Russell Findlay
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party · Scotland
“Will Kate Campbell give way? Kate Campbell: I will make progress. Although money for, investment in and a focus on those priorities are very welcome, we need to be realistic about what is driving crime and offending—and the evidence exists.”
“Stephen Kerr: Kate Campbell made a point a moment ago about poverty. Does she agree that the last thing that we should be doing in this Parliament is agreeing to budgets that involve cuts to the college sector, putting higher education into financial difficulty or threatening the number of apprenticeships?”
“Scottish Prison Service statistics show that individuals from “the 10% most deprived areas … accounted for 31% of all arrivals to prison in 2022-23”. That is a massive, disproportionate overrepresentation. We know that people who end up in prison are much more likely to have faced disadvantage, trauma and poverty.”
“I begin by congratulating Douglas Lumsden on his election as MP for Aberdeen South, and I welcome our new MSP colleague, James Adams, to Holyrood. Former members of the Scottish National Party’s audit and finance committee are also here today.”
“On average, families of people in custody spend £180 a month on supporting that person. Only yesterday, we found out that one in five families are left with just £12 a week after outgoings— those are the families living with the highest levels of poverty.”
“That includes using peer mentoring projects, such as the turn your life around project, to help young people who may not have the role models that they need in their lives; restorative justice, which empowers victims and survivors while helping offenders to understand the impact of their crimes on other people; or trauma-informed communit…”
The complete record
Every one of 265 lines we hold for Russell Findlay, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 5 of 6.
“In just over eight months’ time, this parliamentary session will come to an end. Over the past four years, Parliament’s achievements have been too few and its mistakes too many. Barely anything has been done to encourage the economic growth that powers our country and pays the bills. Little effort has been made to create jobs. There has been next to no consideration about how to make life easier for workers and businesses, or to give families a helping hand with ever-rising bills. This Government has nurtured a culture of anti- aspiration, holding back those who want to get on. In this time, when people have looked at Holyrood, they have been dismayed at what they have seen. They watched as the Scottish National Party passed extreme gender legislation.”
“One in three cancer patients in Scotland do not begin to receive treatment within the Government’s target time. I will repeat that for the First Minister’s benefit: one in three cancer patients are not receiving treatment when they need it. In one health board, NHS Borders, fewer than half begin treatment within the 62-day target, and in NHS Grampian it is almost as bad. Behind those new and bleak statistics are real people. For them and their families, the Scottish National Party’s culture of failure can be the difference between life and death. Does John Swinney accept that that is unacceptable? What will he do to meet cancer treatment time targets?”
“Violent and disruptive behaviour in schools is getting worse. A small minority of pupils prevent the majority from learning in peace and in safety. Some teachers feel unsafe and many feel unsupported. The Scottish National Party’s naive and weak approach fails absolutely everyone. In response to that situation, the Scottish Government has just published new guidance on behaviour in schools. That document is exactly what we might expect from this ineffective Government: 49 pages of tedious, hand-wringing nonsense—it is complicated and confusing. When John Swinney was education secretary, teachers said that he issued too much guidance, which made their jobs even harder, so why is he now repeating the same mistake?”
“The Scottish Fiscal Commission conducts rigorous and independent analysis of tax and the economy in Scotland. Its most recent report outlines that Scottish National Party tax rises are costing Scottish workers £1.7 billion each year. We should have an extra £1.7 billion to spend, but we do not, because the SFC identifies what it calls an “economic performance gap” with the rest of the United Kingdom. That actually reduces the amount that is available to spend. Does John Swinney know the size of the economic performance gap between SNP-run Scotland and the rest of the UK?”
“Amendment 56 disagreed to. Amendment 57 moved—[Brian Whittle]—and agreed to. Amendments 37 and 38 moved—[Jackie Baillie]—and agreed to. 16:00 Amendments 58 to 60 moved—[Brian Whittle]— and agreed to. Amendment 61 moved—[Sandesh Gulhane]. Amendment 61A moved—[Sandesh Gulhane]— and agreed to. The Deputy Presiding Officer: The question is, that amendment 61, as amended, be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No. The Deputy Presiding Officer: There will be a division. The vote is closed. Shona Robison: On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I am still having some difficulty. I would have voted no. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Thank you, Ms Robison. I will ensure that that is recorded.”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I would have voted yes. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Thank you, Mr Findlay. I will make sure that that is recorded. For Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Balfour, Jeremy (Lothian) (Con) Boyack, Sarah (Lothian) (Lab) Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con) Burnett, Alexander (Aberdeenshire West) (Con) Carlaw, Jackson (Eastwood) (Con) Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Choudhury, Foysol (Lothian) (Lab) Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab) Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Edinburgh Western) (LD) Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con) Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Glasgow) (Lab) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) 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) Greene, Jamie (West Scotland) (LD) Griffin, Mark (Central Scotland) (Lab) Gulhane, Sandesh (Glasgow) (Con) Hoy, Craig (South Scotland) (Con) Johnson, Daniel (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) Kerr, Liam (North East Scotland) (Con) Kerr, Stephen (Central Scotland) (Con) Lennon, Monica (Central Scotland) (Lab) Leonard, Richard (Central Scotland) (Lab) Lumsden, Douglas (North East Scotland) (Con) Marra, Michael (North East Scotland) (Lab) McCall, Roz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) McNeill, Pauline (Glasgow) (Lab) Mochan, Carol (South Scotland) (Lab) Mundell, Oliver (Dumfriesshire) (Con) O’Kane, Paul (West Scotland) (Lab) Rennie, Willie (North East Fife) (LD) Rowley, Alex (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Russell, Davy (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (Lab) Sarwar, Anas (Glasgow) (Lab) Simpson, Graham (Central Scotland) (Con) Smith, Liz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Smyth, Colin (South Scotland) (Lab) Stewart, Alexander (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Webber, Sue (Lothian) (Con) White, Tess (North East Scotland) (Con) Whitfield, Martin (South Scotland) (Lab) Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con) Wishart, Beatrice (Shetland Islands) (LD) 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) Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP) Brown, Keith (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP) Burgess, Ariane (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Callaghan, Stephanie (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green) 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) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) Ewing, Annabelle (Cowdenbeath) (SNP) Ewing, Fergus (Inverness and Nairn) (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) 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) Lochhead, Richard (Moray) (SNP) MacDonald, Gordon (Edinburgh Pentlands) (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) [Proxy vote cast by Rona Mackay] Martin, Gillian (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP) Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (Ind) Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP) McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP) [Proxy vote cast by Jamie Hepburn] 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) Nicoll, Audrey (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP) Regan, Ash (Edinburgh Eastern) (Alba) Robertson, Angus (Edinburgh Central) (SNP) Robison, Shona (Dundee City East) (SNP) Roddick, Emma (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Slater, Lorna (Lothian) (Green) Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP) Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP) Stewart, Kaukab (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) Stewart, Kevin (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) Swinney, John (Perthshire North) (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 50, Against 66, Abstentions 0.”
“In recent weeks, we have witnessed a sickening outbreak of gangland violence across the country. Two Scottish drug dealers have now been shot dead in Spain. Their gang has waged a turf war on Scotland’s streets since the dawn of devolution, which has mutated to include proxy groups, including the US-sanctioned Kinahan cartel. Those parasites grow rich by preying on society’s most vulnerable. Those cowards cause terror and death with guns, knives and firebombs. Those thugs go after journalists, politicians, businessmen, police and prison officers. Organised crime is out of control and communities are living in fear. Does John Swinney accept that the Scottish Parliament has failed to tackle organised crime in Scotland?”
“The Climate Change Committee’s new report sets out what the Scottish Government would need to do to reach its 2045 net zero target. It would have to reduce oil and gas production by 91 per cent, which would devastate the industry and our economy. It would have to ask home owners to meet stringent and expensive new energy standards. It would have to get more than half the population to drive electric cars or vans by 2035. For electric cars, the current figure is just 2.2 per cent, and for electric vans it is less than 1 per cent. The report lays bare the crippling cost to hard- working families and businesses. Does John Swinney think that the committee’s proposals are realistic?”
“The people of Scotland expect politicians to focus on what matters—rising household bills, their children’s education, getting a general practitioner appointment, fixing the roads and keeping communities safe, yet the priority for out-of-touch SNP, Labour, Lib Dem and Green MSPs is an urgent debate about the Holyrood toilets. Does Parliament agree with the Scottish Conservatives that this is a farcical waste of time? Christine Grahame: That is simply not a question for the corporate body. The urgent question was accepted and I am obliged to respond to it.”
“Last Saturday, 16-year-old Kayden Moy was stabbed to death on Irvine beach. Less than 24 hours earlier, on Portobello beach, a 17-year-old was, allegedly, stabbed. Police Scotland says that the number of serious assaults committed by teenagers has risen by 600 per cent in the past five years. Two teenagers died and 11 were injured during a spate of knife incidents involving youths in the past two months. Young people do not feel safe. The system does not protect them. What does John Swinney have to say to parents who tell me that they are terrified every time their son or daughter leaves the house? (S6F-04090)”
“Recently, it was my privilege to speak with ex-servicemen and ex- servicewomen at the Scottish Veterans Residences centre, and I can assure all members that they will get an equally warm welcome if they pay a visit to the centre, which is just across the road from Holyrood. I associate my party with the words of the First Minister. Today is a day to remember all that brings us together and the proud history that we share. VE day was the very best of Britain and the very best of the British people. 15:46”
“As we remember the fallen of world war two and celebrate VE day, we must recommit to supporting our armed forces. They are not a relic of a bygone age; they are essential to the defence of our islands. Last week, I was privileged to attend the ceremony to install Major General Bob Bruce as governor of Edinburgh castle. Some of the Royal Regiment of Scotland soldiers who took part in the ceremonial event were just days away from being deployed to join our allies on military exercises in eastern Europe. Recent global events and the volatility of our times mean that we must ensure that our armed forces are properly funded and supported. As we mark VE day, we should support the veterans who have served our country.”
“On one side are our western values of democracy, decency, freedom and humanity, and on the other side are bleak tyranny, oppression and an ugly disregard for human life. Today, the west must remember and restate what bonded us between 1939 and 1945. I return to the words of Winston Churchill, spoken on this day 80 years ago: “I say that in the long years to come not only will the people of this island but of the world, wherever the bird of freedom chirps in human hearts, look back to what we’ve done and they will say: ‘Do not despair, do not yield to violence and tyranny, march straightforward and die if need be—unconquered.’” Those words from history ring true today. We cannot become weary or lose our resolve when faced with Putin’s murderous regime and others.”
“Today, I am proud to salute the sacrifice, duty and bravery of the greatest generation. They fought and died for our peace and for our freedom, and we all live in their shadow. A famous VE day cartoon shows a wounded and bandaged soldier emerging from a battle-scarred wasteland—in his hand is a scrap of paper with the words, “Victory and Peace in Europe”, and the caption beneath reads: “Here you are! Don’t lose it again!” Yet, here we are again, with war raging in Europe and elsewhere, and the rise of murderous tyrants across the globe. Today, we must reaffirm our support for the brave people of Ukraine as they fight for the freedoms that we take for granted. We cannot abandon them. The front line between Russia and Ukraine represents a greater global fault line.”
“Many thousands of Scots were also killed at home as German bombers targeted industrial areas, including Clydebank, Greenock and many other towns. The war touched every family, every town and every workplace. In 1940, when hundreds of thousands of allied soldiers were rescued from the beaches of Dunkirk, tens of thousands were captured. They included my grandfather’s brother, who endured a forced march to a prisoner-of-war camp in Nazi-occupied Poland. Miraculously, he survived the disease, violence and squalor of the camp to return home to Glasgow after the war ended. During those darkest of times, Britain and our allies stood resolute and defiant. Although victory in Europe was achieved on this day 80 years ago, the war still raged in the far east for another three months.”
“It’s a victory of the great British nation as a whole.” The worldwide death toll from that industrial- scale conflict is difficult to get one’s head around. Up to 85 million military and civilian lives were lost. Tens of thousands of brave Scots went off to war, only to fall in foreign fields. The average age of a Scottish serviceman killed in world war two was just 21. To our generation and the next, who have only ever known peace, the deeds of the greatest generation are almost unfathomable. It has been heartening to see the many events being held across Scotland to mark VE day. It is right and proper that war memorials stand proudly and prominently in communities across the land. Today especially, we remember that they serve as a permanent reminder of that bravery and sacrifice.”
“Today marks 80 years since the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany. After six years of bloodshed and horror, our country awoke to the light of freedom as the dark forces of fascism were vanquished. The victory announcement was made by Winston Churchill on 8 May 1945 at 3 pm. Following his radio address, the Prime Minister spoke from a Whitehall balcony to huge crowds of people celebrating on the streets below. This is some of what he said: “God bless you all. This is your victory! It is the victory of the cause of freedom in every land. In all our long history we have never seen a greater day than this ... My dear friends, this is your hour. This is not victory of a party or of any class.”
“This week’s programme for government promises to deliver 100,000 more general practitioner appointments, but Public Health Scotland says that, over the past year, there have been 500,000 fewer GP appointments than in the year before John Swinney became First Minister. The British Medical Association Scotland says that the Scottish National Party’s pledge is equivalent to just one extra day of appointments—an increase of less than 1 per cent—and that is only if the SNP delivers it. Public Health Scotland data reveals that, in the first three months of 2025, the number of GP appointments was the worst on record. The SNP’s programme for government is a pathetic con. Is the limit of John Swinney’s ambition just to undo a small amount of the damage that was inflicted by John Swinney?”
“Today, on victory in Europe day, we remember them. 12:04”
“Eighty years ago today, the guns fell silent across Europe. At 3 pm on 8 May 1945, Prime Minister Winston Churchill made a radio announcement to the people of our country. After six long and dark years of death and destruction, victory for Britain and our allies against Nazi Germany was secured. World war two was the largest and deadliest conflict in history. It involved more than 50 nations and was fought on land, at sea and in the air. Globally, it is estimated that as many as 85 million lives were lost. Tens of thousands of Scots were killed at home and abroad. For those of us who have only ever known peace and prosperity, the horrors of war are unimaginable. None of us here can truly appreciate the selfless sacrifice, duty and bravery of the greatest generation, who fought and died for our freedom.”
“[Interruption.] Well, all the evidence demonstrates my case that Brexit has resulted in a decline in the standard of living for people in this country. The way for Scotland to overcome the damage of Brexit is to rejoin the European Union, and it can do that by being an independent country.”
“The other crucial point is that, although Mr Findlay persists in coming to Parliament and telling us that he wants to reduce income tax, he will not tell us about the cuts in public spending and public services that he would make in order to pay for that. That is just one of the big flaws in the arguments that Mr Findlay puts forward, and it is a £1 billion flaw in his argument. Mr Findlay raised my support for Scottish independence. I have, of course, given a lifetime commitment to the question of independence. One of the reasons why I want Scotland to be independent is that I want Scotland to be a country that can enjoy a higher standard of living than is currently the case in the United Kingdom. Why is that more relevant today? It is more relevant because of Brexit, which was championed by the Conservative Party.”
“On the question of income tax, I remind Parliament of the comment that I made in my statement that the majority of workers in Scotland pay comparatively less income tax than would be the case south of the border. They also pay lower council tax and water bills than is the case south of the border. Of course, if they send their children to university in Scotland, they do not pay tuition fees, which is a formidable saving for families the length and breadth of the country. In addition, if they have young children, they will get access to early learning and childcare, the expansion of which I presided over as the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, which benefits families the length and breadth of the country. All those issues are relevant to the question about income tax.”
“This is more of the same from the same old John Swinney—a politician who is completely obsessed by a lifelong pursuit of breaking up the United Kingdom. When so many other issues need our urgent attention, does John Swinney really think that it is right to waste time, energy and public money on that divisive nonsense? The First Minister: I see that my appeal for the Parliament to find common ground has not made much headway with Russell Findlay this afternoon, but that will not stop me continuing to find some common ground in order to make progress. On GP services, as I indicated in my statement, the Government will allocate a greater proportion of new NHS funding to the primary care sector, which will benefit GPs and result in the delivery of an extra 100,000 GP appointments for key conditions.”
“My party has also been the lone voice of opposition to repeated SNP income tax rises. Hard-working Scots pay £1.7 billion more than they would under tax bands for the rest of the UK. Today, John Swinney says that he will stop turning the screw on Scottish taxpayers, but he has previously broken a similar promise not to raise taxes. Why did John Swinney not take the opportunity to reduce the painful tax burden that he has inflicted? People desperately want politicians to focus on the key issues that impact their lives, yet John Swinney says that he is going to use even more taxpayers’ money to find an economic case for independence. Well, he is not going to find one, because there is no such case.”
“Today’s flimsy programme for government is just more of the same from the SNP, and it will do little to restore public trust. It is no wonder that around one in three of the party’s MSPs could not be bothered to turn up to listen to it. That is because John Swinney is the politician who has failed to deliver for the past 18 years, has wasted more public money than anyone else and is now desperately trying to clear up his own mess. John Swinney cannot possibly be the solution, because John Swinney has caused the problems. My party has long campaigned for greater spending on GPs, who are on the front line of the NHS. Today, John Swinney has promised to increase GP numbers, but the SNP made that same promise eight years ago and it has not been kept. Does John Swinney think that anyone out there will actually believe him this time?”
“This week, Scotland’s only oil refinery ceased operations. Hundreds of workers at Grangemouth have lost their jobs and now face an uncertain future. Scotland has vast oil reserves, but we will now need to import all our petrol, diesel and other fuels. That is the price of the Scottish National Party’s and Labour’s hostility towards oil and gas production. Before more damage is done, will John Swinney drop his Government’s presumption against new oil and gas exploration?”
“The Scottish National Party’s policy of gender self- ID has now been ruled to be unlawful by our highest court. SNP politicians, including Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney, were willing to trash women’s rights while pushing their dangerous and divisive ideology. Common sense and a basic respect for biological truth have now prevailed thanks to the incredible Scottish women who would not wheesht. The SNP’s fringe obsession has cost obscene amounts of taxpayers’ money and wasted huge amounts of Government time while public services were neglected. Politicians have a duty to hold up their hands and admit their mistakes, so will John Swinney finally apologise to the women of Scotland?”
“Importantly, I also mentioned in my statement that the Government absolutely accepts the judgment of the Supreme Court. We have acted in good faith on the question. As I said in my statement, it was important that the Supreme Court recognised that the work that the Government undertook on the issue was based on EHRC guidance. However, now that the Supreme Court has made its decision, it is important that we move forward to look at policies, practice and guidance across Government and public bodies. As I said in my statement, that work has begun and I will keep Parliament updated as it progresses.”
“This harmful ideology must now be rooted out of our entire public sector—schools, prisons, hospitals and policing. Far too much time and taxpayers’ money has been wasted on it already. The country needs to move on. Politicians must focus on the concerns of people in the real world. I have three questions. Will the SNP Government now say sorry? Will it give a clear and categorical commitment not to resurrect the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill in any way? Will it guarantee that gender self- identification will be excised from public bodies? Shirley-Anne Somerville: I hope that Russell Findlay heard the part of my statement in which I talked about the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill and the fact that the Government has no plans to reintroduce that work.”
“From the very beginning, my party has been the sole voice of reason in this Parliament in warning of the dangers of gender self-identification. We stood up for women’s rights and urged the Government to drop this toxic and divisive issue. John Swinney wants to distance himself from it all, but, as Nicola Sturgeon’s deputy and strongest ally, he was right behind it. He was willing to sacrifice women’s rights, including the right to single-sex spaces and services. He voted down reasonable, commonsense amendments to the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill, including my own, which would have stopped predatory men, including rapists and other sex offenders, from exploiting self-ID. In the light of the momentous Supreme Court judgment, John Swinney owes an apology to the people of Scotland, but especially to women.”
“Scotland exports around £4 billion of goods to the United States each year—it is our largest export destination. Donald Trump’s tariffs will cause significant harm to many of our industries, including food and drink, textiles, engineering and pharmaceuticals. Will the First Minister instruct the Government and its business agencies to do whatever they can to support businesses and protect Scottish jobs?”
“That has made a huge difference to so many lives. I conclude by telling Christina’s partner, Keith Brown, her beloved family, who have joined us today, and her colleagues that they are in our thoughts. We cannot ease their pain, but we hope that the esteem in which Christina was held brings them some small comfort at this difficult time. [Applause.] 14:15”
“She will be missed by politicians from all parties, including my own. In his tribute to his partner, Keith Brown said that she was “proud of her working class roots in Easterhouse and often said she could not have dreamt of becoming a government minister”. Her success is a fitting legacy and is confirmation that, no matter where you come from, you can aim high and you can succeed. As a member of this Parliament, Christina made great use of her opportunity. As the First Minister said, she hosted Parliament’s first wear it pink event in support of Breast Cancer Now, long before she was diagnosed with the disease that took her life. One of her greatest achievements was promoting Clare’s law, which allows the police to disclose whether someone’s current or ex- partner has a history of violence or abuse.”
“On behalf of my colleagues and my party, I commend the First Minister for his warm, heartfelt and personal tribute to our late parliamentary colleague Christina McKelvie. In previous remarks, Mr Swinney said that Christina’s “political allies and opponents would agree—she truly was a force of nature”, a point that he repeated today. Well, we do agree, and we are grateful for the chance to pay our respects to the force of nature that was Christina McKelvie. On Christina’s website is the following quote: “My aim is to be an accessible MSP, available to respond to my constituents’ needs whenever and wherever possible”, and that is exactly what she did. She will be missed by her constituents in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, and she will be missed by those who worked with her as she performed her duties as an MSP and as a minister.”
“I begin by paying tribute to Christina McKelvie, who was a respected colleague and a dedicated public servant. My thoughts and those of my party are with her family, friends and colleagues, and I know that her passing this morning, at the age of 57, will be difficult for many who are here today. I note that you, Presiding Officer, have indicated that members will, rightly, have an opportunity to pay full tribute to Christina in due course. An Audit Scotland report that was published today lays bare serious problems with general practice care in Scotland. The report makes multiple explicit recommendations, including five that should be completed by the Scottish Government within a year. Will the First Minister guarantee that he will deliver the report’s recommendations?”
“Scotland should be able to build ferries here, in Scotland, to serve the islands of Scotland and to carry the people of Scotland, so why will seven new vessels for CalMac Ferries instead be built in Poland?”
“On the cusp of Christmas 2022, Parliament sat into the early hours of the morning as MSPs debated the Scottish National Party’s Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill. Despite the valiant efforts of our party, the legislation passed, prompting shock and anger from women in the public gallery, and no wonder.”
“Two inquiries are attempting to answer serious questions, on behalf of the public, about why harsher lockdown measures were imposed in Scotland, why ministers deleted messages that they knew would be needed by those inquiries and why elderly people were knowingly sent into care homes after testing positive. Today, we remember, but we can never forget. 14:38”
“The schooling and social lives of young people were curtailed, with on-going consequences for learning, development and wellbeing. The national health service’s pandemic focus meant that other treatments were suspended while waiting lists grew and grew. Many businesses fought for survival but failed— through no fault of their own. On Sunday, we will mark the fifth anniversary of the pandemic. Our thoughts are with all those who lost loved ones. However, we have now reached a stage at which the Scottish Government can no longer deploy Covid as an excuse for all its failings.”
“Those measures were necessary at first, but how effective they were and why they continued for so long are questions for the on- going public inquiries. In April 2020, while working as a journalist, I reported on a group of heroic care home workers in Forfar who spent 32 nights locked down with elderly residents in a bid to protect them. Later, it emerged that elderly hospital patients who were known to be Covid positive were sent into Scottish care homes, where more than 4,000 residents died. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service said that those deaths are part of “the single largest investigation of deaths in Scottish history”, which is on-going. All of that had, and continues to have, far- reaching consequences.”
“On behalf of my party, I pay my deep respects to the many thousands of people in Scotland, and the many millions of people elsewhere, who lost their lives to Covid. At moments such as these, we reflect on how our world changed so rapidly and dramatically in March 2020. At first, news reports warned of a mystery virus in China, then of its spreading to Italy, and I still remember the sense of unease—even foreboding. Very quickly, the state passed legislation that required the population and all but essential workers to stay at home. Mixing with friends and family was mostly prohibited, businesses were shut down, masks had to be worn, prisoners were set free and children were told not to come into the classroom.”
“In recent weeks, I have had the privilege of meeting apprentices in businesses across Scotland, including at Thales in Govan, at Collins Aerospace in Prestwick and, yesterday, at Persimmon Homes in East Lothian, where I must report that it became clear that I will never make it as a brickie. This week, my party started a public debate on reducing the school leaving age from 16. It has long been clear that far too many young people have been failed by the Scottish National Party’s education system, and we propose giving young people who are being left behind the opportunity of having a hybrid education with training in colleges and the workplace. Does John Swinney agree that that conversation is long overdue, and will he give any consideration to our proposals?”
“That is why I am determined to make sure that we stand with Ukraine because, by doing so, we do all that we can to protect the democratic values that have been central to our society today.”
“Indeed, concerns about the possession of nuclear weapons were one of the reasons why I decided to pursue the particular politics that I have pursued all of my adult life, in a party that has been committed to nuclear disarmament all of its days. I simply observe to Russell Findlay that, despite all the possession of nuclear weapons today, Ukraine has been invaded. That is the reality of what we are facing. Nuclear weapons have not deterred Russia from invading Ukraine. Indeed, the challenges that Ukraine faces—to ensure that it is able to sustain its military operations—are about conventional weaponry, of which we should have more at our disposal. Those are the arguments that I would put forward. However, we live in a democracy in which there has to be tolerance of other people’s views, which may be different from the views of others.”
“The United Kingdom’s expressing the desire to extend a state visit welcome to President Trump seems to me to be the type of commitment that should be given to an ally with whom we are working in consort. The uncertainties that Mr Findlay has talked about are uncertainties that we are all wrestling with now. That is the rationale for me setting out the view that I have set out, which is my deeply held view. It can be observed by whoever wishes to observe my view, but, in a democracy, it is right that we say what we think and what we feel. That is the essence of democracy, is it not? On the question of nuclear weapons, I have made no secret of the fact that, in my entire life, I have not supported the possession of nuclear weapons.”
“Throughout my life, I have lived through many certainties, such as the integral nature of the alliance around the western world and the foundations of solidarity between the United States and the United Kingdom, and I recognise and welcome the centrality of those relationships in creating the peace and stability that I have experienced all my life. I agree with Russell Findlay that those certainties have been weakened by the events of recent days. That poses significant questions with which we have to wrestle. In that context, I have set out measured remarks about the importance of ensuring that, when we are trying to build those alliances, we all know where we stand.”
“With Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Europe and NATO no longer certain of what American future support might look like, that is even more true today. Does John Swinney recognise that, in these serious times, the SNP’s stance on nuclear weapons is not a serious policy? The First Minister: First, I associate myself with the welcome to the consul general of Ukraine. I am glad that he is here to hear these exchanges and the solidarity that we have for the people of Ukraine. I agree with and empathise with a lot of what Russell Findlay has said.”
“Today, he says that the visit should be conditional on the US sustaining “the steadfast support of Ukraine, her independence and her territorial integrity.” Does the First Minister really believe that he has the power to lay down conditions on the US, lacking any meaningful detail, and effectively expect the King to heed his terms? Finally, I ask John Swinney about his comments that our nuclear deterrent provides “no tangible or realistic benefit” and that nuclear weapons “are not stopping conflict in the world today”. John Swinney is dangerously and naively wrong. Ukraine bitterly regrets forfeiting its nuclear deterrent and, during the cold war, it would have been immense folly to surrender our nuclear deterrent.”
“For the sake of the heroic people of Ukraine, who are suffering slaughter at Putin’s hands, politicians in this country should recognise the responsibility that we have. It is critically important that we do whatever we can to repair, rather than exacerbate, those rifts. Grandstanding comments such as those from some senior Scottish National Party politicians are self-indulgent and counterproductive. They risk sowing divisions between western allies, to the delight of the Kremlin and other despotic and dangerous regimes. Today, the First Minister rightly points out that Russia wants a fragmented west. We have seen Russia’s interference in Scottish politics and across Europe, so, when John Swinney suggested that President Trump’s state visit should be cancelled, how did he think that that would help fragile western unity?”