Fight for fairness
During the summer recess I have been on a range of visits to charities and third sector groups.
That is what most MSPs use recess for.
It is the best time for politicians to go out and meet organisations with shared interests and understand what’s going on to support people in our communities.
There are four visits I have made that have struck me for one reason – and that is the fight for equality and fairness must continue.
On one visit, I met with asylumseeking women and heard their horrific stories that led them to flee their homelands and come to Scotland.
It was even more shocking hearing how they are treated by the Home Office and their housing providers.
One woman told me that her locks had been changed without notice and she required medication inside the house.
Thankfully for her, she found her locks had been changed before close of business hours.
Had she arrived home after 7pm or later, she would have been left out on the streets.
This is a disgraceful way to treat people who have fled situations most of couldn’t even imagine.
These women, and the many more asylum seekers like them, deserve to be treated with compassion and decency.
Another visit I made was to a carers centre in North Ayrshire.
There I met with carers aged from 14 to 80. Each of them had their own personal story of how they ended up caring for a loved one, whether that be a husband, a wife, a parent, or both, a brother or sister.
However, they all told me that the support they receive is poor and the changes to the welfare state are punishing them and the loved one they care for.
It is disgraceful that those who offer up their time, their careers and more to care for family are treated with contempt.