Michelle Thomson
Scottish National Party · Scotland
“We cannot lose sight of the human stories behind that—there has been not just uncertainty but financial worry and a loss of confidence in what should be their safest space: their home.”
“Even though section 104 orders are commonplace, like others, I remain unconvinced by the UK Government’s reasoning. It is a sober reminder that power devolved is power retained. I caution those who believe that, should the bill pass, the choice that they hope for will be immediately and seamlessly available.”
“Willie Rennie: I understand some of the changes that have been made, and I welcome some of the ones that have been introduced, but the issue is still incredibly sensitive. We do not yet have the investment that the changes are designed to bring. That is why acting carefully must be the first priority.”
“To that end, I thank the minister for the Government’s acceptance of my amendment 15. First-time buyers already face significant barriers, and it would have been unfair for the levy to have created further obstacles. I am grateful to colleagues and the minister for ensuring that fairness is at the centre of the legislation.”
“On the other side, we are reminded by philosophers such as Marcus Düwell that “in the concept of human dignity questions about the role of humanity, the rights of individuals, and the structure of our normative social and political orders are interconnected.” In essence, we confront a profound fault line between two fundamental considerat…”
“I will start my short remarks by popping in the intervention that I hoped to make on Willie Rennie. I hope that he will join me in my calls for an adjustment to the fiscal framework to remove the ridiculous limits on the Scottish Government’s capital borrowing powers, because that is a fundamental aspect of being able to improve our infra…”
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“The matter then went to officials who concluded, on 13 August, that there was likely a problem with the legislation. What on earth were they doing for the rest of June, the whole of July and half of August? If the issue is so big that it needs emergency legislation, surely Scottish Government officials should have been putting it up in lights straight away. We then find out that, when they decided that there was a problem—on 13 August—they took more than a week to tell ministers. They informed ministers on 21 August. Again, where was the urgency? If we are being told that this is such a crucial piece of legislation that it has to pass in hours and days, why did officials at the Scottish Government think that they had more than a week to tell their ministers about it?”
“The problem occurred in the first place because, during Covid, we had an expedited process for putting through legislation. That is why this mistake occurred—a mistake that could cost £350 million. Why not take a bit more time to get more legal advice and inform members more about what is behind the Government’s problem and how it is trying to sort it? We should not use another expedited process to pass legislation that could still end up in the courts and potentially cost us £350 million. There are some areas that I want to focus on, given that you have allowed me more time, Deputy Presiding Officer. In his intervention on the minister, Jeremy Balfour made a very good point. I have gone through the letter that I received from Graeme Dey today. I will go through the timetable. On 23 June, the Government was made aware of the problem.”
“Will the member give way? Douglas Ross: Can I get the time back for taking Michelle Thomson’s intervention, Presiding Officer? The Deputy Presiding Officer: I can give you the time back. Michelle Thomson: We should not confuse risk with probability. The minister is saying that, if we do nothing, we will have complete certainty that the money will be lost. Obviously, with legal advice, anything can be challenged. We need to separate those two points. With all due respect to Mr Ross, I ask what exact remedies he is bringing forward, given that we have this situation. We have a duty to act responsibly in this Parliament, and I am interested in hearing what remedies the Tories have. Douglas Ross: Here is a remedy: let us take a little bit longer over the legislation.”
“According to the Scottish household survey, 88 per cent of adults in Scotland are culturally engaged, either having attended or visited a cultural event or place or having participated in a cultural activity annually. Findings from the survey indicate that, in 2023, 47 per cent of adults agreed that culture and the arts made a positive difference to their life, and 51 per cent agreed that culture and the arts made a positive difference to their local community. Yet there is still comparatively little celebration of St Andrew’s day, which should be an opportunity to bring the entire Scottish community together in cultural celebration.”
“The year before becoming an MSP, I co- authored research into the Scottish business diaspora, with around 1,200 participants from 74 different countries taking part in the study. The results were very clear: there is a high regard for Scotland, from its cultural richness to its business acumen—for once, perhaps we can add its footballing prowess—but our diaspora were of the opinion that we could do much more to promote the richness of what Scotland has to offer and engage with them for both economic and cultural benefits. Before looking furth of Scotland, let me reflect on the importance of the culture sector for those living in Scotland.”
“I note the activities of the Scottish Government and its supporting partners, as were set out in a recent letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture to the cross-party group, as well as his planned visit to speak with us on 21 January 2026. I would like to hear more about what, specifically, is planned for this year. Compared with St Patrick’s day celebrations and the promotion of Ireland, for example, Scotland still lags behind in utilising the opportunity of St Andrew’s day. I see clear examples of cultural diplomacy encouraged by the Scottish Government, but it is not yet at the scale that we need. I anticipate that the problem is one of both funding and capacity, and of having to deliver through people, partners and organisations, but a well-thought-out strategy is essential.”
“Courage, faith, generosity and solidarity are also considered to be his values. The former member of the Scottish Parliament Dennis Canavan introduced his St Andrew’s Day Bank Holiday (Scotland) Bill in 2005, and it became law in January 2007. Dennis Canavan is a well-kent figure in Falkirk district and has used his legendary powers of persuasion to convince me to convene the cross-party group on St Andrew’s day. I acknowledge his contribution. We now have a recognised patron saint, a recognised patron saint day, a recognised symbol in the form of a saltire and a formal bank holiday. However, I feel that we still have more work to do to ensure that we use those values and our Scottish assets to their best advantage.”
“Since at least the ninth century AD, St Andrew has been revered in Scotland. His formal status was enshrined in an official act by the Scottish nation through the signing of the declaration of Arbroath in 1320. The document, which was written to the Pope, formally declared St Andrew as the patron saint, and he has remained so ever since. The date of 30 November is traditionally considered his day of execution, which was held to be on a saltire cross. Of course, Scotland is not the only nation whose patron saint is St Andrew. Other places, from Ukraine to Barbados, have also adopted him, and he is patron saint of many other groups, from fishermen to singers and farm workers, as well as many others. His values can be said to embrace humility—perhaps reflecting the fact that he was a fisherman before becoming a disciple.”
“The minister noted that AccelerateHER, sponsored by me, is in the Parliament this week. That organisation fundamentally aims to close the investment gap for women founders and help them to scale their businesses. However, if we do not collect the data, we cannot make a change. I urge the minister to consider that.”
“In that regard, I noted Willie Coffey’s comments on what is happening in his area. I sympathise a great deal with the comment from COSLA that we could run the risk of the bill becoming a “tick box exercise”. I echo the sentiment of members thus far that the bill has some way to go before it can have real impact. COSLA also made an excellent point about the culture change that is required to fully embed community wealth building. A change in culture is very complex and difficult to achieve. To be honest, I do not see a recognition of that in any of the Government statements thus far. Culture change is a bold change. Finally, I reiterate the need for disaggregated data collection for women-led businesses. I am disappointed that the Scottish Government is not doing more to mandate data collection in that regard.”
“The Scottish Government’s local investment guidance indicates interest in scaling up local projects but, without statutory guidance, we will see no movement, especially when we consider risk-return criteria, which are vital for those pension schemes. The use of credit unions for funding is still problematic and will continue to be, given their lack of experience and bandwidth. To be honest, I do not see that changing. The committee’s report sought further guidance on the role of local authority pension schemes, credit unions, community bonds, such as the current pilot by South Lanarkshire Council to match citizens’ investments and guarantee projects, and on share issues. I would add to that employee buy-outs. It would be useful to hear further reflection on how the minister might approach all those matters in his closing remarks.”
“Of course consideration has been given to the role of public sector bodies in directing funding, but the private sector—still a vital lifeline for access to finance—should also be considered. The traditional high street banks typically allocate a very small fraction of their lending to social enterprise, which means that they need to rely on specialist lenders or, more frequently, on their own retained earnings, grants and impact on investment. As the FSB noted, and as the minister knows, access to finance is still a critical issue, particularly for SMEs. Much more thinking also needs to be done about how local authority pension schemes might be used. As the minister knows, there are specific considerations on that in Scotland. For example, there is no specific pooling policy, as there is in England and Wales.”
“I, too, agree with the overall finding of the Economy and Fair Work Committee, which welcomes what the bill could do. However, that can be considered only a cautious welcome. Notwithstanding the reply from the minister a short while ago, there is considerable mileage between “could” and “will”, especially when one considers the finance pillar, so I will limit most of my comments to that. It is worth quoting the wording on what the finance pillar concerns. It is about “Ensuring that flows of investment and financial institutions work for local people, communities, and businesses.” On rereading the stage 1 report and the minister’s reply today, I thought that perhaps not enough consideration had been given to financial institutions.”
“They would be partnered by our enterprise agencies, health boards, colleges and regional transport partnerships—in other words, the relevant bodies that are identified in the bill. Among the many important recommendations in the committee’s stage 1 report was the call for clear guidance to help community wealth building partnerships to develop plans and implement actions in concert. I have replied to the convener of the Economy and Fair Work Committee with a detailed response to its report.”
“After the Government’s first statement on community wealth building, an updated statement would be required within the subsequent five-year period, with a progress report published after each five-year period. The statement and statutory guidance will assist local authority-led partnerships to produce their own community wealth building action plans. Should the bill pass, those plans must be produced within three years and they would be reviewed every five years. The bill has been informed by the desire to enable democratically elected local government to lead a process of active reform and improvement without creating an attendant complex bureaucracy. Local authorities would sit at the centre of a core partnership of relevant public sector anchor bodies.”
“I respect what Mr McKee is saying about setting those targets locally but, in his discussions with local authorities, is he also prepared to press them to disaggregate the data that they collect in order to show data about women-led businesses? That is an area of oversight, and we are still struggling to get data about the amount of capital that goes to women-led businesses. Ivan McKee: Ms Thomson raises a valuable point. AccelerateHER has been at the Parliament this week, highlighting the challenges that women- owned businesses face in securing funding. We will set out the guidelines for the data that local authorities should collect, and that will be a consideration as we work through the process.”
“To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the demand for neurodevelopmental assessments and treatment for children and adults, what its assessment is of the recommendations by the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland, such as its four-tiered service model for assessment and intervention. (S6O-05171)”
“With regard to impacts on the supply chain, we have focused our support for Alexander Dennis on how to ensure that it has an appropriate order book. Although there are various initiatives that we can support, such as furlough, the long-term future of the company and the knock-on benefits to the supply chain are contingent on a healthy order book. That remains the focus for the company.”
“Alexander Dennis has an important footprint across the entirety of Falkirk district, and I am grateful for the Scottish Government support. However, the wider supply chain is also at risk. The cabinet secretary correctly calls on the UK Government to accelerate the demand pipeline for electric buses, but can she confirm that there are also positive implications for the wider supply chain in calling for that action, which makes the need for pace even more important? Kate Forbes: Michelle Thomson is absolutely right to highlight the impact on the wider supply chain. We have been conscious of that impact throughout, and its supply chain is one reason why we recognise Alexander Dennis as a critically important asset in the Scottish economy and within that area.”
“There is further thinking to be done about that, and I appreciate that it is a difficult area to address. Although the Law Society gave evidence, I think that there will be an on-going requirement for legal tests as we go through stage 2 and beyond. I listened to Alex Cole-Hamilton’s speech, and I think that we have to be very careful—for example, that whatever measures we pass cannot be subjected to judicial review. The principle that somebody is innocent until proven guilty under the law is absolutely vital. In that area in particular, we need to be extremely careful. 16:05”
“I accept that people vote for their party preference, but, equally, parties change, people’s views change and the sentiment in the world changes. I would be very nervous about such a move. There is lot of discussion to be had on signing places. That is a very complex issue, particularly when it comes to regional MSPs. I appreciate what the bill is trying to do with regard to accessibility, but, ironically, the debate shows how far behind our digital processes are when it comes to the effective use of technology. I understand that that issue is entirely distinct from those that we are considering in the bill, but we will have to look at it at some point. On a minor point that was in the stage 1 report, I agree that, despite the drive to maintain parity between constituency and regional members, they are not elected on the basis of parity.”
“The important point that I am making is that, much as we dislike some people’s views—they could be considered completely slanderous—I do not think that we should get the two issues mixed up. For example, we do not need to go far back in time to hear outrageous views about women. I said that I was going to mention the consideration that a recall motion should be triggered if a member changes their political party. I consider that to be very dangerous ground. It goes back to the big picture that I tried to frame at the start of my speech. What is the behaviour that we are trying to reward? If somebody changes party because of a compelling conscientious objection that was held to be just and well- meaning by most people, would we not consider that exactly the sort of ethical behaviour that we want from our politicians?”
“Perhaps that was the wrong choice of words by the committee. Patrick Harvie: Surely there is a distinction between someone who was elected on the basis of their controversial stance on issues that some people find offensive and someone who was elected on the basis of supporting basic climate science, for example, but who then moves to a political party that openly promotes climate change denial. Surely there is a distinction between the former and someone who switches from representing the views of the people who put them into Parliament to representing the polar opposite. Michelle Thomson: With respect, I think that the member is conflating two different issues. I will go on to comment on people who switch parties.”
“For example, strong women are considered to be nippy sweeties—or worse. We also cannot forget about structural inequalities in party support, of course, and the challenges of mobilising funding. It is important that we consider those issues. I also noted the statement from the committee, which considers that “making provision for a direct right to recall on the grounds of disagreement with an MSP’s political views or voting record would run counter to the intended purpose of the Bill.” That seems to be quite the understatement, and I would be strongly against any provision that would lead to that possibility. There will be many members who have no truck with some of the language that we hear in our political narrative, but we have to accept that people are entitled to their views, as much as we violently disagree with them.”
“Moving on to the bill, I note that Elect Her suggested that “women politicians are more likely to face politically motivated action, and we suggest that an extreme version of that could end up being a recall or a removal attempt.”— [Official Report, Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee, 22 May 2025; c 28.] I believe that women in politics are treated differently—for which read “worse”. I support Richard Leonard’s comments. I went through the stage 1 report to find out how many times women were mentioned. The quote that I read was from the Elect Her evidence, but I am not clear what specific consideration has been given to women in the bill’s development. In addition to the Elect Her comments, I highlight the extent to which women are judged by different standards, which are often unrelated to their ability.”
“However, before I talk about the bill per se, I want to reflect a little on something else that encourages and supports ethical behaviour, which is culture. During my time in corporate companies leading up to the crash of 2008, and in my time in Westminster during the Brexit vote and in this place during some interesting periods, I have seen how culture can greatly impact behaviour. The Presiding Officer and her office have provided strong leadership during this session, but I believe that mandatory ethical training should be in place for the next session to ensure that all members who have the privilege to be here understand that the buck stops with them and that their choices about how they behave potentially have a direct impact not only on their careers but on trust in this institution.”
“First, I will make a few remarks to remind us why we are debating this issue today. Members will know of my interest in ethics. It is for others to judge, but, as a member of this institution, I try hard to balance complex and competing issues using an ethical frame. I know that many other members do that, too, and I believe that we are here today with a shared interest in protecting the reputation of this place. It is good that we have many of the recommended institutional measures in place, such as a code of conduct, registers for openness and accountability, the Lobbying (Scotland) Act 2016 and so on. In my opinion, the bill marks a strengthening of enforcement and is, therefore, to be welcomed.”
“If we are to recognise that the power to govern resides with the people, then we need to act, and it is the view of the Scottish Labour Party that we should back this bill in principle at stage 1 this afternoon. 15:44”
“Richard Leonard: I am simply making the point that I think that we need to explore some of these ideas—the reduction from 12 months to six months and all the things associated with it—with our eyes open, and with our eye on history as well. I would like to see democracy extended in other, even more meaningful areas, like in the workplace, in industry and in the economy, to alter the balance of power there. There are other things that we can and should explore, which are not, in my view, revolutionary ideas but basic tenets of democracy. Finally, let me say that it is a privilege to serve in this Parliament. We are representatives and should be representative. Like in any walk of life, that means that not all of us can be or will be saints, but for that, there must be accountability.”
“For my next principle, let me turn to Aneurin Bevan, who said that the job of a Labour parliamentarian is not “to plead mercy for the poor” but to get “political power for the masses.” So, my sixth principle rests on the question: does this bill extend democracy or does it curtail it? Alex Cole-Hamilton: I do not disagree with the member’s point about incarceration. I do not think that we should remove members who have been put in prison for a stance that they have taken on a moral issue. However, does he recognise that they would have the right to fight their corner in an open recall by-election among the membership or indeed a poll, as the member in charge of the bill has said, in the case of regional lists?”
“Someone going into a designated petition signing place if the only option is to vote for recall is, in my view, a breach of that principle and a corruption of that hard-fought-for inheritance. My sixth principle is around the removal of an MP due to incarceration. There is a certain note of irony here. Thomas Muir was tried for treason, for sedition, in 1793 for calling for more equal representation and parliamentary reform, and he was sentenced to 14 years’ transportation. We need to be careful about what we are saying about the litmus test of incarceration.”
“The facts are that Clarice McNab Shaw did not attend Parliament for over a year and she did not attend the council for over six months, so we must be clear this afternoon that, in circumstances like this, a member of this Parliament should not be removed. We must show our common sense, our common humanity and our compassion. My fifth principle is the principle that any ballot must be secret. The Scottish reformers, the Chartists and the trade unionists fought hard for the Ballot Act 1872. It was introduced as the franchise was being extended to stop undue pressure being applied by landowners and employers to their tenants and to their workers. It was introduced to stop them checking up on how those they had power, ownership and control over had voted, by making the ballot secret. This principle, to me, is sacred. It should be defended.”
“We must also embrace the principle of compassion—principle number 4. Over the summer, I researched the life of Clarice McNab Shaw. She was a pioneer who, in 1913, became the first-ever woman Labour councillor in Scotland, on Leith Town Council. In 1945, she was elected as the MP for Kilmarnock. The election was in July. She was sworn in in August, but became so seriously ill that she was never able to return to Parliament to deliver her maiden speech or to take her seat. She continued to respond to constituency correspondence and continued to attend Ayr County Council meetings until February 1946, but on 2 October 1946 she was forced to resign her parliamentary seat. Days later, she died.”
“I thank Mr Leonard very much because I realise that he is in full flow. I accept what you are saying about historical precedent, but you are surely not suggesting that we should not give cognisance to the cost in any way whatsoever. We have to, because we are a responsible Parliament. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Please always speak through the chair. Richard Leonard: What I said was that we should not be cost driven or financially led. The third principle is that there does need to be a credible equality impact assessment worthy of the name, because we know from bitter experience that women, for example, are much more likely to be targeted by vindictive campaigners and petitioners than men. So far, this has not been seriously addressed in the presentation of the bill at all.”
“To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to communities to promote cohesion and develop sustainable support networks for refugees and asylum seekers, to help ensure their full participation in civic and community life. (S6O- 05120)”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. My device has lost connection. I would have voted no. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Thank you, Ms Thomson. I will make sure that that is recorded.”
“Amendment 11 disagreed to. Amendment 55 moved—[Mercedes Villalba]. The Deputy Presiding Officer: The question is, that amendment 55 be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No. The Deputy Presiding Officer: There will be a division. The vote is closed.”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I would have voted no. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Thank you, Ms Thomson. I will ensure that your vote is recorded. For Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Bibby, Neil (West Scotland) (Lab) Boyack, Sarah (Lothian) (Lab) Burgess, Ariane (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green) Choudhury, Foysol (Lothian) (Ind) Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab) Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Glasgow) (Lab) Grant, Rhoda (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green) Griffin, Mark (Central Scotland) (Lab) Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green) Johnson, Daniel (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) Lennon, Monica (Central Scotland) (Lab) Leonard, Richard (Central Scotland) (Lab) Mackay, Gillian (Central Scotland) (Green) [Proxy vote cast by Patrick Harvie] Marra, Michael (North East Scotland) (Lab) Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (Ind) McNeill, Pauline (Glasgow) (Lab) Mochan, Carol (South Scotland) (Lab) O’Kane, Paul (West Scotland) (Lab) [Proxy vote cast by Michael Marra] Rowley, Alex (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Russell, Davy (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (Lab) Slater, Lorna (Lothian) (Green) [Proxy vote cast by Maggie Chapman] Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Villalba, Mercedes (North East Scotland) (Lab) Whitfield, Martin (South Scotland) (Lab) Against Adam, George (Paisley) (SNP) Adam, Karen (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) Adamson, Clare (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP) Allan, Alasdair (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (SNP) Arthur, Tom (Renfrewshire South) (SNP) Balfour, Jeremy (Lothian) (Ind) Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP) Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con) Brown, Keith (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP) Burnett, Alexander (Aberdeenshire West) (Con) Callaghan, Stephanie (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Coffey, Willie (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP) Constance, Angela (Almond Valley) (SNP) Dey, Graeme (Angus South) (SNP) Don-Innes, Natalie (Renfrewshire North and West) (SNP) Doris, Bob (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP) Dornan, James (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP) Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Ewing, Annabelle (Cowdenbeath) (SNP) Ewing, Fergus (Inverness and Nairn) (Ind) Fairlie, Jim (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP) Findlay, Russell (West Scotland) (Con) FitzPatrick, Joe (Dundee City West) (SNP) Forbes, Kate (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (SNP) Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Gallacher, Meghan (Central Scotland) (Con) Gibson, Kenneth (Cunninghame North) (SNP) Gilruth, Jenny (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (SNP) Golden, Maurice (North East Scotland) (Con) Gosal, Pam (West Scotland) (Con) Gougeon, Mairi (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP) Gray, Neil (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP) Greene, Jamie (West Scotland) (LD) Gulhane, Sandesh (Glasgow) (Con) Harper, Emma (South Scotland) (SNP) Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen) (SNP) Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP) Hoy, Craig (South Scotland) (Con) Hyslop, Fiona (Linlithgow) (SNP) Halcro Johnston, Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Kerr, Liam (North East Scotland) (Con) Kerr, Stephen (Central Scotland) (Con) Kidd, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP) Lochhead, Richard (Moray) (SNP) Lumsden, Douglas (North East Scotland) (Con) MacDonald, Gordon (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP) MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP) Mackay, Rona (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP) Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP) Maguire, Ruth (Cunninghame South) (SNP) Martin, Gillian (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP) Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP) McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP) McCall, Roz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) McKee, Ivan (Glasgow Provan) (SNP) McLennan, Paul (East Lothian) (SNP) McMillan, Stuart (Greenock and Inverclyde) (SNP) McNair, Marie (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP) Minto, Jenni (Argyll and Bute) (SNP) Mountain, Edward (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Mundell, Oliver (Dumfriesshire) (Con) Nicoll, Audrey (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP) Rennie, Willie (North East Fife) (LD) Robertson, Angus (Edinburgh Central) (SNP) Robison, Shona (Dundee City East) (SNP) Roddick, Emma (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) Ross, Douglas (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Smith, Liz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP) Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP) [Proxy vote cast by Fulton MacGregor] Stewart, Alexander (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Stewart, Kaukab (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) Stewart, Kevin (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) Sturgeon, Nicola (Glasgow Southside) (SNP) Swinney, John (Perthshire North) (SNP) Thomson, Michelle (Falkirk East) (SNP) Todd, Maree (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP) Torrance, David (Kirkcaldy) (SNP) Tweed, Evelyn (Stirling) (SNP) Webber, Sue (Lothian) (Con) Wells, Annie (Glasgow) (Con) White, Tess (North East Scotland) (Con) Whitham, Elena (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con) Wishart, Beatrice (Shetland Islands) (LD) Yousaf, Humza (Glasgow Pollok) (SNP) The Deputy Presiding Officer: The result of the division is: For 29, Against 90, Abstentions 0.”
“To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported concerns raised by the Scottish Music Industry Association about delays in and sufficiency of funding awards, how it will ensure that the additional £20 million allocated to Creative Scotland for its multiyear funding programme in 2025-26 effectively supports the growing number of music-specific organisations. (S6O-05079)”
“Amendment 276 agreed to. Amendment 40 not moved. Amendment 153 moved—[Mairi Gougeon]—and agreed to. After section 1 Amendment 277 moved—[Brian Whittle]. The Deputy Presiding Officer: The question is, that amendment 277 be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No. The Deputy Presiding Officer: There will be a division. The vote is closed.”
“For Adam, George (Paisley) (SNP) Adam, Karen (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) Adamson, Clare (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP) Allan, Alasdair (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (SNP) Arthur, Tom (Renfrewshire South) (SNP) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP) Boyack, Sarah (Lothian) (Lab) Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP) Burgess, Ariane (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green) Choudhury, Foysol (Lothian) (Ind) Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab) Coffey, Willie (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP) Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Edinburgh Western) (LD) Constance, Angela (Almond Valley) (SNP) Dey, Graeme (Angus South) (SNP) Don-Innes, Natalie (Renfrewshire North and West) (SNP) Doris, Bob (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP) Dornan, James (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Glasgow) (Lab) Fairlie, Jim (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP) FitzPatrick, Joe (Dundee City West) (SNP) Forbes, Kate (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (SNP) Gibson, Kenneth (Cunninghame North) (SNP) Gilruth, Jenny (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (SNP) Gougeon, Mairi (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP) Grahame, Christine (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP) Grant, Rhoda (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) Gray, Neil (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP) Greene, Jamie (West Scotland) (LD) Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green) Harper, Emma (South Scotland) (SNP) Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green) Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen) (SNP) Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP) Hyslop, Fiona (Linlithgow) (SNP) Kidd, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP) Leonard, Richard (Central Scotland) (Lab) Lochhead, Richard (Moray) (SNP) MacDonald, Gordon (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP) MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP) Mackay, Gillian (Central Scotland) (Green) [Proxy vote cast by Ross Greer] Mackay, Rona (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP) Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP) Maguire, Ruth (Cunninghame South) (SNP) Marra, Michael (North East Scotland) (Lab) Martin, Gillian (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP) Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (Ind) Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP) McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP) McArthur, Liam (Orkney Islands) (LD) McCall, Roz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) McKee, Ivan (Glasgow Provan) (SNP) McLennan, Paul (East Lothian) (SNP) McMillan, Stuart (Greenock and Inverclyde) (SNP) McNair, Marie (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP) McNeill, Pauline (Glasgow) (Lab) Minto, Jenni (Argyll and Bute) (SNP) Mochan, Carol (South Scotland) (Lab) Nicoll, Audrey (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP) O’Kane, Paul (West Scotland) (Lab) [Proxy vote cast by Michael Marra] Rennie, Willie (North East Fife) (LD) Robertson, Angus (Edinburgh Central) (SNP) Robison, Shona (Dundee City East) (SNP) Roddick, Emma (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) Rowley, Alex (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Russell, Davy (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (Lab) Slater, Lorna (Lothian) (Green) Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP) Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP) [Proxy vote cast by Fulton MacGregor] Stewart, Kaukab (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) Stewart, Kevin (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) Sturgeon, Nicola (Glasgow Southside) (SNP) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Swinney, John (Perthshire North) (SNP) Todd, Maree (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP) Torrance, David (Kirkcaldy) (SNP) Tweed, Evelyn (Stirling) (SNP) Villalba, Mercedes (North East Scotland) (Lab) Whitfield, Martin (South Scotland) (Lab) Whitham, Elena (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) Wishart, Beatrice (Shetland Islands) (LD) Yousaf, Humza (Glasgow Pollok) (SNP) Against Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con) Burnett, Alexander (Aberdeenshire West) (Con) Carlaw, Jackson (Eastwood) (Con) Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Gallacher, Meghan (Central Scotland) (Con) Golden, Maurice (North East Scotland) (Con) Gosal, Pam (West Scotland) (Con) Gulhane, Sandesh (Glasgow) (Con) Hamilton, Rachael (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) Halcro Johnston, Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Kerr, Liam (North East Scotland) (Con) Kerr, Stephen (Central Scotland) (Con) Lumsden, Douglas (North East Scotland) (Con) Mountain, Edward (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Mundell, Oliver (Dumfriesshire) (Con) Ross, Douglas (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Smith, Liz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Stewart, Alexander (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Webber, Sue (Lothian) (Con) Wells, Annie (Glasgow) (Con) White, Tess (North East Scotland) (Con) Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con) The Deputy Presiding Officer: The result of the division is: For 86, Against 24, Abstentions 0.”
“Amendment 39 disagreed to. Amendment 275 not moved. Amendment 276 moved—[Bob Doris]. The Deputy Presiding Officer: The question is, that amendment 276 be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No. The Deputy Presiding Officer: There will be a division.”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I could not connect to the app, but I would have voted no. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Thank you, Ms Thomson. Your vote will be recorded. For Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Boyack, Sarah (Lothian) (Lab) Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con) Burnett, Alexander (Aberdeenshire West) (Con) Carlaw, Jackson (Eastwood) (Con) Choudhury, Foysol (Lothian) (Ind) Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab) Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con) Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Glasgow) (Lab) Findlay, Russell (West Scotland) (Con) Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Gallacher, Meghan (Central Scotland) (Con) Golden, Maurice (North East Scotland) (Con) Gosal, Pam (West Scotland) (Con) Grant, Rhoda (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) Gulhane, Sandesh (Glasgow) (Con) Hamilton, Rachael (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) Halcro Johnston, Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Kerr, Liam (North East Scotland) (Con) Kerr, Stephen (Central Scotland) (Con) Leonard, Richard (Central Scotland) (Lab) Lumsden, Douglas (North East Scotland) (Con) Marra, Michael (North East Scotland) (Lab) McCall, Roz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Mountain, Edward (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Mundell, Oliver (Dumfriesshire) (Con) O’Kane, Paul (West Scotland) (Lab) [Proxy vote cast by Michael Marra] Ross, Douglas (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Rowley, Alex (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Russell, Davy (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (Lab) Smith, Liz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Stewart, Alexander (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Webber, Sue (Lothian) (Con) Wells, Annie (Glasgow) (Con) White, Tess (North East Scotland) (Con) Whitfield, Martin (South Scotland) (Lab) Against Adam, Karen (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) Adamson, Clare (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP) Allan, Alasdair (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (SNP) Arthur, Tom (Renfrewshire South) (SNP) Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP) Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP) Burgess, Ariane (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green) Coffey, Willie (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP) Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Edinburgh Western) (LD) Constance, Angela (Almond Valley) (SNP) Dey, Graeme (Angus South) (SNP) Don-Innes, Natalie (Renfrewshire North and West) (SNP) Doris, Bob (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP) Dornan, James (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) Fairlie, Jim (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP) FitzPatrick, Joe (Dundee City West) (SNP) Forbes, Kate (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (SNP) Gibson, Kenneth (Cunninghame North) (SNP) Gilruth, Jenny (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (SNP) Gougeon, Mairi (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP) Grahame, Christine (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP) Gray, Neil (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP) Greene, Jamie (West Scotland) (LD) Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green) Harper, Emma (South Scotland) (SNP) Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green) Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen) (SNP) Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP) Lochhead, Richard (Moray) (SNP) MacDonald, Gordon (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP) MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP) Mackay, Gillian (Central Scotland) (Green) [Proxy vote cast by Ross Greer] Mackay, Rona (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP) Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP) Maguire, Ruth (Cunninghame South) (SNP) Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (Ind) Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP) McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP) McArthur, Liam (Orkney Islands) (LD) McLennan, Paul (East Lothian) (SNP) McMillan, Stuart (Greenock and Inverclyde) (SNP) McNair, Marie (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP) Minto, Jenni (Argyll and Bute) (SNP) Nicoll, Audrey (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP) Rennie, Willie (North East Fife) (LD) Robertson, Angus (Edinburgh Central) (SNP) Robison, Shona (Dundee City East) (SNP) Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Slater, Lorna (Lothian) (Green) Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP) Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP) [Proxy vote cast by Fulton MacGregor] Stewart, Kaukab (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) Stewart, Kevin (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) Sturgeon, Nicola (Glasgow Southside) (SNP) Swinney, John (Perthshire North) (SNP) Thomson, Michelle (Falkirk East) (SNP) Todd, Maree (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP) Torrance, David (Kirkcaldy) (SNP) Tweed, Evelyn (Stirling) (SNP) Whitham, Elena (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) Yousaf, Humza (Glasgow Pollok) (SNP) The Deputy Presiding Officer: The result of the division is: For 37, Against 63, Abstentions 0.”
“What does it say to 51 per cent of the Scottish population? Public money is really tight, yet there always appears to be money to contest women’s rights. I find it incredible that the Scottish Government is going to go head to head with For Women Scotland all over again, despite the Supreme Court judgment. That is surely the very definition of madness. It seems ironic that, today, we saw the passage of the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill, which really recognises the impact of trauma on women. I hope that sensible heads start to prevail and that the Scottish Government understands why safety, dignity and privacy are vital to women like me. 17:32”
“They do not want to take rights away from anyone else, and they want their Government to do the right thing. I am tired of being stuck in a groundhog day loop in which the Scottish Government states that it “accepts the result of the Supreme Court judgement” and insists that it will definitely do something at some point—what that something is, and the timeframe, are never defined—and when it is asked again, it repeats the lines, and so on. Decision theory tells us that not making a decision is a decision in and of itself. Rather than face the consequences of acting on the Supreme Court judgment, the Scottish Government has gamed that it would rather live with the consequences of not acting on it, and those consequences are the continued denial of women’s rights. What does that say to me?”
“In the chamber, there are women similar to me—both MSPs and members of the public watching the debate—whose direct life experience of being in the sex class of female has subjected them, as it has subjected me, to such experiences. I have been so wary of ever mentioning myself, merely noting that I must speak for those who cannot be heard. However, I press myself to continue to do so, as the Scottish Government has failed to engage with women who have been raped or sexually assaulted. It failed to do so when the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee was looking at the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill; it failed to speak with For Women Scotland; and it is not listening still. Scottish women simply want their legal rights back.”
“My early-years trauma has left me with a compelling need to feel safe, not just to be safe. I have a visceral fear of the physicality of men when encountering them in unexpected places—places where I thought that I could feel safe. That visceral fear, when it kicks in, leads straight to a trauma response, which includes acute anxiety, inflammation, tingling across my face and mouth, extreme tiredness and so on. That is how I live my life. Therefore, having to continually stress the need for protected safe places and for dignity, safety and privacy is constantly re-triggering. Having to continually press the Scottish Government to do the right thing is constantly re-triggering. Yet, given the fact that 89 per cent of those reporting serious sexual assaults in Scotland are women, I am not alone—I am actually fairly typical.”
“I thank Pam Gosal for bringing the debate to the chamber. I apologise to members, as I have to leave earlier than the conclusion of the debate. I have to say that it fills me with despair to be speaking again in a debate to fight for women’s rights. I have never sought to be a victim, and I have always been wary of using traumatic events in my life to draw attention to myself, yet I feel the lack of action from the Scottish Government deeply personally. Since I had to stand up and speak about this issue having barely just been elected in 2021, and then had to vote against the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill due to the casual introduction of self-identification without any consideration of safeguarding, I have met many women with a similar story to my own.”
“To ask the Scottish Government on what basis it will assess the contribution of Scotland’s performing arts organisations in advance of the next budget. (S6O-04937)”
“Included in the consultation was the question of exemptions for, for example, rents that have been below market rent or where repairs and investments have readily been made. I will confirm our position in respect of those exemptions as part of stage 3 of the Housing (Scotland)”