SNP MSP for the Highlands & Islands, Emma Roddick, has urged the UK Conservative Chancellor to introduce an emergency budget to support families in the face of the rising cost of living. The MSP argued that an emergency budget should include the delivery of a Real Living Wage, a reversal to the Universal Credit cut [...]

SNP MSP Emma Roddick has called for the views of local organisations as part of the Social Justice and Social Security Committee's inquiry into debt in Scotland.  A member of the committee herself, she is keen to make sure that Highland voices are heard to give a "complete view" of the issues so that good [...]

Emma Roddick MSP SNP MSP Emma Roddick has welcomed new figures showing that low income households in the Highlands and Islands have been supported by £9,415,350 in financial support from the Scottish Government. Households in the Highlands and Islands have received £4,455,980 from Low Income Pandemic Payments and £4,959,370 from Bridging Payments that support families [...]

SNP MSP Emma Roddick raised in Parliament last week the high transmission charges faced by renewable energy developers in Scotland compared to other areas in the UK, where their equivalents are paid to join, questioning the Government on whether this could harm the SNP’s goal of supporting at least three of Scotland’s islands to become [...]

Highlands and Islands MSP Emma Roddick has expressed her delight in regards to vital funding support that will be available in next year’s Scottish Budget, including the Welfare Fund and the Discretionary Housing Payment. This is a part of the 2022-2023 Scottish Government Annual Budget announcement and includes ambitious plans to be implemented to make [...]

Speaking in a parliamentary debate on addressing issues with take-up of social security benefits, Emma Roddick MSP highlighted the work of a number of organisations across the Highlands and Islands that are working to end food poverty and noted the importance of person-centred, humane approaches in the Scottish Government’s benefit take-up strategy. Roddick said: “As [...]

Speaking in the Scottish Parliament last week, Emma Roddick MSP highlighted the work of third sector organisations in providing support to vulnerable people across the Highlands and Islands over the course of the pandemic. Noting in particular the efforts of the Highland Third Sector Interface (HTSI) in supporting charities across the region and signposting people [...]

https://twitter.com/Emma_Roddick/status/1458466941014790148?s=20 Highlands and Islands MSP Emma Roddick has pressed Tom Arthur, Minister for Public Finance, Planning and Community Wealth, for clarifications regarding supporting suitable renewable energy developments which will ensure the case for an interconnector for Orkney. Ofgem’s approval for a new cable is reliant on at least 135 MW of new energy generation projects [...]

SNP MSP Emma Roddick today slammed the UK Government budget, criticising it as “an act of class warfare on the side of the rich.” The budget, described by the head of the Institute for Fiscal Studies as “actually awful” for living standards, was panned by the Highlands and Islands MSP, citing its failures to tackle [...]

Emma Roddick spent Tuesday the 19th of October visiting 6 different community groups in the Inverness area who all share a keen focus on food poverty, support, and helping others. These groups were: Food for Families, Café 1668, Crown & City Community Cupboard, Inverness Food Stuff, GoodNESS Community Fridge, and Incredible Edible Inverness. Speaking following [...]