East Kilbride, workers continue to be confronted with redundancy.
Months ago I asked the economy secretary to visit the town but he never came and now First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has moved him out of her cabinet.
Rather than focusing on their own jobs, SNP ministers must start delivering for East Kilbride.
Parents and carers already struggling in our broken economy face additional pressures during the summer holidays.
Children in Scottish schools are turning up to class visibly unwell and pale from hunger, according to recent reports.
Four in 10 children in South Lanarkshire live in poverty and without school meals, holiday hunger is a real threat to them.
This poverty and inequality is not inevitable; we need to seriously change political direction if we want to transform our society.
Take a look at neighbouring Labour-run North Lanarkshire Council who have implemented a ground-breaking initiative to feed primary pupils at weekends and school holidays. Club365 is a bold measure that is fast-becoming a lifeline for many families there.
At Holyrood, Scottish Labour’s plan to increase child benefit would help nearly one million children in Scotland – and could lift as many as 30,000 out of poverty. SNP and Tory MSPs voted against this, denying extra cash for children in East Kilbride.
This is deeply disappointing because over the summer families are struggling to afford school uniforms, never mind a holiday.
Labour councillors at South Lanarkshire Council recently tried to boost the school clothing grant. This was voted down by the SNP and Tories in the council.
Being unable to afford period products can cause students to miss school.
I was proud last summer when Labour-run North Ayrshire Council became the first UK council to provide free period products in secondary schools.
With nearly 13,000 products distributed over the last year, there is clearly demand and I’m glad the First Minister has agreed to my proposal for free sanitary products in schools, colleges and universities.
My members’ bill, which will progress through parliament this year, will ensure period products are provided to those who need them.
It’s a world-leading proposal; after all, we must be ambitious in our efforts to eradicate poverty and inequality.
The SNP claim to be ambitious on education but last month the SNP’s disastrous Education Bill was shelved. Years were wasted on this bill and, meanwhile, resources for schools have been squeezed, we have a shortage of new teachers and class sizes are now amongst the biggest in the developed world.
Scottish Labour is leading the way in ensuring we have an education system that cares for our children and prepares them for the future.
Only Labour will ensure the eradication of poverty is at the heart of everything government does.
We are promoting a summer of socialism to build a movement for real change – I hope you’ll consider being part of it.
We must be ambitious in our efforts to eradicate poverty and inequality...