Karen Adam
Scottish National Party · Scotland
“That is the question that I come back to: who is this growth for? When I think about economic growth in Banffshire and Buchan Coast, I do not think first about a graph or a statistic; I think about the young folk in Buckie who wonder whether there will be a good job for them if they stay in their home town.”
“In my constituency, I see that potential everywhere. Fraserburgh harbour has a master plan that looks to future proof one of Scotland’s key fishing ports. Peterhead port, with links to fishing, energy and trade, is already a massive asset for Scotland.”
“I welcome the cabinet secretary to his new post. It is great to see him in the Parliament. When we talk about the economy, it can sometimes feel like we are talking about something that is quite abstract—something that is separate from people’s everyday lives.”
“It affects access to education, work, freight, business confidence and how quickly and cleanly produce from one of Europe’s most important fishing ports can reach the market.”
“Karen Adam: I thank the member for that intervention because it gives me the opportunity to say that I have already opened conversations and will discuss what next steps the campaign is asking for.”
“The range of amendments before us shows exactly why Scotland needs these powers to be in Scotland’s hands. While other parties pull the debate towards delay, denial, dependence or unrealistic simplicity, my constituents need a serious Scottish plan that is rooted in jobs, bills, climate responsibility and, importantly, a community benefit…”
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“However, while Scotland pushes forward, Labour and the Tories would throw billions at nuclear, despite it being slow, expensive and out of reach for ordinary folk. Their track record speaks for itself—for example, Hinkley Point, which has been mentioned, is billions over budget, years behind schedule and still nowhere near delivering energy. Meanwhile, Scotland’s renewables are already cutting costs and creating jobs. Why would we choose outdated, overpriced and unreliable technology over a proven home- grown industry? Scotland is leading not only in clean energy but in showing the world what a fair and inclusive transition looks like, yet, last week, the Conservatives voted against the Scottish Government’s budget, which included £237 million for ports and harbours. That is unacceptable.”
“If we back Fraserburgh properly, it can become a major hub for offshore wind, thereby strengthening supply chains, securing long-term prosperity and creating the jobs that are needed for our local communities. We need to remember what a just transition means. It is about not just energy but people; it is about valuing the industries and expertise that we already have and making sure that they have a future in a low-carbon Scotland. That means listening to our fishers and investing in our ports. For example, we have an incredible opportunity to be a hub for manufacturing. By linking with local colleges and schools to support the supply chain with a labour force, we can ensure that renewables create jobs and prosperity in the communities that need those things most.”
“That is the real-world impact of renewables. However, opportunity does not come without challenge. Higher transmission charges in Scotland make it more expensive than anywhere else in the UK for our offshore wind developers to connect to the grid. Those additional costs could slow our investment. That is unacceptable. To unlock the full potential of offshore wind, we need to have a fairer system that does not penalise Scotland for leading the way. Another key issue is harbour and port capacity building. That is why Fraserburgh harbour and other ports across my constituency are critical to the conversation. Fraserburgh has big ambitions. I regularly meet Pamela Neri and her team, and I champion the harbour’s master plan with every chance that I get.”
“If we are serious about a just transition, we must engage early, listen properly and respect the generations of expertise, rather than bringing them in as an afterthought when the plans are signed off. The industry puts low-carbon, high-protein diets on our plates, and that matters. One company that shows how that can be done well is Ocean Winds. I have met its team regularly—I did so most recently at an event that I hosted here in the Parliament. With its Moray east and Moray west developments, it is set to become the largest offshore wind operator in the country. Its Moray west operations and maintenance base in Buckie is proof of what real investment in renewables can do. A few short years ago, Buckie harbour looked different from how it looks now. It is bringing in new businesses, new jobs and new opportunities.”
“We cannot afford to waste any more time looking backwards. As we move forward with offshore wind, we must also stand with the people whose lives and livelihoods revolve around Scotland’s seas. That is why I established the cross-party group on fisheries and coastal communities. Fishers deserve a seat at the table, too. I thank the cabinet secretary, Gillian Martin, for attending one of our cross-party meetings. It was greatly appreciated. The fishers do not just work the sea; they know it, and their knowledge of the waters, ecosystems and realities of the industry must not be ignored. Offshore wind and other developments must be done with them and not to them.”
“Will Karen Adam go and meet community groups— there are many in her constituency—who have real concerns about pylons, substations and batteries? Karen Adam: I meet community groups regularly. If anyone emails me asking for a meeting, I will meet them. However, Alasdair Allan clearly set out earlier that ministers are not permitted to meet those community groups. It is not allowed. I do not want his words to be twisted. Our focus should be on our renewables and not on nuclear, which is slow, costly and, ultimately, a bad deal for Scotland. The UK Government’s nuclear projects are billions over budget and years behind schedule, and, ultimately, taxpayers are forced to foot that bill. Meanwhile, Scotland’s renewables are delivering right now, providing clean energy, cutting costs and creating jobs.”
“Scotland’s energy future is in renewables, and nowhere is that clearer than in my constituency of Banffshire and Buchan Coast. My communities have powered Scotland for generations through fishing and energy and, now, the opportunities that they have with a just transition. However, as with all industries, that transition must not be something that is done to the people—it must be done with them. We have everything that we need right here— wind, water and a skilled workforce. If we get this right, we will not just keep the lights on but build a sustainable future in which our communities benefit from real investment and lasting opportunities. Douglas Lumsden: We have heard that ministers refuse to meet community groups.”
“A thriving fishing sector depends on having a strong processing sector; a strong processing sector depends on having reliable access to markets; and all of that depends on investment in our ports, workforce and marine space. Those challenges are significant, but so are the opportunities if we all work together in a holistic approach. 17:58”
“If we want Scotland’s seafood industry to compete internationally, we could also consider having a Scottish seafood export strategy that focuses on streamlining customs processes, reducing export delays and expanding markets beyond the EU. For example, Scottish seafood trade missions could open up opportunities in Asia, North America and beyond. If there is one thing that must come from the debate, it is the recognition that Scotland’s fishing sector cannot be considered in isolation. We need a whole-industry approach. All aspects of the supply chain—catching, processing and exporting—must be considered together if we are to secure the industry’s future.”
“The Scottish Government has consistently called for a visa scheme that works for seafood processors, but we cannot afford to wait for Westminster to listen. I would welcome the establishment of a Scottish seafood labour task force to bring together processors, Government and industry leaders to push the issue forward. We must also explore new recruitment strategies, including direct partnership schemes with key non-European Union markets, such as the ones that we already have for seasonal agricultural workers. Where possible, we should invest in skills training and automation to ensure that the industry remains resilient.”
“If we want Scotland’s seafood industry to succeed, we need investment in the entire supply chain, and that means ensuring that our harbours and processing facilities have the infrastructure to support that growth. I welcome the investment in our harbours that the Scottish Government recently announced, and also the discussions on establishing a ring-fenced fisheries infrastructure fund, similar to those in countries such as Norway and Iceland, to ensure that our ports remain competitive in a global market. In my constituency, seafood processing is a major employer, but Brexit has made it harder than ever for businesses to recruit the workers that they need. Many previously relied on skilled migrant workers, and the current crisis threatens not only our processing jobs but the entire seafood supply chain.”
“One of the biggest concerns raised by our fishing communities is the spatial squeeze caused by offshore wind developments, subsea cables and conservation measures, although representatives of the fishing industry have told me that they understand the need for an energy transition—they see the effects of climate change in our changing seas. I therefore proposed the creation of the cross-party group on fisheries and coastal communities to bring together fisheries and offshore renewables businesses and to have a space in which to have open discussions of the issues outwith formal negotiations. Offshore developers and the fishing industry must be able to co-exist. That means creating a formal framework in which fishers are involved from the start, and not just as a tick-box exercise.”
“I thank my colleague Beatrice Wishart for securing the debate. I am the convener of the Parliament’s cross-party group on fisheries and coastal communities. Ms Wishart is my deputy convener, and I know that she is really committed to the subject. It is absolutely right that we take the time to discuss our fishing sector—not just the challenges that it faces, but the solutions that we can all work towards. In 2022 alone, fishing contributed £335 million to Scotland’s economy, with my Banffshire and Buchan Coast constituency leading the way. Peterhead remains the UK’s largest fishing port by landed weight and value, while Fraserburgh plays a critical role in both catching and processing. Buckie and many other smaller ports support local businesses and jobs that depend on a thriving seafood sector.”
“Any failure to do so not only risks harming the most vulnerable, but opens up the potential for legal challenges. Ignoring equality is unjust, but it is also unlawful. Stand up for your communities, and please save our libraries. The Deputy Presiding Officer: The last couple of speeches have come in over the time limit. If that continues, those who speak later in the debate will not get the full allocation. I call Paul Sweeney, who has up to four minutes, to be followed by Maggie Chapman. 17:53”
“The Scottish Government has a steadfast commitment to culture and communities. Despite Westminster austerity, it has delivered a record £34 million to boost the culture budget this year as part of a £100 million pledge by 2028-29. Local authorities will receive an extra £5 billion, and an extra £144 million was announced just yesterday to cover United Kingdom Government-imposed national insurance costs that threaten public services. Ultimately, this is an equalities issue. Under the Equality Act 2010, the public sector equality duty compels local authorities to consider how their decisions impact people with protected characteristics such as disability, age and gender. Many of those people are library users who will be impacted negatively by closures. Councils must take that responsibility seriously.”
“I must point out that all the members of the public who attended that meeting were women, highlighting equality issues, which I will come on to later in my speech. I have also visited Macduff library, where I met a campaigner, and I saw at first hand the lifeline that those spaces provide. In a cost of living crisis, libraries offer free internet and help residents to navigate services. They also provide them with warm spaces and social interaction. I saw the children’s corner with sensory play and vital health signposting. Those services are indispensable to rural communities as costs soar. Closures will hit those who can least afford them, and children will lose reading clubs and after-school activities. Older residents, many of whom already face digital exclusion, will be cut off from resources and community connections.”
“To Richard Leonard, whose party is upholding that and adding more pressure with the national insurance tax on jobs, I say that Labour is constantly blaming the Scottish Government for those things, but the Scottish National Party Government is trying to resolve the issue. Local councillors set the priorities and make the decisions—they have the power. The libraries that are earmarked for closure in my constituency of Banffshire and Buchan Coast—Cullen, Macduff, Rosehearty and Cairnbulg, and more—are not just buildings but thriving community centres. SNP council groups in those councils have offered budgets that do not include the cuts to library services. I was privileged to meet save Cullen library campaigners and to host a public meeting to support them.”
“Their closures are not just a loss of service but a blow to the very heart of our communities. The closure of libraries in Scotland, particularly in rural areas such as Aberdeenshire and Moray, is a direct result of short-sighted, cost-cutting councils and it disregards the essential role that libraries play in supporting children, older residents and those who lack digital access. I do not doubt that councils are struggling financially. We know that times are really tough. However, what does Tim Eagle think that 14 years of Tory austerity have done to our public services?”
“I congratulate Mark Ruskell on securing the debate—it is extremely important, and I am delighted to speak in it, as it allows me to put on record my profound gratitude to the campaigners who are fighting against library closures by Aberdeenshire Council and Moray Council. I have had the pleasure of working with them, and I know that one of them, Kate Johnstone, is in the gallery this evening. She has been a real force in the fight to save Cullen library, and she knows and understands how important libraries are. There is an apt quote by Professor R David Lankes: “Bad libraries build collections, good libraries build services, great libraries build communities.” It is with and for those communities that I speak today. They understand, as I do, that libraries are vital hubs that provide far more than books.”
“Any man-made injustice can be unmade. That is what we should be dedicating ourselves to this afternoon. 16:32”
“It is clear from the debate that we all have a huge appreciation for the school staff who go above and beyond every day to ensure that children who are living in poverty are supported, and to ensure that they do whatever they can to mitigate or, if possible, to eradicate that. However, they should not need to do that. As I said earlier, poverty is man made, and it can be unmade. We should have more debates in the chamber in which we are honest about the causes of child poverty in Scotland, including about decisions such as those that Karen Adam highlighted, that were made by the previous UK Government, particularly about welfare. We can end child poverty in Scotland, and not just with the powers of the Scottish Parliament and the Government. It would involve co-operation between the Scottish and UK Governments.”
“Other ideas include placing family-income advisers in schools. That idea has been massively successful in general practice surgeries in Glasgow and in the NHS Lothian area .We know that there is a huge amount of money in uncollected entitlements: there is support that families are entitled to but are not aware of or cannot, for whatever reason, access. For many families, schools are the only part of the state that they view as safe spaces, because they are places where they can go to interact with people whom they trust. Building wraparound support as part of a school has proved to be incredibly successful in areas that have trialled it. I would certainly like there to be much more of that approach.”
“I remember that during the previous parliamentary session the Education and Skills Committee took evidence from people who highlighted that that was having a much worse impact in wealthier areas. Families who were not wealthy in such communities were finding that those days were causing challenges for them that many others in the school community did not face. Those events simply drew attention to their children and put a spotlight on the fact that they came from lower-income families. There were easy solutions: non-uniform days did not have to be banned, but the charitable donation that usually went alongside them could be made not mandatory. Certainly, children should not be in the position of being sent home because they are unable to make a charitable donation, but have turned up in non-uniform clothes anyway.”
“I am glad that the cabinet secretary has said in the debate that we can move forward with further discussions to put the guidance on a statutory footing, which I think is necessary. There is much more that we can do to poverty proof our schools. As I said earlier, and as a number of colleagues have said, we cannot solve the scourge of child poverty in our schools, but we certainly should not be making it any worse. There are many examples, big and small, of how to do that. Some things have been mentioned in Parliament before, including non-uniform days that have mandatory charitable donations alongside them, which were causing some families a huge amount of distress.”
“There is one particular line that I wrote pretty much at the start the process and which survived umpteen redrafts and was at the core of what we were trying to achieve—certainly, from the Greens’ perspective. It says that a school, in setting its uniform policy, should set a policy whereby it is possible for a child and their family to get every item of the uniform that the school says they need for the year, and a reasonable number of spares, for no more than the amount that their local council gives in a school uniform grant. As the cabinet secretary said, that is already having a huge impact for families across the country. I urge any council that has not yet adopted the guidance as being, in effect, mandatory to do so.”
“That was a result of school uniform policies that specified only one provider, so a family could not shop around for the cheapest product, and included needlessly specific requirements—for example, on braid on blazers and very specific physical education kit. There were also gender rules—the classic example was schools that said that girls had to wear skirts and boys had to wear trousers, when the skirt that the school had decided on was more expensive than the trousers. There was an easy solution to that, which was to create the guidance document that effectively caps the cost of school uniforms. That document was published last year, and I am really proud of it.”
“We should not stop until every child in Scotland has the future that they deserve. The Deputy Presiding Officer: We move to closing speeches. 16:27 Ross Greer: In opening, the cabinet secretary talked about the work that she and I did together over 2023 and 2024 on school uniform policy. I am really proud of that work. It relates to the point that Monica Lennon made in an intervention—that it is important to keep the school clothing grant in line with inflation. Over recent years, we have faced constant demands to increase the clothing grant beyond inflation. However, we realised from our work that that was not helping families so much as it was continuing to line the pockets of school uniform providers, which had managed to create little monopolies for themselves across the country.”
“It highlights children who are skipping meals so that younger siblings can eat, and parents who are unable to afford uniforms. We must also acknowledge the real financial commitment that the Government is making through investing around £3 billion per year in its mission to eradicate child poverty, address the cost of living crisis and break the cycle of poverty. That funding supports measures— The Deputy Presiding Officer: Ms Adam, can you bring your remarks to a close, please? You are over your time. Karen Adam: I apologise—I am going over my time. I am very impassioned by the subject, Deputy Presiding Officer. In conclusion, I simply say to Opposition members that we have a moral duty to act, and if they truly care about the attainment gap, they must care about poverty first.”
“Our social security system recognises that reality and provides direct financial support, and people who receive that support should not be stigmatised for it. There are those who say that benefits are a waste of money, or insinuate that people take advantage of the system. However, we should be clear that the real waste is the cost of inaction. Studies show that childhood poverty impacts on brain development, academic achievement and future earnings. The longer a child is trapped in poverty, the harder it becomes for them to escape it. Investment in poverty reduction is an investment in education, in health and in future prosperity. Barnardo’s Scotland is working with hundreds of schools and has documented the real impact of poverty on participation in education.”
“The Joseph Rowntree Foundation projects that child poverty will decline in Scotland while rising in the rest of the UK. The Scottish child payment has, as we have heard, been called “game- changing”, and that is for a reason—because it is. In the budget, we are investing in education as a tool not just for learning, but for liberation from poverty, by expanding free school meals, increasing the school clothing grant and investing in bright start breakfasts. Those are not just numbers on a spreadsheet—they are policies that change lives for young carers and for children who are already, before they even get to school, having to administer medication to siblings or to provide emotional support to struggling parents.”
“We have to work together on this, but Opposition members have to stop coming to the Scottish Government and asking it to sort out the mess that both the Labour and Tory parties have made at Westminster. I am asking those members to join the dots. We also have to look beyond the symptoms of what we hear about bad behaviour in our schools and pay attention to the causes. We must be careful and sensitive in how we have that debate. We do not want to stigmatise children with additional support needs, nor do we want to stigmatise teachers and make the public think that teachers are not coping in their jobs. There are sensitivities around behaviour in schools, and it is important that the issue is not used as a political weapon.”
“We need to ensure that we eradicate judgment, and the shame and stigma that are associated with it. That is why tackling child poverty must be interwoven with every relevant Scottish Government policy. I commend the action that the Scottish Government is taking to mitigate the damaging policies that are being imposed by Westminster. I am frustrated by the cognitive dissonance that I see from other parties over and over again. Do Opposition members think that 14 years of Tory austerity has improved our education system? No, it has not. Austerity was imposed by the Tories and is now backed by Labour, which has also imposed national insurance hikes. What do members think that will do to our education system?”
“A decent mattress to sleep on in a room of your own, or having a space for privacy, can seem like luxury to many children. Education alone cannot lift a child out of poverty when they are trapped in a cycle of deprivation. For a child who is cold, hungry or struggling with the weight of any family hardship, focusing on learning can feel absolutely impossible. How can children concentrate when they have not eaten since the previous day? I have spoken with families who often feel judged because their child has a phone at school and it is known that they get support. People ask, “Why do they have a mobile phone?” It might be their only connection to a parent who works night shift or their only means of accessing vital services. Poverty is not just about income—it is about dignity and choices that people do not have the luxury to make.”
“Before I became a member of the Scottish Parliament, I was a councillor on Aberdeenshire Council and sat on the education and children’s services committee. In that role, as in this role, I would often hear the words “attainment gap” being wielded as a political weapon, but an important part of the phrase was left out—the crucial part. The first part of “poverty-related attainment gap” would be omitted, so I am glad that we are focusing on that part today. Poverty is not just a statistic—it is a lived experience. It is gnawing hunger. It is the humiliation of not having clean clothes or of having to wear ill-fitting clothes. It is the shame of missing out on school trips. It is the anxiety of knowing that you might not go home to a warm meal that evening.”
“By empowering local authorities in that way, we can help to deliver improvements that strengthen communities and enrich the visitor experience. We recognise the importance of engaging with businesses at a local level to ensure that the levy delivers on those aspirations.”
“Raising revenue through a visitor levy has the potential to be transformative, particularly in high-traffic tourist destinations, and placing the powers in the hands of local authorities ensures that no region is disadvantaged in a one-size-fits- all approach. Will the minister say more about how the decision to empower local government could benefit communities and businesses across Scotland? The Deputy Presiding Officer: As briefly as possible, minister. Ivan McKee: A visitor levy can help to support Scotland as a tourist destination. It gives councils the opportunity to invest funds in visitor-related facilities, expanding and enhancing the appeal of their local areas. It can provide support for local infrastructure and the maintenance of public spaces and deliver benefits for residents and visitors.”
“Looking ahead, as I touched on earlier, our focus next year will be on the third principle of human rights budgeting, which is accountability. We will then aim to have a review of our session- long focus on human rights budgeting, during which we anticipate taking a look back at progress towards the Scottish Government’s commitments to move towards a human rights budget. The Deputy Presiding Officer: I call Edward Mountain, on behalf of the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee. Mr Mountain, you have around six minutes. 15:48”
“Our predecessor committees have encouraged more mainstreaming of equalities and human rights throughout the scrutiny of the budget by all the Parliament’s committees. We reiterate the point today and will continue to do so. That was driven home to us through our work with the whole family equality project, which gave us the added impetus that it would improve cross-portfolio working. There are opportunities to be creative and innovative. For example, there are opportunities for joint committee working to ensure that the fullest scrutiny is applied. We can make recommendations to the Scottish Government or we can ask what it is going to do, but there is nothing to stop us coming up with solutions, especially if we work in partnership with real people in citizens panels.”
“Alison Hosie of the Scottish Human Rights Commission addressed the issue of policy coherence in her oral evidence. She welcomed significant improvements in the equality and fairer Scotland budget statement and said that a lot of work had been done to make it more coherent with policy decisions. However, she told us that there remains an issue with the EFSBS being published at the same time as the budget, as that does not support the public in knowing what discussions have happened and what has fed into decision making. She suggested that capacity building is needed across all policy areas to ensure that all departments in the Government are consistently practising human rights-based approaches.”
“Throughout our work in several areas, the issue of rurality as an additional barrier to equality has been raised with us, and we will look to do further work and investigation in that regard. We look forward to welcoming the Minister for Equalities to the committee next month, when we will explore further how work on areas that are identified for improvement is progressing. One such area is policy coherence. In evidence, stakeholders highlighted that the national performance framework’s effectiveness could be undermined by a lack of coherence with other initiatives, particularly the equally safe strategy. For example, greater integration of primary prevention of violence against women and girls across relevant outcomes, such as those on communities and education, was seen as essential.”
“Several areas of interest and relevance to the committee came out of responses to the Finance and Public Administration Committee’s call for views on the proposed revisions to national outcomes. Those included gender equality as a link to gender budgeting and understanding the impact of spending decisions on women and girls; the importance of continued monitoring and data collection to track trends in inequalities; challenges in defining and measuring inequality, which can impact the evaluation of any budget decision aimed at tackling inequality; and efforts focused towards reducing specific inequalities, including in rural healthcare and housing policy.”
“That allowed citizens the opportunity to express to us and the Government the areas that they felt should be prioritised and how they could feed into the process to help them to understand the rationale behind spending decisions. We hoped to expand on that approach for the 2025-26 scrutiny process through an equalities mainstreaming workshop involving stakeholders, a citizens group and representatives from the Scottish Government. However, due to the UK election, the programme for government timetable and the changes that have taken place, we have reconsidered our timetable for that work, although we hope to return to it this year. I referred to the role of national outcomes in supporting transparent and data-driven decision making and mainstreaming equalities across portfolios.”
“We were particularly interested in transparency in the context of human rights budgeting and the role of national outcomes in supporting transparent and data-driven decision making and mainstreaming equalities across portfolios. Alongside that, we explored the Scottish Government’s progress in implementing the recommendations that the equality and human rights budget advisory group made in 2021. The minister will recall that the committee adopted that approach for our 2024-25 pre-budget scrutiny during her time as convener. We worked with the whole family equality project, which is supported by the Capital City Partnership, to learn how people view and understand the budget process and how it impacts their lives.”
“I am happy to contribute to the debate as convener of the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee. I take this opportunity to remind members of the three principles of human rights budgeting, which are participation, transparency and accountability. As members may recall, our 2024-25 pre-budget scrutiny saw us set out a three-year plan to look at each of those principles in turn. We started with participation in 2024-25, under the convenership of our now Minister for Equalities. For our 2026-27 pre-budget scrutiny, we will look at the principle of accountability. This year, however, we focused our work on the principle of transparency.”
“To ask the Scottish Government whether feasibility studies and development expenditure for ports and harbours will be eligible for funding as part of the investment in maintaining and improving ports and harbours that is proposed in its draft budget 2025-26. (S6O-04270)”
“That has not been helped, however, by the fact that the SNP has been incredibly vague in articulating its vision for the future of Scottish agriculture, and in passing a bill—”
“Without the bureaucratic chains of Brussels, we can create an approach for our diverse group of agricultural industries that helps to deliver on our climate goals and to deliver food security for our country. Rather than returning to the one-size-fits-all approach of the common agricultural policy, we can ensure that we have a system that rewards farmers for their hard work and daily sacrifices, and supports the local environment. The transition has not been easy; I readily acknowledge that. Scottish farming and crofting spent more than 40 years effectively being governed by the common agricultural policy, and leaving that was always going to lead to a few difficulties.”
“Does the member accept, when he talks about the fishing industry, that there are many sectors in that industry, and that the fish processing sector is suffering considerably as a result of Brexit, in respect of not just red tape but labour? The Deputy Presiding Officer: I can give you the time back, Mr Eagle. Tim Eagle: I met with Jimmy Buchan from the fish processing sector quite recently, and Karen Adam is right that it has some recruitment challenges, but I say to the SNP that the answer is not to take us back into the common fisheries policy, which would destroy the Scottish fishing sector in total. Since we left the EU, the Scottish Government has benefited from the opportunity to design a uniquely Scottish system of agricultural support and policy.”
“Libraries are more than places to borrow books from; they are hubs of community activity offering internet access, educational resources and a sense of belonging for those who might otherwise feel lonely. I recently visited Macduff library, and I have been chatting to constituents who are campaigning against library closures.”
“Public services are not only nice-to-haves; for many people, they are lifelines, especially in rural constituencies such as mine. The Scottish Government’s draft budget for 2025-26 demonstrates a deep commitment to those lifelines, with £21.7 billion allocated to health and social care and more than £15 billion for local authorities. The motion ensures fairness and sustainability for Scotland’s communities, especially in the north-east, where public services are often the glue holding us together. Across Aberdeenshire, Moray and rural areas more broadly, public services face unique challenges, and long distances to essential services are a daily reality. I have worked with local campaign groups in Banffshire and Buchan Coast that oppose library closures.”