If you’re on a low income, the constant stream of news about cuts to universal credit, rise in national insurance rates, the alarming rise in energy prices and warnings that inflation could reach 4% this winter must make everything seem a bit hopeless at the moment. It’s true that the combination of Brexit, Covid and a heartless, self-serving Tory government has made life a lot tougher for a lot of people, but please don’t despair. You are not alone. There is help out there. If you are struggling to pay your bills, Citizen’s Advice Scotland can offer help and advice about your rights and about what grants and benefits are available to you. And, as we enter the colder months, Home Energy Scotland is also there to help people in Scotland create warmer homes, reduce their bills and help tackle climate change. Funded by the Scottish Government and managed by Energy Saving Trust, they offer grant funded assistance to homeowners and private sector tenants who are struggling to heat their home and worried about their energy bills.
Rest assured, until we secure independence for Scotland, myself and the other SNP MPs in Westminster will continue to hold the UK Government to account, and do everything in our power to make them do the right thing, and to stop abandoning the less well off in order to line the pockets of their wealthy friends.
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In all, it's a bit strange being back at Westminster, but one small return to normality is attending the annual Macmillan Cancer Support event in Parliament. Always happy to support this very worthy cause.
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As well as going to the Commons to vote against the unfair Tory national insurance rise, I also took the opportunity to tell them to stop fighting me in the courts and just publish their secret polling on the union. What are they trying to hide?
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While down in Westminster, I joined Crisis for the launch of their #HomeForAll campaign in England. The pandemic has really shown us how important a secure home is, and why everyone should have one. You can find out about the fantastic work Crisis do in Scotland here https://www.crisis.org.uk/about-us/scotland/
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Tory Universal Credit cuts will hit 6m people. 40% of those people are in low paid work. All of them deserve better than they are getting from this government. I voted against those cuts. Every MP with a conscience should have done likewise.
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Towards the end of the month, the saga of the secret union polling was still going on. And on. And on. Even after a judge refused the Cabinet Office leave to appeal, they still declined to confirm that they will comply with the ruling to hand over the information.
Are they going to fight this all the way to the Supreme Court? Just how much more taxpayers’ money are they going to waste?
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I signed this open letter to the Bank of England, calling for action to penalise fossil fuel financing and to seek an increase in spending on green finance. Central banks need to start playing their part in meeting our climate targets.
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The UK Government is hitting everyone with an increase in the cost of energy. £139 is the figure quoted in the media, but if you've been on a fixed tariff that's just ended or been withdrawn, it'll be much, much higher. I urged the Secretary of State today to cap these bill bombshells.
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I was pleased to put my name to this extremely important letter to Boris Johnson, calling on him to support a comprehensive plan to protect and provide education, both in Afghanistan and for Afghan refugees.
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Women and girls are disproportionately set to suffer the consequences of the climate emergency. It doesn’t have to be that way. Governments can, and should, do more to empower those who will bear the brunt. During Great Big Green Week, I joined Care International for #Wednesday4Women
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