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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: 6 November 2025

Online Child Abuse

Martin Whitfield (South Scotland) (Lab): "The First Minister will be aware of the chief constable’s comments to the Criminal Justice Committee this week that reports of online child abuse have more than doubled in the past year…

Chamber meeting date: 6 November 2025

Draft Climate Change Plan

Martin Whitfield (South Scotland) (Lab): "I thank the cabinet secretary for her statement and for publishing the plan, which will now sit for 120 days, during which consultations can take place…

Chamber meeting date: 6 November 2025

Dying in Poverty at the End of Life in Scotland 2025

Martin Whitfield (South Scotland) (Lab): "I am very grateful to Paul Sweeney for his incredibly powerful speech. Does it not speak to the disparity between what we believe to be the social contract among us all here in Scotland and the reality that many constituents face…

Chamber meeting date: 6 November 2025

Strengthening Committees’ Effectiveness

Martin Whitfield (South Scotland) (Lab): "It is nice to stand in this Parliament with a little time to debate. I am sure that we will have lost that by the end of the afternoon…

Chamber meeting date: 5 November 2025

General Practitioner Walk-in Centres

Martin Whitfield (South Scotland) (Lab): "We must pay attention to Dr Iain Morrison of British Medical Association Scotland, who has pointed out that the existing walk-in centres do not necessarily demonstrate good value for money, which we must keep thinking about…

Votes

How Martin Whitfield has voted in Parliament

Find out how Martin Whitfield has voted recently.

Motion ref. S6 SP Bill 44 Amendment 380

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, November 5, 2025

Result 90 for, 28 against, 0 abstained, 11 did not vote

MSP voted for

Agreed

Motion ref. S6 SP Bill 44 Amendment 112

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, November 5, 2025

Result 26 for, 91 against, 0 abstained, 12 did not vote

MSP voted against

Disagreed

Motion ref. S6 SP Bill 44 Amendment 231

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, November 5, 2025

Result 90 for, 28 against, 0 abstained, 11 did not vote

MSP voted for

Agreed

Motion ref. S6 SP Bill 44 Amendment 110

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, November 5, 2025

Result 26 for, 91 against, 0 abstained, 12 did not vote

MSP voted against

Disagreed

Motion ref. S6 SP Bill 44 Amendment 109

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, November 5, 2025

Result 26 for, 91 against, 0 abstained, 12 did not vote

MSP voted against

Disagreed

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-41257

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, South Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged:10 October 2025

Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 4 November 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government how many disabled children who are assessed as being eligible for a care package do not currently receive one."

Question reference: S6W-41236

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, South Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged:10 October 2025

Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 4 November 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government how many families are currently on waiting lists for respite care."

Question reference: S6W-41258

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, South Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged:10 October 2025

Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 4 November 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government how many requests for respite care have been declined due to a lack of staff availability in the last year."

Question reference: S6W-41218

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, South Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged:10 October 2025

Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 31 October 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government how many kinship carers have appealed decisions regarding financial support in the last 12 months."

Question reference: S6W-41235

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, South Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged:10 October 2025

Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 31 October 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government what mechanisms exist to evaluate complaints from children about their experience in public services."

Question reference: S6W-41099

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, South Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged:29 October 2025

Current Status: Answer expected on 12 November 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government what work it has undertaken to review the financial model for supporting private and independent providers of childcare, in particular the provision of sustainable rates, and what its position is on whether its financial modelling remains valid."

Question reference: S6W-41248

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, South Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged:10 October 2025

Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 28 October 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government how many official complaints have been submitted by care-experienced young people about their treatment in the care system in the last year."

Question reference: S6W-41516

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, South Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged:27 October 2025

Current Status: Answer expected on 10 November 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason third sector organisations have reportedly not been involved in the operation of the Scottish Government Online Safety Taskforce, which was announced in January 2025."

Question reference: S6W-41513

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, South Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged:27 October 2025

Current Status: Answer expected on 10 November 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been allocated to the Scottish Government Online Safety Taskforce, which was announced in January 2025."

Question reference: S6W-41514

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, South Scotland, Scottish Labour

Date lodged:27 October 2025

Current Status: Answer expected on 10 November 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government what work has been carried out by the Scottish Government Online Safety Taskforce since it was announced in January 2025, and whether the taskforce will regularly publish reports on its work and, if so, how often."

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