Michael Marra
Scottish Labour · Scotland
“I thank Jack Middleton for bringing the debate to the chamber. Its subject is of widespread concern, and will impact significantly on communities across the north of Scotland and in my North East Scotland region.”
“Indeed, the decline of quality local journalism that is embedded close to people is a tragedy. As many local newspapers face increasing issues with sustainability, it has become more, rather than less, important for the biggest companies and corporations to ensure that their journalism is rooted in communities.”
“More broadly, I believe—Jack Middleton has touched on some of this—that the decision is an act of surrender to what is a wildfire of commoditised fear that is weaponised by tech oligarchs to purposely undermine real freedom in pursuit of power and profit.”
“Although it is a commercial decision from STV, backed by the regulator to this point, it is also the latest example of what is becoming an ever- growing list of services being centralised away from communities in Scotland. Those in the north- east and further afield have, over the years, seen the same situation before.”
“The absence of regional journalism will only hasten that process, and whatever we might think, collectively, about the barrier and where the balance should sit, local people should have that accountability and the opportunity to make their case about where power is situated.”
“I welcome the hard work that Our Union Street is doing to re-energise Union Street and the centre of Aberdeen. The project is working along with partners to bring together a shared vision of the future of the city centre.”
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“However, perhaps he can simply clarify this: what is the budget concession that the Scottish Labour Party has successfully negotiated in exchange for its commitment to abstain? Michael Marra: In the discussions— [Interruption.] In the discussions that we have held with the Scottish Government, we have asked for Scotland to set a new direction and to use that £5.2 billion. Our belief on the position that the Government has taken is that does not go far enough in that direction, but we have to say that we think that it is a budget that does no harm. At the moment, it just asks the question. Kevin Stewart: Will the member take an intervention? Michael Marra: No thank you, sir. The other part of the First Minister’s formulation, alongside hope, is, of course, delivery.”
“However, if he perhaps still has a key for the room and was hiding behind the curtains, he did not hear exactly the tone of the discussions or what happened. They have been amiable and constructive discussions. Patrick Harvie was also keen to know what constructive proposition we had brought to the discussions. I say to him that it was about £5.2 billion that has, in the words of the First Minister, given some hope that the budget will be one that has the potential to change the lives of people in Scotland. I would say that it has that potential. Patrick Harvie: I think that perhaps we should both check my speech in the Official Report, because Michael Marra seems to have heard a very different speech from the one that I delivered.”
“The Scottish child payment is absolutely vital and has our very strong support: however, it alone is not enough, so more must be done. That is clearly what the First Minister said in his speech. Of course, I do not think that his speech was exactly the one that he perhaps intended yesterday to deliver in this debate, because he now knows that the budget will be passed, which is a good thing. There have been very legitimate discussions on the budget among parties. Those discussions, which all the parties have been party to, do not facilitate populism and the rise of the far right, as the Green Party claimed in the press yesterday. I was interested in Patrick Harvie’s reportage, given my discussions with Scottish Government ministers. He told us what had happened in those rooms—but they were very amicable discussions.”
“I begin my closing speech by wishing the Deputy Presiding Officer and all colleagues around the chamber a happy new year. I thank colleagues for the debate that we have had this afternoon. There was much value in the First Minister’s opening speech. His contention was that the core issue of child poverty turns around a broad range of issues that cannot be addressed by one policy, two policies or three policies, and that it is about choice in relation to the totality of our politics, together, and the positions that we take on a wide variety of issues. I agree with that very strongly. Willie Rennie made the same point very well. I have to say that he very much echoed much of the language of the speech that was made by Labour leader Anas Sarwar at the University of Glasgow yesterday.”