My Priorities
Cost of Living
Households and businesses across North East Fife feeling the impact of skyrocketing bills and squeezed budgets. Some residents are facing the choice between heating and eating this winter, while local businesses face costs that could see them go to the wall.
The UK Government has announced support, including a price cap, but I’m using my voice in Westminster demand more action to help People in North East Fife. I want to see vulnerable and low income households helped by a doubling of the Warm Home Discount. For local businesses, there needs to be more certainty than the six month cap in energy costs. I’m also calling on the UK Government to fund support for people at this difficult time with a windfall tax on oil and gas companies, rather than borrowing more.
Local Services
North East Fife has been hit by a wave of reductions to local services. Banks, Post Offices, Buses, Trains, and opening hours at Recycling Centres and Leisure Centres have all been cut.
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I am determined to stand up for those vital services at the heart of communities, working with local people and the providers to protect them or find the best possible alternatives. I’m working to bring Community Banking Hubs to places where branches have closed, pressing Post Office to replace services which have been closed, and meet Stagecoach regularly to protect local bus routes.
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I know how important these services are to North East Fife, and I will keep on fighting to protect them.
Local Environment
North East Fife is a beautiful constituency, from the Lomond Hills in the Howe of Fife to the East Neuk and Tentsmuir, it’s a place of stunning scenery I’m proud to represent.
I want to help protect that natural beauty, so I want to see the UK protect its natural environments, cut carbon emissions and clean up our air, seas and rivers. I support my party’s GreenRecovery Plan, which includes properly insulating every home, getting renewable energy up
to 80% of UK electricity.
Locally, I’ve called on SEPA to tackle sewage spills in the River Eden and River Leven, helped plant trees in Gauldry, St Andrews, Newburgh and Cupar, taken part in beach cleans, and want Fife Council to improve local recycling centres.
Health and Social Care
Improving health and social care for all is extremely important to me. This is why I worked hard to get the Carers Act passed last year. The act allows carers to take unpaid leave for up to five days to help balance their caring responsibilities with their employment. I want the leave to become double and paid so I will continue to work towards this.
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Raising the profile of lesser known conditions is also very important to me. In particular, I have been raising the cases of PANS PANDA and ME/CFS within my constituency which both face a lack of adequate support.
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I also think the minimum wage for heath and social care workers needs to be increased which would help increase recruitment as well as recognising the vital work that they do.