Growing up in Ross-shire, now living in Inverness, and representing the Highlands and Islands in the Scottish Parliament, this region is more than just my workplace; it’s my home.  And because of that, I care passionately about its future, and the future of the people who live here year-round - and I'm very familiar with [...]

Highlands and Islands MSP Emma Roddick has championed Inverness Rowing Club after experiencing the Caledonian Canal from a unique perspective during a recent visit. Ms Roddick celebrated the club's successful bid for Sportscotland funding and their strong commitment to ensuring accessibility for all members of the community by joining members in the canal. During her [...]

Emma stands on a pier in the Cromarty Firth, on the eve of the 2014 referendum. Without the independence referendum, there’s not a chance I’d be doing what I’m doing today.  I wasn’t taught that there was a place for me in politics, certainly not parliament.  I was a campaigner: I was a [...]

Scheme to allow young islanders to use the ferry for free expanded to 19 to 21-year-olds A scheme allowing young islanders to travel to the mainland for free has been expanded to include 19- and 21-year-olds. This comes after months of hard work from campaigners, such as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament and Roddick [...]

SNP MSP for the isles, Emma Roddick, has welcomed that Shetland Islands Council has been announced as one of the successful bidders for free school meal expansion. 17 local authorities applied to partner with the Scottish Government on the Test of Change phase of the Free School Meal programme, and Shetland was one of the [...]

SNP MSP Emma Roddick has lodged a formal motion in the Scottish Parliament recognising the work of Ann and Iain Mackintosh, who – in memory of their son, Calum – organised and fundraised for cardiac screenings to take place in Carrbridge. The Highlands and Islands MSP said: “I was so inspired by the work done [...]

SNP MSP Emma Roddick has secured a commitment from the Scottish Government to improve access to the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) for young people experiencing homelessness. EMA is a weekly payment issued directly to students and aims to support and encourage young people from low-income households to remain in education and achieve their full potential. [...]

MSP for the Highlands and Islands, Emma Roddick, has welcomed figures which reveal that 3,705 students in the Highlands benefited from free university tuition in 2023/24. The figures, which are the most up-to-date on record, demonstrate the positive difference that the flagship SNP policy of free tuition is making in the Highlands. Under Labour, students [...]

SNP MSP Emma Roddick has highlighted the value of young rural voices following engagement with the Rural Youth Action Network during its residential in Inverness over the weekend. The Highlands and Islands representative joined young people from rural areas across Scotland for a health walk around the River Ness on Saturday morning, later taking part [...]

SNP MSP Emma Roddick has claimed that the UK's exit from the EU has harmed the chances of young people in the region from being able to take up roles in the arts. Speaking in the Scottish Parliament last month, Emma said: "Scotland voted overwhelmingly to stay in the EU, but was dragged out by [...]