From family run shops to independent cafés and hairdressers, these businesses don’t just provide goods and services - they create jobs, support communities and keep our high streets vibrant.

Watch below as I celebrate Small Business Saturday 👇

•Tackling fraud and evasion on the High Street, so the best small businesses are able to thrive

In the New Year, I hope to do a series of roundtables on the importance of our high streets. Keep your 👀 peeled for further information.

#SmallBizSatUK #ShopLocal

•Investing directly in small businesses – through the largest ever investment in the British Business Bank, totalling over £25bn

•Expanding funding for apprenticeships in SMEs, helping create good jobs and giving SMEs the skills they need

Across the country, small businesses employ 16.7 million people, make up 60% of our workforce & add £2.4 trillion to the UK economy. When small businesses do well, we create good jobs and get our economy growing.

The Labour Government is taking steps to further support small businesses:

I’ve been out in the constituency meeting with a range of small businesses out of the 2390 small businesses across Bathgate & Linlithgow, including my hairdresser Charlene who I’ve been with for almost 20 years!

A huge thank you to everyone at Royal Mail for the dedication and effort at Christmas and all year round💌📦

The team are working tirelessly to handle hundreds of parcels every day, ensuring gifts and greetings reach loved ones on time. Their dedication and hard work truly keep the festive spirit alive!

You can read more about Small Business Saturday here👉 smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com

yet the current system is leaving people at risk of long-term harm.

I will continue to call for better use of available funding and improved access to these vital services so that everyone in Scotland can benefit from timely care.

This means too many people are waiting far too long for basic checks and medical intervention.

The consequences of neglecting eye and ear health are significant, in particular, hearing loss is linked to social isolation and cognitive decline. Early detection and treatment are essential

In Scotland, however, there are serious concerns about the provision of NHS funded audiology services. Despite record funding being allocated by the UK Government, the Scottish Government is failing to use these resources effectively.

Clinicians were on hand to provide eye and ear health checks—simple interventions that can make a huge difference to people’s lives. I also learned more about how Specsavers delivers thousands of these checks every single day across the UK, helping to prevent avoidable sight and hearing loss.

The online world of pornography is increasingly dangerous, fuelling real life violence for women and girls. Legislation for online pornography must keep pace with offline safeguards.

•I welcomed the extra £820M for public services in Scotland, taking the funding provided since July 2024 to over £10B

•I called out the Scottish Government's savage cuts to councils, with £184M lost from our communities in West Lothian