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Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs)

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Martin Whitfield

Scottish Labour

MSP for South Scotland (Region) 2021 - present day

About Martin Whitfield

Contact details

Contact online

X (previously known as Twitter): @_MWhitfield

Facebook: Martin's facebook

Contact at the Scottish Parliament

The Scottish Parliament
Edinburgh
EH99 1SP

Phone: 0131 348 5827
Text relay calls welcome.

Committees

Cross-party groups

Martin is a member of 1 cross-party group

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on St Andrew's Day

Member

Parliamentary and Government Roles

Martin has 2 parliamentary and government roles

Conveners Group

Member

Parliamentary Bureau

Member

Party Roles

Martin has 3 party roles

Business Manager

Scottish Labour

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Children

Scottish Labour

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Young People

Scottish Labour

Previous roles

Martin has had 3 previous roles

Previous roles in cross-party groups are not included in this list.

31 May 2021 - 10 April 2023

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Lifelong Learning

Scottish Labour

31 May 2021 - 10 April 2023

Deputy Party Spokesperson on Youth Employment

Scottish Labour

17 June 2021 - 22 June 2021

Standards Procedures and Public Appointments Committee

Member

Register of interests

Martin's register of interests

MSPs must provide details of their financial interests in the Register of Interests. They make an initial statement on becoming or being returned as an MSP. This is then updated with any changes they provide.

Here is the register for Martin Whitfield. The date of their initial statement was 08 June 2021.

Remuneration and related undertaking

Until 6 May 2021, I was employed by East Lothian Council (of John Muir House, Brewery Park, Haddington, East Lothian EH41 3HA) as a primary teacher. I worked approximately 35 hours a week and received remuneration of between £40,001 and £45,000 per annum.

Gifts

On 5 December 2023 and on 12 December 2024 I received food hampers valued at approximately £150 and £185 respectively from Community Windpower Ltd (Godscroft Lane, Frodsham, Cheshire, WA6 6XU). The gift was to me as an individual. [Registered 18 December 2024]

On Saturday 5 February 2022 I attended a rugby match at Murrayfield, as a guest of BT Group Plc (a telecommunications company of BT Centre, 81 Newgate Street, London, EC1A 7AJ). The value of the gift amounted to £325 for both the ticket and hospitality. [Registered 9 February 2022]

On 23 November 2023 I attended the Herald Scottish Politician of The Year Awards as a guest of Newsquest Media Group LTD (publisher of newspaper of Loudwater Mill, Station Road, Loudwater, High Wycombe, Bucks HP10 9TY) at Prestonfield Hotel in Edinburgh. The gift was to me as an individual and that the value including VAT was £360. [Registered 12 December 2023]

Overseas visits

No registrable interests

Controlled transactions

No registrable interests

Heritable property

No registrable interests

Interest in shares

No registrable interests

Voluntary

I was paid £150 from Ipsos MORI for their Annual Survey of MSPs on 22 December 2021. I donated this fee to charity. [Registered 22 December 2021]

I was paid £170 by You Gov on 11 November 2021 for completing a survey. [Registered 2 December 2021]

I am a Member of EIS.

I am a Trustee of Garden Elf, a small charity working with schools on gardening. I have no financial interests arising from this role.

I was paid £100 by You Gov on 27 July 2021 for completing a survey.

On 5 December 2023 I received a gift of a food hamper valued at approximately £150 from Community Windpower Ltd (Godscroft Lane, Frodsham, Cheshire, WA6 6XU). The gift was to me as an individual. [Registered 12 December 2023]

I was paid £75 by Savanta on 21 November 2022 for completing a survey. [Registered 12 December 2022]

Between 12 June and 19 June 2022 I travelled to Jersey to head an Electoral Observation Mission on behalf of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association British Islands and Mediterranean Region (CPA BIMR). The purpose of the visit was to observe the Island election as BIMR did in 2018. An initial report was published at the end of the visit with a full report being prepared with the mission's observations and recommendations. The total cost of the visit, met by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, was £3,000. [Registered 3 August 2022]

I was paid £100 by You Gov on 21 November 2022 for completing a survey. [Registered 12 December 2022]

I am a Trustee and Chair of the Burke-Veitch Scholarship which provides funds to allow children / young people to attend drama school. I have no financial interests arising from this role.

I received a bottle of whisky from the Scotch Whisky Association, the nominal value for the COP26 Limited Edition Blended Scotch Whisky to be £30, although it is not for commercial sale. [Registered 22 December 2021]

On the 27 April 2022, I attended the Sunday Mail Young Scot Awards 2022, as a guest of Young Scot. The hospitality had a value of £150. [Registered 4 May 2022]

On 26 February 2022 I was the guest of NatWest Group at Scotland France 6 Nations Rugby Game. The value of the gift was ticket valued at £111.50 and hospitality of £35.00. The combined value of this gift and hospitality is below the threshold for registration in the Gifts category. [Registered 2 March 2022]

Recent Activity

What was said

What Martin Whitfield has said in Parliament

These are the official transcripts of what was said by this MSP in the chamber and at committee meetings. You'll find the topic discussed and how many times this MSP has contributed to the discussion.

Chamber meeting date: 9 October 2025

The Promise

Martin Whitfield (South Scotland) (Lab): "The report “Improving care experience: Delivering The Promise”, by the Accounts Commission and the Auditor General, which was published yesterday, concluded that, from the outset, there was no assessment of what resources and skills were needed to deliver the Promise by 2030, or of how success would be defined or measured. Who should take…

Chamber meeting date: 9 October 2025

Youth Work (Budget Decisions)

8. Martin Whitfield (South Scotland) (Lab): "To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact on youth work provision of its budget decisions, in light of the most recent YouthLink Scotland survey indicating that the majority of young people accessing youth work do so through the voluntary sector. (S6O-05057)"

Chamber meeting date: 8 October 2025

Parliamentary Business (Scheduling)

Martin Whitfield (South Scotland) (Lab): "The complexity of the timetable is driven by the complexity of legislation. The minister indicated that there is not a substantial difference in comparison with previous sessions…

Chamber meeting date: 8 October 2025

Secure Accommodation

Martin Whitfield (South Scotland) (Lab): "I, too, thank the minister for advance sight of her statement…

Chamber meeting date: 7 October 2025

Child Poverty Reduction (Interim and Final Targets)

1. Martin Whitfield (South Scotland) (Lab): "To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to meet the interim and final child poverty reduction targets, in light of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s finding in its report, “Poverty in Scotland 2025”, that current levels remain largely unchanged since 2021. (S6T-02704)"

Votes

How Martin Whitfield has voted in Parliament

Find out how Martin Whitfield has voted recently.

Motion ref. S6M-19275

Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill - UK Legislation

Submitted by: Shirley-Anne Somerville, Dunfermline, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, October 7, 2025

Supported by: Kaukab Stewart
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, October 9, 2025

Result 81 for, 10 against, 23 abstained, 15 did not vote

MSP voted for

Agreed

Motion ref. S6M-19276

Planning and Infrastructure Bill - UK Legislation

Submitted by: Gillian Martin, Aberdeenshire East, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, October 7, 2025

Supported by: Graeme Dey
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, October 9, 2025

Result 87 for, 23 against, 1 abstained, 18 did not vote

MSP voted for

Agreed

Motion ref. S6M-19128

Right to Addiction Recovery (Scotland) Bill

Submitted by: Douglas Ross, Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, September 30, 2025

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, October 9, 2025

Result 52 for, 63 against, 0 abstained, 14 did not vote

MSP voted for

Disagreed

Motion ref. S6M-19269

Approval of SSI

Submitted by: Graeme Dey, Angus South, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, October 7, 2025

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, October 8, 2025

Result 51 for, 25 against, 33 abstained, 20 did not vote

MSP abstained

Agreed

Motion ref. S6M-19268

Suspension of Standing Orders

Submitted by: Graeme Dey, Angus South, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, October 7, 2025

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, October 8, 2025

Result 85 for, 0 against, 26 abstained, 18 did not vote

MSP voted for

Agreed

Motions

Questions

Questions Martin Whitfield has asked

These are the questions that this MSP has asked in Parliament. It also includes any answer to those questions.

Question reference: S6W-41245

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, South Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged:13 October 2025

Current Status: Answer expected on 10 November 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government how many referrals to social work have been made due to parental poverty or housing conditions since May 2021."

Question reference: S6W-41244

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, South Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged:13 October 2025

Current Status: Answer expected on 10 November 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government how many parents involved in child protection cases have not been offered advocacy support since May 2021."

Question reference: S6W-41250

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, South Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged:13 October 2025

Current Status: Answer expected on 10 November 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government how many children have been temporarily unable to attend a local authority nursery due to staff shortages in the last 12 months."

Question reference: S6W-41260

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, South Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged:13 October 2025

Current Status: Answer expected on 10 November 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of kinship carers have reported that the financial allowance they receive does not cover the full cost of care since May 2021."

Question reference: S6W-41243

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, South Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged:13 October 2025

Current Status: Answer expected on 10 November 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government how many children have reported going without adequate food or heating while on a child protection register since May 2021."

Question reference: S6W-41264

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, South Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged:13 October 2025

Current Status: Answer expected on 10 November 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government how many Disclosure Scotland permanent job vacancies have remained unfilled for more than six months since May 2021."

Question reference: S6W-41246

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, South Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged:13 October 2025

Current Status: Answer expected on 10 November 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government how many families have waited longer than six months for a child’s social care assessment to be completed since May 2021."

Question reference: S6W-41247

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, South Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged:13 October 2025

Current Status: Answer expected on 10 November 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government how many children whose situation has been flagged as at risk have not been allocated a named social worker within the recommended timescales since May 2021."

Question reference: S6W-41219

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, South Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged:13 October 2025

Current Status: Answer expected on 10 November 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the proportion of kinship carers who have reported relying on food banks or emergency grants to support the child in their care since May 2021."

Question reference: S6W-41252

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, South Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged:13 October 2025

Current Status: Answer expected on 10 November 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government how many families have lodged complaints regarding flexibility of hours in the early learning and childcare system since May 2021."

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