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.”
The complete record
Every one of 754 lines we hold for Michael Marra, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 9 of 16.
“In a similar circumstance, I attempted to cast Paul O’Kane’s vote, but it did not work. He would have voted no. The Presiding Officer: Thank you, Mr Marra. We will ensure that that is recorded. 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) 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) 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) Ewing, Annabelle (Cowdenbeath) (SNP) Fairlie, Jim (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (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) Hyslop, Fiona (Linlithgow) (SNP) Kidd, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (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) 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) Rennie, Willie (North East Fife) (LD) Robison, Shona (Dundee City East) (SNP) Roddick, Emma (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Simpson, Graham (Central Scotland) (Reform) Slater, Lorna (Lothian) (Green) Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP) 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) Wishart, Beatrice (Shetland Islands) (LD) [Proxy vote cast by Willie Rennie] Yousaf, Humza (Glasgow Pollok) (SNP) Against Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Balfour, Jeremy (Lothian) (Ind) Bibby, Neil (West Scotland) (Lab) 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) 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) Golden, Maurice (North East Scotland) (Con) Gosal, Pam (West Scotland) (Con) Grant, Rhoda (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) Griffin, Mark (Central Scotland) (Lab) Hamilton, Rachael (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) Hoy, Craig (South Scotland) (Con) Johnson, Daniel (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) Halcro Johnston, Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (Con) 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) McNeill, Pauline (Glasgow) (Lab) Mochan, Carol (South Scotland) (Lab) 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) Sarwar, Anas (Glasgow) (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) Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con) Abstentions Ewing, Fergus (Inverness and Nairn) (Ind) The Presiding Officer: The result of the division on motion S6M-18883, in the name of Angela Constance, on the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill, is: For 71, Against 46, Abstentions 1.”
“A Scottish Labour Government will work in partnership—proper partnership—with the UK Government to translate the record investment into delivery on the ground. We will get the basics right, defend the Barnett formula, get Scotland’s NHS back on its feet and set the new direction that this country so badly needs. I move amendment S6M-18779.2, to leave out from “notes” to end and insert: “recognises that, as a result of the Barnett formula, spending per head of population is higher in Scotland and that full fiscal autonomy would end this arrangement.” 15:11”
“There must be an honest set of negotiations, but that has not been the case so far, with the Scottish Government having made £135 billion of spending demands since the UK Labour Government took over. The SNP would know all that if it had bothered to do its homework first. The finance secretary admitted that no detailed work has been undertaken on full fiscal autonomy, and the Scottish Fiscal Commission told the Finance and Public Administration Committee that it has had “no instructions” on it from the Government, despite full fiscal autonomy being Government policy. The truth is that that is a very serious misstep from a knackered SNP Government that has failed to deliver on the issues that really matter: Scotland’s NHS, schools and housing. Scotland has long suffered at the hands of the economically illiterate and fiscally inept SNP.”
“I would love to hear from Government ministers today how they think the negotiations to get rid of the Barnett formula for Scotland are going and what that level of cuts would mean for Scotland’s public services. The approach has been panned by people who, unlike ministers, are looking at the facts. Respected institutions such as the IFS point out that drastic spending cuts and vast tax rises would be needed to balance the books were the SNP to have its way. The SNP must recognise and learn that, as a responsible Government that works with the UK Government in a new kind of relationship, it has to take responsibility for Scotland, as a legitimate interlocutor with the UK Government.”
“Shona Robison told the Scottish Affairs Committee on 16 January 2025 that full fiscal autonomy was the Scottish Government’s preferred position. This very morning, the cabinet secretary told a tax conference here in Edinburgh that the SNP is “negotiating on that”. Those words should send a shiver down the spine of every Scot. The SNP’s war on the Barnett formula would wipe £14 billion from Scotland’s annual budget. That is a quarter of our total budget, as set out in the GERS figures from the Scottish Government. Professor Mairi Spowage from the Fraser of Allander Institute said at that conference that, if we did that, Scotland would get a lot less funding.”
“For years, the SNP claimed that Tory austerity was the reason why public services in Scotland were so bad. It no longer has that excuse, yet more people in Tayside than in the whole of England are spending more than two years on NHS waiting lists. Scottish 15-year-olds are a full year behind their English counterparts in maths, and more than 10,000 Scottish children are living in temporary accommodation. Capital projects such as the A9 and the replacement of Barlinnie are running years—even decades—late, and costs are spiralling wildly out of control. The largest block grant in the history of devolution has not even touched the sides of SNP incompetence and waste. No reasonable, responsible Government would put the Barnett formula at risk—that is absolutely clear—yet scrapping the Barnett formula is official SNP policy.”
“Over the past 14 months, the UK Labour Government has decisively ended austerity and has already invested an additional £5.2 billion in Scotland. The UK spending review in June saw a further £9.1 billion of investment in Scotland over a three-year period. That funding can be transformational for public services, which have been decimated by, yes, 14 years of Tory austerity, but also 18 years of SNP incompetence. The current fiscal arrangement— the Barnett formula and the pooling and sharing of resources across these islands—means that spending per person is significantly higher in Scotland than in England. The Scottish Government’s own GERS figures for 2024-25 show that spending per head in Scotland is more than £2,600 higher than the UK average.”
“I move amendment S6M-18779.3, to leave out from “notes” to end and insert: “that Scotland’s public services have been hampered by the UK Conservative administration’s austerity budgets; recognises the deep harm that the UK Conservative administration has done to the economies of the UK and Scotland with Brexit, and that this has reduced Scotland’s public spending by £2.3 billion annually; further recognises that this loss of public finances impacts on Scotland’s vital public services, including Scotland’s NHS, support for a just transition, and skills training; notes that a public sector reform programme is underway with the aim of saving public money while protecting the delivery of frontline services; believes that the UK Labour administration should either explore the application of wealth taxation or devolve the necessary powers to Scotland so that the Scottish Parliament can do so; welcomes that the Scottish Government has already announced plans for a three-year spending review to be published alongside the upcoming Budget, and believes that it is only with the powers of independence and full control of the fiscal levers that a truly sustainable and fair system can be developed to support efficiency and public service delivery.” 15:06”
“That will provide the spending plans for three years for resource and four years for capital, with spending focused on delivering the greatest impact across our four priorities of eradicating child poverty, tackling climate change, growing the economy and ensuring high-quality and sustainable public services. Those are our priorities and the priorities of the people of Scotland. Ultimately, it is only with the full powers of independence and full control of fiscal levers that we can deploy a truly sustainable system to support efficient and effective public services that deliver for the people of Scotland. Until that time, we will continue to do everything within our powers to meet the challenges that our public finances face, and we have set out a clear path to achieving that.”
“The fiscal sustainability delivery plan sets out a clear and credible path to managing Scotland’s public finances over the next five years by increasing value from our spending and driving efficiency and productivity across public services; delivering sustainable and inclusive economic growth; expanding Scotland’s tax base and creating more good jobs; and taking a strategic approach to taxation to ensure that the tax system is fair and competitive and that it delivers sustainable revenues. We have committed to a Scottish spending review—which Murdo Fraser called for—and that is happening, as he well knows, alongside the 2026-27 Scottish budget.”
“What would the minister say to Paul Johnson of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, who said that under no circumstances could what the UK Government is doing be described as austerity across the UK? Will the minister acknowledge that there is an additional £2,600 per person in Scotland? It is not austerity, and the independent experts say that it is not. Ivan McKee: I have just clearly said that, if our spending in Scotland had been growing at the same rate as UK Government spending was growing, in total, we would have £1.1 billion more to spend on our priorities over the next three years. I want to talk about the actions that we are taking. We have a very thorough public service reform strategy, which was published in June and which we are taking forward across a whole range of activities to deliver that £1 billion.”
“It cannot purposely find a way around the will of the Parliament by failing, on a point of procedure, to move forward legislation that has been voted for in principle by the Parliament and that should have the Parliament’s scrutiny. A failure to allow that would be deeply concerning. I look forward to hearing the minister’s closing remarks, because I genuinely hope that she has listened to the debate tonight, that she will bring the right answer and that she will make sure that the financial resolution comes forward, so that the Parliament’s process can be held. 18:15”
“I genuinely hope that that is the case, because, as colleagues have pointed out, the parliamentary process is incredibly important. John Mason set out a clear and principled position, explaining his financial concerns about the bill. The Government could have taken a similar approach, setting out those concerns at stage 1 and voting against the bill, but it did not. As members have pointed out, it also has the opportunity to vote down or vote against the bill at stage 3, and there will be an opportunity at stage 2 to amend it significantly. What the Government cannot do is take the cowardly way out of this situation and create a deeply concerning precedent whereby the will of the Parliament is ignored.”
“It recently set up a collaboration between Ancrum outdoor centre and Douglaswood scout centre, which is near Dundee and is a place that I know well from my youth. In essence, it has brought home outdoor education for Dundee, as money is spent locally and young people go on trips in the surrounding area. The immediate vicinity of the city has become open to them in a real way. The operation in the new area has been a huge success with schools from Dundee and across Angus, and it is exactly the kind of innovation that the bill could drive forward, so it is important. I am hopeful that, in her concluding remarks, the Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise will say that we have all been wrong— that this is not the approach that the Government is taking—and will tell us when the financial resolution will be laid.”
“I appreciate the Presiding Officer accommodating my request to speak at late notice. My support for Liz Smith’s fine work on her member’s bill, the Schools (Residential Outdoor Education) (Scotland) Bill, is on record, and I am glad to be able to speak in support of it in the debate. I agree with Mr Simpson that my colleague Martin Whitfield gave a fine speech on the confluence of his two great concerns in life— the rights of children and parliamentary procedure. He is passionate about both, so it is little wonder that he spoke so well. I will briefly highlight a recent innovation by Dundee City Council—frankly, I will not often say that, as my local authority is not known for innovation.”
“We are talking about having a national drug-testing laboratory based at the University of Dundee, which would underpin the local drug-checking facilities that are available through pilot sites in Dundee, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh. Michael Marra has merged two different issues. I am more than happy to pick up those issues with him, and I am always happy to engage in research in that area—as I am a pharmacist, it counts as continuous professional development for me.”
“The Parliament, the whole of Scotland and the people of Dundee remain deeply concerned about the glacial pace of progress. I take the minister back to the issue of synthetic opioids. Researchers from the University of Dundee and the Leverhulme Centre for Forensic Science have raised serious concerns about the efficacy of nitazene-testing strips. The minister has already stated how crucial that is to the early warning systems. Has she engaged with the research that the Leverhulme Centre for Forensic Science has published, and what is her response to it? Maree Todd: I absolutely agree with Michael Marra that there are profound concerns about the efficacy of drug-testing strips.”
“A Scottish Labour Government will focus on ordinary people’s priorities and deliver the real new direction that Scotland desperately needs. 17:02”
“The SNP is content to take Scotland further down the path of managed decline and failure. Scottish Labour knows that that is not good enough. Scots deserve a health service that is there when they need it, a place to call home, good jobs and a world-class education system. We used to have those things, but nearly two decades of the SNP have hollowed out those services and hobbled our economy. Scotland cannot afford a third decade of the SNP. Scottish Labour is ambitious for this country’s future. We will build a country where Government delivers the basics but everyone has the chance to reach their full potential. We will fix the NHS, clear the backlogs and end the 8 am rush for a GP appointment. We will improve our schools, support our high streets and grow our economy. We will end the addiction to waste and respect taxpayers’ money.”
“One thousand and seventeen lives were destroyed, 1,017 families were ripped apart and 1,017 people left behind their grieving loved ones. For years, this scandal has torn through my home city of Dundee and, yet again, Dundee is in the top three areas in Scotland for drug deaths. In 2010, 22 Dundonians were lost to suspected drug deaths, but, by 2021, that figure was 52, at which point Nicola Sturgeon admitted that she had taken her eye off the ball. That showed at least some semblance of responsibility, but, unfortunately, it deserves just three paragraphs in her latest tax- avoiding novel. Tragically, lives are being lost that could well have been saved if Scotland had had a Government with its eyes on the ball and its people’s interests at its heart.”
“It is absolutely right that the First Minister takes responsibility for that record, because he is completely out of touch on the NHS. There are 900,000 people on waiting lists in Scotland, cancer deaths are on the rise and private healthcare is opening up in streets across Scotland. People are having to empty their bank accounts and go into debt to obtain the care that they badly need. That is the record that he is desperate to walk away from, because that record has very real consequences, as various members have pointed out today. Today saw the publication of annual drug deaths figures for Scotland. In 2024, 1,017 people in Scotland lost their lives to addiction and drugs— the worst record in the whole of Europe.”
“Michael Marra: That is a risible statement, and it is below the First Minister— The First Minister: No, it is not. Michael Marra: The First Minister is absolutely right—[Interruption.] He is absolutely right that there is a climate of fear being nurtured in this country by people on the extreme right. However, when he talks about his legislative agenda, he has to take responsibility for his record, which has produced the result that people are being disenfranchised and scared in their own communities when they do not see a Government that is delivering for them. That is part of the responsibility of Government: to build the compact between the politicians and the people. Neil Gray: Will the member give way? Michael Marra: No, thank you, sir.”
“A preferable term might be responsibility, and the opportunity to finally take some. The First Minister says that “a corner ... is being turned”. I ask him who the corner is being turned on, because the person who set us on this path, and set this direction for 20 years—two decades—was him. Our NHS will not survive another decade of this knackered SNP Government. The First Minister: Mr Marra misconstrues my comments, and he does so in a very dangerous way, for which I want to hold him to account. I willingly accept my responsibility—I am in the chamber every Thursday when Parliament sits, answering questions as First Minister, in order to accept my responsibility. I was making the point that blame has been foisted on migrants in this country, and half of it has been landed on them by the Labour Government in London.”
“If the SNP and John Swinney had real ideas about how to fix the mess that they have made we would have seen them by now. Of course, John Swinney and the SNP want to talk about none of that. They know that their legislative achievements are meagre and that their record in government is one of demonstrable failure. Instead, John Swinney is reaching for the independence panic button—that is not about building out, but about narrowing in. Those are not the priorities of the ordinary people across Scotland, who are working ever harder and getting ever less from their Government in return. John Swinney knows that, and in the next eight months, unfortunately, he will put the SNP’s election strategy before the good of the country. The First Minister began this debate by talking about, and throwing around, blame.”
“The Government’s motion invites us to consider Scotland’s priorities. If the SNP ever cared about the priorities of ordinary people, it is clear that it has long since lost touch with them. Instead of running a functioning NHS, it has brought the health service to its knees. We have more patients waiting longer than two years for treatment in NHS Tayside than we do in the whole of England. Instead of delivering a school system in which young people can reach their potential, the SNP has presided over a decline in school standards. In Dundee, it cannot even build the primary school that it promised 10 years ago. Instead of a thriving economy, it has left us lagging behind other parts of the UK and wasted billions of pounds of taxpayers’ money.”
“That the Parliament agrees that— Brian Whittle be appointed to replace Stephen Kerr as the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party substitute on the Criminal Justice Committee; and Jamie Halcro Johnston be appointed to replace Brian Whittle as the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party substitute on the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee. The Presiding Officer: That concludes decision time. Glasgow’s Bus Services”
“Motions agreed to, That the Parliament agrees that— Paul McLennan be appointed to replace Joe FitzPatrick as a member of the Education, Children and Young People Committee; and Joe FitzPatrick be appointed to replace Stuart McMillan as a member of the Public Audit Committee. That the Parliament agrees that— Jamie Halcro Johnston be appointed to replace Alexander Stewart as a member of the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee; Stephen Kerr be appointed to replace Jamie Halcro Johnston as a member of the Economy and Fair Work Committee; and Alexander Stewart be appointed to replace Liz Smith as a member of the Social Justice and Social Security Committee.”
“Motion agreed to, That the Parliament agrees that the relevant provisions of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, introduced in the House of Commons on 17 December 2024, and subsequently amended, affecting child employment and community-based and secure accommodation, so far as these matters fall within the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament and alter the executive competence of the Scottish Ministers, should be considered by the UK Parliament. The Presiding Officer: Unless any member objects, I propose to ask a single question on three Parliamentary Bureau motions. As no member has objected, the final question is, that motions S6M-18141 and S6M-18142, on committee membership, and motion S6M-18143, on committee substitutes, all in the name of Jamie Hepburn, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, be agreed to.”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I do not think that my app connected. I would have voted yes. The Presiding Officer: Thank you, Mr Marra. We will ensure that that is recorded. 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) Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP) Bibby, Neil (West Scotland) (Lab) Boyack, Sarah (Lothian) (Lab) 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) Choudhury, Foysol (Lothian) (Lab) Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab) Coffey, Willie (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP) Dey, Graeme (Angus South) (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) Greene, Jamie (West Scotland) (LD) Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green) Griffin, Mark (Central Scotland) (Lab) Harper, Emma (South Scotland) (SNP) Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green) Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen) (SNP) Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP) Hyslop, Fiona (Linlithgow) (SNP) Johnson, Daniel (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) Kidd, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP) Lennon, Monica (Central Scotland) (Lab) 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) [Proxy vote cast by Rona Mackay] 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) 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) Regan, Ash (Edinburgh Eastern) (Alba) Rennie, Willie (North East Fife) (LD) Robison, Shona (Dundee City East) (SNP) Roddick, Emma (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Russell, Davy (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (Lab) Slater, Lorna (Lothian) (Green) Smyth, Colin (South Scotland) (Lab) Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP) Stewart, Kaukab (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) Stewart, Kevin (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) Sturgeon, Nicola (Glasgow Southside) (SNP) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) 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) 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) Abstentions Balfour, Jeremy (Lothian) (Con) Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con) Burnett, Alexander (Aberdeenshire West) (Con) Carlaw, Jackson (Eastwood) (Con) Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (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) Hoy, Craig (South Scotland) (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) McCall, Roz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Mountain, Edward (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Mundell, Oliver (Dumfriesshire) (Con) Ross, Douglas (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Simpson, Graham (Central Scotland) (Con) Smith, Liz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Stewart, Alexander (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Webber, Sue (Lothian) (Con) Wells, Annie (Glasgow) (Con) Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con) The Presiding Officer: The result of the division on motion S6M-18081, in the name of Natalie Don-Innes, on a legislative consent motion on the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which is UK legislation, is: For 87, Against 0, Abstentions 28.”
“We will take action on reforms and reduce corporate and back-office costs in order to protect front-line services and welfare spending— something that Michael Marra and his colleagues want to cut. We will protect the priorities of this Government, and we will let Michael Marra defend a UK Government record on disability cuts that is indefensible. The Presiding Officer: There is a lot of interest in the statement. If we can hear one another, we will be able to include more members.”
“First, the Chancellor of the Exchequer is also delivering savings: 5 per cent savings and efficiencies by 2028-29 and an 11 per cent real-terms reduction in administrative budgets by 2028-29, rising to a 16 per cent real- terms reduction by 2029-30. Why is it okay for Michael Marra’s Labour UK Government to make those reductions in corporate costs and back- office costs—[Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: Let us hear one another. Shona Robison: —but it is not okay for the Scottish Government to make reductions in corporate and admin costs to protect front-line services? Michael Marra needs to explain why it is okay for the Labour UK Government to do that but not okay for the Scottish Government to do that.”
“This comes at a time when, only yesterday, we learned of soaring accident and emergency waiting times and the worst cancer waiting times on record, with SNP ministers admitting that people are dying as a result of the incompetence. Domestic abuse statistics are at record highs and house building rates are plummeting down, down, down. These are cuts to mitigate their incompetence. It has never been clearer that Scotland needs a new direction. This SNP Government has the powers and the money. Is it not right that it is out of ideas, out of excuses and out of time? Shona Robison: Michael Marra has outdone Craig Hoy’s hyperbole as usual. Let me give Michael Marra some facts.”
“Today is the day when years of gross mismanagement of the public finances by SNP ministers caught up with them, and the price is being paid by ordinary Scots. Let us be crystal clear: by no definition—other than the SNP’s—can the budget that it receives be described as representing austerity. Scotland’s budget will increase in real terms each and every year of this forecast. There is an additional £9.1 billion for Scottish public services and, by 2029-30, the block grant will be £52 billion. This SNP Government is making cuts because it has spectacularly mismanaged Scotland’s budget. SNP ministers have created a structural deficit of a staggering £2.6 billion as a result of the choices that they have made. The SNP’s cuts plans set out huge reductions in front-line workers and a 12 per cent funding cut to Scotland’s NHS boards.”
“On a point of order, Deputy Presiding Officer. My app did not connect; I would have voted yes. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Thank you,”
“The Government has committed to bringing them down significantly over the coming months, and we will continue to focus on that. On the resources that we have on our plate, the uncertainty that comes with the way that the UK Government operates its budget, with the late adjustments and consequentials, makes things difficult. Despite that, however, we manage to allocate resources as appropriate to deliver for the people of Scotland, and we will continue to do so.”
“It is obvious that, under the SNP, Scotland is going in the wrong direction. What is the SNP going to do to turn Labour’s record investment into delivery? Ivan McKee: Michael Marra knows that this Government is completely focused on delivery and that we make it our highest priority to meet our objectives. He should know—this was in my statement—that Scotland’s economy grew faster than that of the rest of the UK last year and that Scotland has significantly lower unemployment and higher average earnings than the rest of the UK. The budget is delivering economic growth. On our other priorities, I have already outlined Scotland’s climate situation compared with that of the rest of the UK. We continue to be a leader in that regard. On public services, we are absolutely focused on tackling those waiting lists, which are too high.”
“I thank the minister for advance sight of his statement. I must say that I find it increasingly worrying that, over recent weeks, the SNP has opposed above-average increases in spending on defence, given the headlines that we have seen in recent days. It is thanks to the Labour Government’s record investment that the signs are good and that we will perhaps not have a chaotic in-year emergency budget this year. However, given the SNP’s financial record, who knows? The question is now about delivery. Statistics that came out today—the First Minister is nodding, so he must know what is coming—show that we have atrocious accident and emergency waiting times, the worst cancer waiting times on record, domestic abuse near a 50-year high, and plummeting house-building rates.”
“In my statement, I rightly talked about the need for additional funding to come from other sources that are not public—for example, via banks and commercial opportunities. Mr Marra will be aware of some of the challenges that the university has faced in that regard, which are spelled out in the report. Had lending been an available financial option for the university, it would not have found itself in such a challenging position. We will continue to work with the university to support its growth, which is vital for the institution, the city and the wider city region.”
“Mr Marra is right to talk about a sustainable future. He spoke about the liquidity ask in the context of what I have announced. I have set out that the £40 million that has been requested will be met over the next financial years; that has been confirmed by the Scottish Government. We are required to undertake further due diligence with the university, which will be undertaken at pace with the Scottish Funding Council. Mr Marra should also be mindful that the outcome of the report, which was published only on Thursday, impacted on the way in which ministers were able to award the funding that I am talking about. The use of the section 25 power is unprecedented, and it requires us to reflect on the unique situation that exists in Dundee. We will continue to work with the university leadership on the next steps.”
“Where will Dundee university find the money to repay up to £60 million of loans, whether that is from the Government or from a commercial source? The Scottish Government has already given the green light for 300 jobs to be cut but, without income growth, will further cost cutting not be inevitable? How does the cabinet secretary think that that circle can be squared? Jenny Gilruth: Michael Marra has raised a number of points. He mentioned the relief that is being felt in Dundee university. That was palpable after the Government’s first announcement on funding—I met staff on that very day, earlier this year. I have since heard from trade union members about their feelings on the back of the report that was published last week. I have also very much felt the frustration throughout the engagement that Mr Dey and I have had with staff.”
“I thank Professor Gillies for her report, which lays bare the financial vandalism of three individuals in particular. There is real relief in Dundee that there is now a greater understanding and acknowledgement of the conduct of management and the collapse of effective governance at the university. We all have to focus on building a sustainable future for the city’s most important institution. The university submitted a request for a further £100 million to the Scottish Government on 30 May, which was 25 days ago. Almost one month on from that, will the cabinet secretary set out to us what additional scrutiny of that request is required? The cabinet secretary acknowledged that income growth from international recruitment is not a realistic option for Scottish universities.”
“I move amendment S6M-17980.1, to leave out from “believes” to end and insert: “understands that the Scottish National Party administration has wasted in excess of £6.7 billion of taxpayers’ money since 2007; believes that the Scottish Government’s reckless spending and failure to grow Scotland’s economy has led to an overreliance on tax increases to plug annual budget gaps; welcomes the UK Government’s decision to decisively end austerity, deliver a record budget settlement for Scotland, and pledge an extra £9.1 billion over the next three years, and believes that the Scottish Labour Party’s plan to establish a Scottish treasury with strategic oversight for spending in all Scottish Government departments is essential in order to put an end to waste and ensure that people in Scotland get value for money.” 15:11”
“Michael Marra: To give you the words of the Daily Record, the Chancellor’s spending review “means the SNP Government can no longer blame Westminster for Scotland’s ills. Successive SNP First Ministers have cited UK Government austerity as the reason for struggling services. Rachel Reeves, who has handed Holyrood an extra £9.1bn, has called time on that excuse.” Enough of the excuses from the SNP. Enough of the half-baked ideas from the Tories. Let us get our economy moving.”
“The Scottish Fiscal Commission has projected that the NHS will account for an increasingly large share of the Scottish budget: up to almost 55 per cent in the next 50 years. With an ageing population, that investment is absolutely essential. Are the Conservatives really proposing that we defund our NHS to fund tax cuts? The UK Labour Government is facing up to the mess that both parties here in the chamber have made of our country. Last week’s game-changing spending review saw record investment for Scotland, with a £9.1 billion boost to Scotland’s budget—the highest settlement in the history of devolution. Liz Smith: Will Michael Marra give way? Michael Marra: No, thank you, madam. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Mr Marra is about to conclude.”
“It spent the last year of that Parliament promising money that it did not have in a desperate attempt to buy votes, leaving a gaping black hole in Britain’s public finances. It spent the annual national reserve three times over in the first three months of that year, Mr Hoy. All of that left the incoming UK Labour Government with a major clean-up operation to undertake. There was no apology, no humility and no shame from the Conservatives. Frankly, the Conservatives’ plans today are not worthy of the back of a fag packet. This afternoon, they have brought half-baked, reheated tax cuts to the Parliament, and we should not believe a word of it. Cutting down on quangos would not deliver the savings that are needed for such drastic tax cuts; they would surely mean deep cuts to core public services such as our NHS.”
“Better public services, more investment and a better standard of living is what people should be getting from paying their fair share in tax, but, under the SNP, that could not be further from the truth. Meanwhile, the Tories have failed to acknowledge the economic and fiscal realities in which the UK operates. British public finances were left in a truly terrible state by the previous Tory Government. Over 14 years, it presided over a low-wage, no-growth economy. It inflicted austerity on public services, doing lasting damage to them all. It crashed the economy, sending interest rates spiralling. It presided over a cost of living crisis with sky-high inflation not seen since the 1970s. It closed the last Parliament with living standards lower than they were at the opening of that Parliament for the first time since the Napoleonic wars.”
“Budget after budget does not even last six months, and there have now been three consecutive years of emergency in-year cuts slashing funding across the board to balance the books. There really is no other word for it—it is complete and utter chaos. The Labour Party believes strongly in progressive taxation, but to ensure public support for progressive taxation, we have to show people what they get in return, and the SNP has utterly failed to do that. Every year, Scots are paying more and getting less in return. One in six Scots is on an NHS waiting list, schools are sliding down the international league tables, there is a housing emergency and councils are cutting key services.”
“Normally, whenever I lay out that litany of waste, it is met with complaint and howls of derision from SNP members, but it is good to have supporters on the front bench today, with the belated admission that, by their own estimates, they waste £1 billion a year. That is, of course, on top of the tally that I have just laid out. Scotland has also suffered from the chaos and financial mismanagement of finance secretaries, who, with one exception, still sit around the Cabinet table. There has been failure to supply crucial information to the independent forecaster, refusal to publish core documents, including a pay policy, capital spending plans and the medium- term financial strategy, and chaotic, knee-jerk in- year announcements such as the council tax freeze that nobody knew about. Party politics is always put first.”
“In what is a feat of surprisingly accurate economic analysis that you would not expect from the acolytes of Liz Truss, the Scottish Tories have pinpointed one of the deep problems at the heart of Scotland’s finances. That problem is, of course, the Scottish National Party Government. It has an abysmal record of 18 years of waste, incompetence and, increasingly, chaos—£6.7 billion of taxpayers’ money wasted on ferries that do not sail, prisons that do not get built, a deposit return scheme that did not recycle a single bottle and a national care service that did not employ a single carer. Hard-working Scots are literally paying the price of SNP failure, with over £1.6 billion spent on the scandal of delayed discharge because the SNP cannot get Scotland’s NHS working.”
“We have to be concerned about the ability to use Gaelic as a living language rather than as peripheral to people’s lives, or as an add-on to Scottish culture; it must be integral to the way that people live their lives. Scottish Labour will support the bill at decision time, but we will do so while sounding the alarm that, in the words of the Deputy First Minister, merely building on what has come before will be insufficient to meet the sure trust of our ancestors, with a near certainty that if we do not change course and Gaelic is lost in this generation, part of Scotland will be gone forever. The Deputy Presiding Officer: I call Ross Greer to open on behalf of the Scottish Greens. 17:41”