Hansard

As a long-term advocate for Gypsy Travellers, I am delighted that such an important debate is taking place. In opening for Scottish Labour, I thank the Scottish Government for lodging the motion and confirm that we will support it at decision time.

The motion allows us to address the array of issues that impact on the daily lives of Scotland’s Gypsy Traveller community. That community is among the most marginalised communities in Scotland, and it is vital that we listen and give a voice to its issues and concerns, whether the Gypsy Travellers are living or travelling in Scotland or come from other countries for periods of time. Scottish Labour welcomes the Scottish Government’s commitment to addressing the long-standing discrimination and social and economic inequalities that the Gypsy Traveller community faces.

I have been a member of the Equalities and Human Rights Committee in this parliamentary session and the Equal Opportunities Committee in the previous parliamentary session, and I know that the Minister for Older People and Equalities is sincere in her commitment to resolving the many issues that will be discussed today. I hope that, through the establishment of the ministerial working group and the continued ambition of its aims, we will see real and lasting change that will deliver on the ambition of improving the lives of Gypsy Travellers.

It can be said that Gypsy Travellers’ needs are overlooked in discussing access to education, health and housing. That theme has come from the voices of Gypsy Travellers on the working group and in general.

I welcome the joint action plan for 2019-21 and the funding pledge of £3 million. A lot of admirable and achievable actions are contained in the plan, and I will come back to them when I close for Scottish Labour at the end of the debate.

I have said on numerous occasions that the discrimination against the Gypsy Traveller community appears to be the last acceptable form of racism, and the minister made that point in her opening comments. That discrimination comes in all manners, it is driven by prejudice and a lack of understanding, and it is perpetrated by some elected politicians and the media. That should shame each and every one of us, as elected representatives who sit in the Scottish Parliament.

It is our collective responsibility, working with colleagues in local government, to take leadership and set an example to the wider population that racism in all its forms is not to be tolerated. The public are more aware than ever before of the discrimination against and harassment of members of the black and minority ethnic community and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, but there is still underlying racism and discrimination against the Gypsy Traveller community. That is witnessed in the results of the previous social attitudes survey, which Annie Wells mentioned in her opening remarks. Despite some progress having been made between 2010 and 2016, there are still some shocking statistics in that survey. We need to do all that we can to tackle that discrimination and raise awareness of the issues that the Scottish Gypsy Traveller community faces.

That discrimination can be seen in all facets of life. The Gypsy Traveller community faces vast health inequalities and is at a disadvantage from the start of life, with higher rates of infant mortality, maternal death and stillbirth than the rest of society. Towards the end of life, Gypsy Travellers face a social care crisis that would unnerve anyone else, and Gypsy Travellers are more likely to have a limiting, long-term health problem or a disability. The incidence of mental health issues is also high among members of the community, particularly young Gypsy Travellers, which is not helped by the pressures of their being part of a community that is strongly rejected and demonised by the rest of society.

Our education system has long failed young Gypsy Travellers and has limited their opportunities in life and their acceptance in settled communities. Gypsy Traveller children have the lowest attainment rates, with less than half of them leaving school with more than one qualification. The main reason why Gypsy Traveller children do not complete secondary school is bullying and discrimination. That is saddening and unacceptable. We need an education system that is welcoming for all our children and that celebrates what their culture can bring to the classroom.

The traditional way of life for the Gypsy Traveller community is threatened daily due to discrimination by local government and local communities. On numerous occasions, they have been banned from their historical sites, with traditional stopping places blocked or barricaded, and have instead been forced to stay in car parks. The sites that are provided offer poor conditions, with no heating in the amenity blocks and limited or very poor accessibility.

The discrimination extends to representation in the media. A recent report found that 68 per cent of published articles about the community were negative. Words used in those articles included “illegal”, “crime”, “aggressive” and “disgusting”. Those are words of intolerance that are used to demonise other human beings and set them apart. When we do not speak out against that language but allow it to be used, we are complicit. It is our responsibility to eradicate that discrimination.

Despite the negativity that Gypsy Travellers face, theirs is a community with a rich and diverse cultural history in Scotland that stretches back for 1,000 years. Gypsy Travellers are part of the heterogeneous fabric of Scottish society. They are a diverse community that is made up of many distinct groups, each with different cultures and traditions. Some are settled, living in homes or on permanent sites; some travel in the summer months; others continue the nomadic tradition, travelling from site to site, continuing their traditions. As a community with distinctly oral histories, they pass their history down from generation to generation through all manner of art forms including storytelling, songs and ballads.

Gypsy Travellers have their own language, Cant. Although it is mostly shared only within the community, some of their words have become part of our collective language. Presiding Officer, the next time you are feeling peckish and use the word “scran”, remember that that word is borrowed from the Gypsy Traveller community.

The Scottish Gypsy Traveller community has some fantastic youth advocates, who are working to improve their communities and to promote their culture. I take this opportunity to praise the work of Davie and Charlotte Donaldson. Many people will know Davie Donaldson, who regularly promotes the life of his community and works to break down barriers and challenge discrimination. I also congratulate Charlotte on becoming an ambassador for one of Prince Charles’s youth charities. She is pushing for better representation of her community in Parliament. Perhaps she will speak in the chamber at some point in the future, advocating for her community from her real, lived experience.

Once again, I thank the Scottish Government for today’s debate. Prior to speaking again at the end of the debate, I look forward to hearing from members across the chamber in what, I am sure, will be a constructive and consensual debate.