Foysol Choudhury MBE

@foysolchoudhury.bsky.social

Former Member of the Scottish Parliament | Former Shadow Minister for Culture, Europe & International Development.| Equality Campaigner | Dad | Edinburgh | Scotland 🌎 www.foysolchoudhury.co.uk

Equality, inclusion and respect must be at the heart of Scotland’s education system. I’m pleased to share my latest opinion piece in the Edinburgh Evening News, exploring why listening to students and teachers is essential if we are to tackle racism and create schools where everyone belongs.

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Really good to see community organisations delivering such meaningful events for our communities. Delighted to attend “Climate Conversations: Through Our Family Lens” by Networking Key Services. Excellent performances with a powerful message on climate awareness and responsible waste management.

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I was delighted to speak with the team of Optometry Scotland's at their exhibition on the Scottish Parliament. Around 1 in 30 people in Scotland are living with significant sight loss, and over half of these cases are preventable or treatable.

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Honoured to attend the Turkish–Scottish Chamber of Commerce Ramadan Iftar Dinner in Edinburgh. It was a pleasure to meet the new Consul General of Türkiye, Ambassador Hakan Kıvanç, and to join friends and colleagues in celebrating the spirit of unity and solidarity during the holy month of Ramadan.

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This Young Carers Action Day, I’m proud to stand with young carers at the Scottish Parliament, recognising the incredible young people who help care for family members while still growing up themselves. Their dedication deserves recognition and the support they need.

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At #PQ today I asked the Cabinet Secretary what assessment the Scottish Government has made of the impact that reductions in social care packages may have on unpaid carers, following warnings from Carers UK that the current budget is insufficient to support carers and services to thrive.

Last week, I spoke with trainers and trainees at the Elgin Conservation Centre about the specialist heritage skills they are developing - from traditional masonry to conservation craftsmanship - and saw how this work is helping to safeguard Scotland’s historic environment for future generations.

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At Historic Environment Scotland’s event, we discussed the urgent need to retrofit buildings to cut emissions and reach net zero. Greater investment in training is essential to close the skills gap and help our historic buildings adapt to climate change.

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Huge congratulations to the four Edinburgh and Midlothian libraries shortlisted for Library of the Year at the British Book Awards! 📚 A brilliant recognition of the hard work of staff and volunteers who make our libraries such vital community spaces. Wishing you all the very best in the finals! 🤞

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This week I had the pleasure of visiting Spartans Community Foundation in North Edinburgh ⚽️ Each week they support around 2500 people through youth work, education, physical health and community programmes - reinvesting profits locally and building something sustainable for the long term.

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