MID FIFE & GLENROTHES MSP

“Going back to when Glenrothes was built, there was clearly this great sense of hope that this new town would promise new jobs, new housing, new communities for people to live in.

“So it’s extremely concerning that today we have the Glenrothes and Thornton figures which show 30.8% of children living in poverty, which is the fifth-highest across Fife.

“It’s devastating to hear these statistics as the local MSP but, more than that, with the town’s 70th birthday coming up, what hope have these children got growing up in Glenrothes? What hope have they got for the future?

“In recent years in the Glenrothes area, we’ve had huge numbers of job losses. In 2015 Tullis Russell closed. A couple of weeks ago we had a bathrooms manufacturer going – that was another 40 jobs. A number of companies have gone bust just since I became an MSP.

“That’s got to have an impact on the local area in terms of how people are feeling – in terms of their aspirations more than anything else. So I think it’s vitally important that, while the 70th anniversary of Glenrothes is used as an opportunity, we can’t not confront the reality of what these statistics are telling us.

“With jobs more generally, we need sustainable jobs for the future. We need to attract investment into Glenrothes but it’s quite difficult because at the moment the area’s being associated with high levels of unemployment, so there is a bit of a disconnect there.

“But we also need to end a poverty of aspiration.

“I was a principal teacher of modern studies with Fife Council before I became an MSP.

“You know when your kids at a base level are not getting a meal at night, when they are coming to school hungry.

“When you are talking about a poverty of aspiration, you are talking about parents who don’t necessarily recognise the importance of school because their mum and dad, or whoever they grew up with, didn’t stick in at school themselves. In the past there’s been a bit of fear between these parents and the schools.

“Kids can also be held back by mental health issues.

“I’m not saying schools are the answer to everything (and because of the constitutional arrangements one of Scotland’s hands is tied behind her back) but the Scottish Government supporting the attainment fund – giving money directly to head teachers to empower them to make decisions – is a positive way forward.

“I guess if you go back to the Conservative benefit reforms, which look to sanction people and, to some extent, strip away people’s dignity, that also has an impact on people’s mental health. We need a welfare system that’s going to bring in dignity and respect.

“They are much more likely to engage with the system if they trust the government. Exactly the same is true in schools – we need parents and carers to come forward and engage with head teachers.”