Banffshire and Buchan Coast MSP highlights year of ‘putting people first’ during toughest of times
From helping some of the most vulnerable in society survive the cost of living crises to advancing human rights, 2024 has been a busy year and then some for MSP Karen Adam.
Reflecting on the year just gone, the Banffshire and Buchan Coast SNP parliamentarian said she and her team had been kept “incredibly busy” helping people facing all sorts of challenges.
Chief among them is the ongoing cost of living crisis, which saw her hold a number of winter resilience drop-in advice sessions across the constituency.
Ms Adam said: “The casework that we've been seeing coming into the office have been people who are struggling financially.
“We're seeing people that are struggling now that have maybe never had to look for outward help before.
“We're talking about working people. Sometimes we've got two people in a family, both working and really struggling to make ends meet and not knowing where to go for help, with heating costs in particular. So that's why we did these winter resilience events because I do have a lot of information at the office that I can signpost people to.
“It's just really important people know where they can go to get that kind of help because there is some help out there for folk. Some folk think that they're not entitled to anything, but it's not until they apply that they realise they maybe are.”
She went on to say that Pension Credit was one area where many people were not claiming money they were entitled to - plus missing out on other benefits which Pension Credit eligibility can open the door to - with “tens of thousands of pounds” left unclaimed in Banffshire and Buchan Coast alone.
Added to this were the extra costs associated with just about every aspect of living in rural areas, including food and fuel prices.
The decision by the new Labour UK government to restrict the Winter Fuel Payment to OAPs in receipt of Pension Credit as opposed to the universal payment previously made has added to an already straitened financial environment for many vulnerable people.
It was a move which Ms Adam said surprised her.
“I was really surprised; initially I thought they [Labour] would be coming in to help support those that have been struggling and feeling the brunt of the austerity measures for the last 15 years from the last Tory government.
“However, they've just come in and seem to have exacerbated it. Now we've got our farmers under pressure with this new family farm tax, and that really compounds the issue a bit more, particularly when you're in a rural constituency as well.”
As a passionate life-long campaigner for human rights, becoming convener of the Scottish Parliament’s Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee was a major high point at Holyrood for Ms Adam.
She continued: “I’ve been a life-long campaigner for equalities because of my own personal life, it’s been a passion so to be able to become the convener of that committee is just an absolute dream come true.
“To be able to be there when we've got some really important pieces of work to be inquiring upon is really exciting. We work well together as a committee, we do advance a lot of policy and a lot of law and I think that's where the real work gets done when it comes to parliament.
“For example, I've got on the agenda the LDAN [Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence] Bill. The fact that the LDAN Bill isn't coming forward until the next parliamentary session was a bit disappointing for people and myself, too as somebody who has personal experience with neurodivergence with my children.
“This is something that fills up my casework inbox as well, people feeling that their children with neurodivergent conditions, such as autism and ADHD, aren't having the best of times at school and in life in general.”
She went on to stress that equalities is something which is as vital and important at the grassroots levels as in the wide sweep of national policies. One example of this are proposals by Moray Council to close seven libraries in the region, including Cullen. Ms Adam stressed that this was not simply about a measure to ease the fiscal strain on the local authority, it was a move which would have an impact on access to, for example. services, especially for women.
“Helping support people with these equalities issues has been rewarding but it's still really frustrating to see that we are well behind where we should be in realising a lot of people's rights. It's been quite difficult, but it's nice to get those emails coming in and thanking you for the help and also for sticking up for certain parts of society as well.
“We've got a lot of LGBT people in Banffshire and Buchan Coast who feel that they maybe can't live as openly and freely as they'd like, but when they see somebody with a high profile in their constituency where they live, talking about these things, they feel a bit safer where they live and a bit more relaxed and empowered.
“Sometimes when you speak to people about human rights they think, oh, we're talking about areas where there's maybe wars or some dictatorships in countries and they don't actually understand how human rights translates into them and their everyday lives.”
Looking ahead to 2025, Ms Adam said she expected it to be at least as challenging - and rewarding - as the 12 months just passed.
She said: “First off getting that budget right was really important and I think that [First Minister] John Swinney and [Finance Secretary] Shona Robison worked really hard on it.
“I think prioritising public services was absolutely key to that. The majority of the cases that I get are in regards to local authority issues and public services, with healthcare as well being up there, so I think providing a budget that's going to support our NHS is vital.
“They've also pledged £1 billion extra into the local authority's budgets, which is just phenomenal. I really do hope when this budget passes next year that people recognise the work that's gone into this because this will really get to those areas that need that support the most.”
Eradicating child poverty was another major issue identified by the Banffshire and Buchan Coast MSP, part of which will see the SNP Scottish Government lifting the two child cap on Child Benefit imposed by the previous Tory Westminster administration and left in place by Labour when they took over the reins after July’s General Election.
Another priority for Ms Adam is rural proofing future policies so that they take into account the needs of rural communities and potential impacts on them from the very beginning.
Supporting the fishing and farming industries in her constituency would continue to loom large as ongoing priorities for her in 2025, alongside helping constituents in a wide variety of ways.
At the top of the list - always - was putting people first, both locally and at Holyrood.
She added: “I hope people feel that the SNP Scottish Government is one that is there to protect them and to support them, that’s something that's really key to them [the government].
“That's the difference between us and the UK government. I think that's going to be a priority moving forward as well into the 2026 elections is to ensure people know that [the Scottish Government] have prioritised people living and working in Scotland over and above everything else.”
