← LEADERSHIP TERMINAL

UK PARLIAMENT · FORMER

Craig Hoy

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party · Scotland

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

Given the fragility of bus services across Dumfriesshire, will the minister commit the cabinet secretary, who is overseas, to a meeting with me, so that I can reinforce the case for a station at Beattock, which is now increasingly vital?

MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-25 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

Jenny Gilruth: Perhaps it was a bit too much to expect some positivity about these announcements from Mr Hoy. However, I hope that he recognises that the Government has significantly adapted our position on support for businesses in relation to some of the outputs that I have set out today.

MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-23 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

If kicking the can down the road was a competitive sport, this Government would win gold every single time. Many Scottish businesses now continue to face some of the highest rates liabilities in the UK, and many have seen eye-watering increases as a result of the most recent revaluation.

MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-23 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

I extend to Mr Hoy the same invitation that I extended to Mr Greer. If Mr Hoy wants to come forward with some more ambitious proposals ahead of the budget, my door is open— Craig Hoy: I am seeing you tomorrow. Jenny Gilruth: We will be meeting tomorrow—I look forward to that engagement.

MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-23 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

I thank the minister for her invitation for us all to work together. I will meet the Deputy First Minister next week to that end. If the new, fiscally prudent, small-state Scottish Government can commit to reducing tax and cutting the benefits bill, we will have a fruitful relationship.

MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-18 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

Let us hope that that sentiment remains as we progress through the months. We need to look more broadly at where Scotland has been and where it is going. Scotland is a country that has made reducing child poverty an absolute priority—that is one of its moonshots. With our 6 per cent lower figure, we are leading the UK.

MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-18 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

The complete record

Every one of 926 lines we hold for Craig Hoy, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 1 of 19.

  1. Given the fragility of bus services across Dumfriesshire, will the minister commit the cabinet secretary, who is overseas, to a meeting with me, so that I can reinforce the case for a station at Beattock, which is now increasingly vital? Tom Arthur: I appreciate Mr Hoy inviting me to compel the cabinet secretary, but I would be more than happy to relay the member’s request to the cabinet secretary. Accessible Vehicles and Equipment Scheme 8.

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-25 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  2. I extend to Mr Hoy the same invitation that I extended to Mr Greer. If Mr Hoy wants to come forward with some more ambitious proposals ahead of the budget, my door is open— Craig Hoy: I am seeing you tomorrow. Jenny Gilruth: We will be meeting tomorrow—I look forward to that engagement.

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-23 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  3. Jenny Gilruth: Perhaps it was a bit too much to expect some positivity about these announcements from Mr Hoy. However, I hope that he recognises that the Government has significantly adapted our position on support for businesses in relation to some of the outputs that I have set out today. For example, the independent panel is going to provide a rapid review of the 2026 revaluation, in relation to which I understand—and very much recognise—that there have been issues. The Government has heard that challenge from businesses and we have already engaged with them directly. The Minister for Public Finance will engage with them again tomorrow. Throughout the summer recess period, we will engage with businesses on how we can improve that approach. Of course, the independent panel will report directly to ministers.

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-23 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  4. If kicking the can down the road was a competitive sport, this Government would win gold every single time. Many Scottish businesses now continue to face some of the highest rates liabilities in the UK, and many have seen eye-watering increases as a result of the most recent revaluation. Businesses were told that the Barclay review would fix the system. Hospitality businesses are awaiting the Gill review. Today, the cabinet secretary announced a further review and an independent and urgent panel to assess the revaluation. Does she not understand that businesses that are going to the wall at a rate of knots in Scotland today do not want more reviews? They want urgent action to reduce their bills and to have a greater understanding of how the system operates.

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-23 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  5. [Hannah Mary Goodlad has corrected this contribution. See end of report.] We have put growth and ambition at the heart of everything that we are doing. The member would be well advised to consider that the most attractive part of the UK, outside of London, to invest and do business in is the part of it north of Hadrian’s wall, here in

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-18 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  6. Let us hope that that sentiment remains as we progress through the months. We need to look more broadly at where Scotland has been and where it is going. Scotland is a country that has made reducing child poverty an absolute priority—that is one of its moonshots. With our 6 per cent lower figure, we are leading the UK. That is an absolutely worthy ambition. Let us dig into the economics a little more. In the past decade, Scotland’s gross domestic product has grown by 10 per cent, whereas the rest of the UK’s GDP has grown by 8 per cent. The Scottish Government has been relentless about ensuring that we prioritise business. We have set up the Scottish National Investment Bank, put £0.5 billion of infrastructure investment into offshore wind and put money behind the Techscaler initiative.

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-18 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  7. I thank the minister for her invitation for us all to work together. I will meet the Deputy First Minister next week to that end. If the new, fiscally prudent, small-state Scottish Government can commit to reducing tax and cutting the benefits bill, we will have a fruitful relationship. However, today’s statement comes at a time when Scotland’s economy grew by just 0.1 per cent in the first quarter of this year, compared with a figure of 0.6 per cent across the UK. Employment has fallen by 0.8 of a percentage point over the past year, while economic inactivity has risen by 0.7 per cent to 22.7 per cent. What does that tell us about the Scottish National Party Government’s record on financial and economic management? Hannah Mary Goodlad: I thank Craig Hoy for his response to the invitation to work together.

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-18 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  8. Mr Hoy’s point also speaks to the sense of British exceptionalism for which the Conservative Party is renowned. Every country in Europe gets that a 21st century model of union is one of equality and partnership. That is why every country that has joined the EU has got wealthier and every country that has left the EU has got poorer. That is on his party.

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-18 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  9. Was this statement not an entire waste of valuable parliamentary time? Is it not symptomatic of this Government’s obsession with matters beyond the control of this Parliament? I will indulge the minister by asking him this simple question. By what economic logic would we want to leave a union in which we are a net beneficiary, to become, at the flick of a switch, a member of a union in which we would be expected to be a net financial contributor? Stephen Gethins: It says something about where the Conservatives have gone with their disregard for the economy and for jobs when Mr Hoy does not think that the statement was important. Every single day, every minister in this Government has to deal with the consequences of a decision foisted on them by Boris Johnson and his Government.

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-18 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  10. Given the urgency of the issue, may I ask how we would raise it in Parliament— The Presiding Officer: Thank you, Mr Hoy. European Union Referendum (10th Anniversary)

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-18 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  11. On a point of order, Presiding Officer. Pursuant to rule 13.1 of standing orders, and in the light of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body’s media access policy and rules, I ask whether any member has sought to make a personal statement to Parliament to address the questioning by media within the parliamentary estate. I ask that because— The Presiding Officer: That is not a point of order; it is a matter for the corporate body. Craig Hoy: Perhaps, Presiding Officer, you could hear the point of order in full to determine whether it is a point of order. The Presiding Officer: I think that I have heard what you want to say, and it is a matter not for the chair but for the corporate body. Craig Hoy: Further to that point of order, Presiding Officer.

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-18 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  12. As always, the devil will be in the detail, and I will turn to that now. The Scottish Government faces the tightest of all fiscal corners, and—

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-17 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  13. This question is not so much for the minister as for the Deputy— Patrick Harvie: Will the member take an intervention? Craig Hoy: I will. Patrick Harvie: The member is focusing on the cost of policies, but he is looking at only half of the equation. He is talking about the shared costs that the public sector funds for policies that we choose to pay for collectively. In the absence of those policies, those costs fall on families, on individuals and on workers. Surely the member agrees that, at the moment, the costs of bus services in much of Scotland that fall on the shoulders of individuals and families are unacceptable. Craig Hoy: I accept that there is work to do around the fare cap. It was a Conservative Government in the rest of the UK that introduced the pilot scheme in England.

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-17 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  14. Until the minister spoke, I was unsure as to whether today’s announcement was, in effect, about an expansion of the Highlands pilot into the greater Glasgow and SPT area or a signal of intent that the Government now intends to legislate for a national £2 fare cap. I take it that it is the latter. Regardless of our views on a fare cap, we should be concerned about the possible cost implications and the implications for the wider transport market, given the already significant costs for free bus travel for under-22s and over-60s—which we have supported, but which we now need to recognise is very costly. Costs are also associated with the policy of free travel for asylum seekers, which is still in pilot. I note for the record that the Scottish Conservatives continue to oppose that policy in the new session of Parliament.

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-17 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  15. I join Mr Flynn in paying fulsome tribute to those who work across our bus network. It can be a challenging job with the rise in antisocial behaviour, and we need to recognise that. I will return to that later in my speech. Today, the Government runs the risk of potentially putting its ambition to deliver cheap headlines and its pursuit of the free ahead of two fundamental propositions: the fairness and the consistency of bus provision for passengers right across Scotland. As Mr Johnson said, the Scottish Conservatives believe that competition between different providers is, in many instances—but, I accept, not all—an effective way to achieve those things.

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-17 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  16. Beyond that, we will introduce the legislation that is needed to deliver a nationwide £2 fare cap by the end of this parliamentary session.

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-17 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  17. Backed by £10 million of public money, the pilot was designed to make travel more affordable, accessible and straightforward, the importance of which for our rural and island communities cannot be understated. From the early feedback that I have heard, it is doing just that—it is reducing the cost of everyday journeys and supporting people to take the bus. As the First Minister has set out, and as per our manifesto commitment, we are now working at pace to expand the benefits of that £2 fare cap beyond the Highlands and Islands. Initially, that means making progress within the first 100 days of this Government to extend the cap to Glasgow, Ayrshire, Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire, Lanarkshire and Inverclyde.

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-17 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  18. Patrick Harvie: I am grateful to the cabinet secretary for being so generous in taking interventions. Does he agree that one of the further steps that needs to be taken is to make free bus travel for asylum seekers permanent, following the pilot of that policy? That would be a way to ensure that asylum seekers in our communities are able to access the services that they have a right to reach. Stephen Flynn: I understand Mr Harvie’s argument and I am more than willing to engage with him on that particular issue. However, I turn to a different pilot. Earlier this year, the SNP Government launched our £2 bus fare cap pilot in the Highlands and Islands.

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-17 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  19. I am proud that it is a Scottish National Party Government, supported during the budget process by others, that has chosen to provide them to that generation. It is not only about giving our young folk more choice and a better life; it is about the core value of reducing daily costs for families. With 85 per cent of our young people saying that the bus pass has done just that, we can safely say that it has done its job. I make it clear to the Parliament that, although I celebrate the work of those who came before me and the cross-party support that there has been for those actions, I see the policy as only a starting point. It is for us in this parliamentary session to take action to ensure that public transport is affordable for everyone.

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-17 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  20. Stephen Flynn: Mr Hoy tries to drag me into a conversation in relation to the reliability and availability of buses, but he need not do that, because I understand and recognise the importance of access to buses in our rural communities. I would like to think that there would be agreement and consensus on that. Is Mr Hoy doing the “6-7” gesture there? I am not entirely sure what he is doing. Is it a wee dance? It is important that we all work together to ensure that the public have access to the services that they feel that they require. I will come on to that later in my speech, as I said to Mr Rennie. For our young people, free bus travel has opened up a sea of opportunities. I think that I speak for us all—indeed, most of us—when I say that we would have loved to have had those chances in our youth.

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-17 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  21. [Made a request to intervene.] Stephen Flynn: —which Mr Hoy seems to have a particular interest in. Craig Hoy: I rise not in a spirit of self- congratulation, unlike the other members who have intervened so far. I have a question about young people beyond the cities. I recently met young carers of Dumfries and Galloway, who raised with me not the cost of bus travel but the absence of bus travel. Does the cabinet secretary accept that there is a trade-off? With a finite budget, if the Scottish Government is going to continue to expand discounted and concessionary travel, that is likely to be at the expense of lifeline services in areas such as Dumfriesshire.

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-17 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  22. We should support our home-grown businesses, such as our hospitality sector and Scotland’s oil and gas sector.

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-09 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  23. I encourage the minister to look to Quebec and Ottawa to see how global investment is coming to Scotland through, for example, those Canadian state teachers’ pension funds. Ultimately, none of this is rocket science. As my colleague Rachael Hamilton said, a low-tax, deregulated economy, in which we take Government off businesses’ backs and start to deliver true economic growth, is within our reach. However—I say this to Mr Harvie—it requires a realisation that economic growth is good in and of itself. That is something that we should continue to bang the drum for. Ultimately, if we want Scotland to prosper now and into the future, we have to tackle the burden of taxation and the burden of red tape. We have to ensure that the Government is off businesses’ backs.

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-09 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  24. When it comes to the skills mismatch in our economy—which, year after year, the SNP has ducked—he could sit down with businesses and horizon scan to see what Scotland’s colleges should be producing. When he talks about deregulation and the planning system, rather than simply giving us an open and honest answer to, “Let’s talk about it,” the SNP, after 19 years in government, should have some big and bold ideas. When it comes to removing red tape, the SNP could and should do what it has said it would do in the past, which is reduce the size of the state. We will watch closely to see whether Ivan McKee can do that. We heard some other interesting contributions today. Lloyd Melville, who is not currently in the chamber, quite rightly identified the huge pool of capital that we could have within Scottish public sector pension funds.

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-09 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  25. He could and should have apologised to the Scottish licensing and brewing sector for the damage that was done through, for example, the botched deposit return scheme and the ongoing problems caused by the seeds of doubt that the SNP is sowing in that sector. As the minister sits down with businesses across Scotland, what he could and should do if he wants to restore their trust in Scotland as a place in which to invest is listen seriously to their concerns, because I think that their concerns are very clear. When it comes to recruiting the best staff from the United Kingdom and around the world, the damaging tax differential between Scotland and the rest of the UK is a fundamental issue.

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-09 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  26. Mr Flynn could and should have apologised for the damage that was done to the hospitality sector during the previous parliamentary session, when, in budget after budget, the SNP took funds from Westminster that were intended to provide rates relief to the struggling hospitality sector and, instead, diverted them into other areas. Mr Flynn could and should have apologised to our island communities because a corruption of the procurement process meant that many of our communities are still deprived of those lifeline ferries, and because of the economic damage that that will do as we go into high season again.

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-09 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  27. Principally, he could and should have apologised for the ongoing presumption against oil and gas, which, month after month, is resulting in thousands of jobs being lost in the sector. He said—and other SNP MSPs have repeated this—that we introduced the energy profits levy. Yes, we did—during a period of excess profits. However, let us bear in mind that the SNP wanted us to go further and faster, and that, when Labour came into office, it sought to extend the levy when we were ready to wind it down. Only one party in the chamber is committed to growing our economy through growing our oil and gas sector, and that is the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party.

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-09 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  28. As other members have done, I welcome Stephen Flynn to the chamber and thank him for his maiden speech. He posed the rhetorical question as to why he had come here. Some people thought that he came here because he wanted to be a very large fish in a very small pond after his period in Westminster— the SNP’s very own Andy Burnham. I think that he got off to a good start here. Although neither a sprat nor a minnow, he is perhaps not the great white shark that he hoped to be in these waters, and I think that there is still some work to do. What he could and should have done during his speech was apologise for some of the issues that arose in the previous parliamentary session and seriously impeded Scotland’s ability to compete globally and grow our economy.

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-09 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  29. Will Mr Flynn take another intervention? Stephen Flynn: I am sure that Mr Hoy is away to apologise for Liz Truss. Craig Hoy: I thank our newbie for giving way during his maiden speech. Will he now take the opportunity to apologise to the tens of thousands of oil and gas workers in the north-east who have lost their jobs as a direct result of this Government’s failure to support our oil and gas sector?

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-09 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  30. It is, of course, a pilot programme, and there will be valuable learning from it. The programme will be subject to a full evaluation. Laurencekirk Junction Improvement Scheme 4.

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-09 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  31. It is 77 miles from Sanquhar to Stranraer, which is a journey that takes a minimum of two hours by car or at least four hours by bus. Given that my constituents will be expected to make that journey to access the GP walk-in centre in Stranraer, does that not expose the policy as being a pre-election ploy that was designed to distract attention away from a primary care system in crisis? Angela Constance: It is disappointing that Mr Hoy does not welcome the prospect of a GP walk- in service for Stranraer. The important point is that the purpose of GP walk-in services is to free up capacity in the primary care system, so that people across our constituencies and regions can be seen quickly. That will support GP surgeries to provide continuity of care for patients who have on-going conditions.

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-09 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  32. Those struggling to access healthcare, having to raid their own savings or their pension to pay for a new knee or a hip, or those who are damaging their cars by driving on roads that are riddled with potholes are, quite rightly, questioning what it is that they are receiving. In an election during the cost of living crisis, we committed to cutting the biggest—

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-04 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  33. The Government does not see that and the Parliament has never tried it. I remind ministers of one simple fact: the Parliament has not just tax-raising but tax- varying powers. That is why the Scottish Conservatives proposed a fully costed set of tax cuts in the previous session of Parliament, and that is why we will continue to argue during this session of Parliament—as our amendment does—for a reduction in income tax to stimulate the much- needed growth that we all want to see, to fund Scotland’s public services. The inescapable fact is that people in Scotland now pay over £1.8 billion more a year in tax than they would if they lived in the rest of the UK. Many believe that there is nothing credible to show for it.

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-04 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  34. Secondly, the Government should have a very good reason to tax people’s income and wealth; it has no moral case and no justification to do so otherwise. Thirdly, taxing anything beyond a certain point can, and does, generate less. This Government saw that clearly in the previous session of Parliament. Patrick Harvie: I am grateful to the member for taking my intervention. Does he agree in principle that abolishing poverty is a legitimate reason to impose taxation on those who have more than their share? Craig Hoy: Growing the economy is the legitimate way of eradicating poverty. If we grew the economy, we would not need the burgeoning benefits bill that the SNP has presided over for the past 14 years. Mr Harvie might disagree, but I believe that there is a moral and social case for cutting tax.

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-04 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  35. I think that we all know why this debate is taking place: the SNP Government and John Swinney are in hock to the Scottish Green Party. A party that does not even believe in economic growth has influence, albeit now from outwith the Government, over the SNP Administration’s tax policy. However, the fact that the Greens are no longer in government does not mean that they cannot do real and lasting damage to the Scottish economy, Scottish workers and Scottish businesses, just as they did when they were in government. Let me start with a few home truths—the basics that may be lost on some of the more wackadoodle MSPs elected to this Parliament in May. First, there is no such thing as exclusively public money. There is only taxpayers’ money, and the Government has a duty to spend it wisely.

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-04 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  36. Our investment in social security supports our national mission to end child poverty. It helps to support poorer families. It helps to support unpaid carers. It helps to support old folk to heat their homes. Social security allows disabled people to live independent lives. Rather than taking from those who are already struggling, we believe that the wealthier should pay a little more. I refer to people who are on higher than average salaries, like you, Presiding Officer, me and MSPs across the parties. I doubt that we would hear critique about that from the public.

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-04 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  37. Indeed, University of Oxford professor Danny Dorling has described the Scottish child payment policy as a major contributor to the largest reduction in child poverty anywhere in Europe since the fall of the Berlin wall. I reflect, and I am sure that we will hear, that there is a general feeling among some of the Opposition that our approach to social security is out of kilter. Some parties would rather take from the vulnerable by making cuts to social security benefits to fund lower taxes for those with more, but the financial challenges that this country faces were not created by the poor. The SNP Scottish Government will never target those with least to give. Since the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 was passed, we have established a radically different social security system that is built on dignity, fairness and respect.

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-04 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  38. I welcome the minister to her new role. How does she explain Scotland’s economic performance gap? Jenny Gilruth: As Mr McKee is whispering in my ear, the economy is growing faster in Scotland than in other parts of the United Kingdom. In part, that is a result of our approach to a progressive taxation system, which I will go on to talk about, because it benefits our society. I know that Mr Hoy is really engaged in that, because we need to work together on how we can help to support our constituents, regardless of party. We have also been able to fund new policies, such as the Scottish child payment, which is helping to keep the level of child poverty in Scotland lower than it is in the rest of the United Kingdom.

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-04 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  39. The transport secretary will be aware that people in Moffat and Dumfries are very concerned about the parlous state of bus services, particularly the X74. Last summer, the entire bus network across Dumfriesshire nearly fell apart when Stagecoach headed for the exit. That is a legacy problem. Will the minister agree to meet me to discuss my constituents’ real concerns about how we can get fair funding for rural bus services? Stephen Flynn: I am, of course, happy to meet the member, and I certainly sympathise with regard to the impact on his constituents. I hope that, at the meeting that we have, he will outline whether or not he supports franchising. Access to Justice (Patients of Sam Eljamel) 9.

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-04 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  40. However, the SNP’s power grab on the finance committee is akin to putting Dracula in charge of a blood bank. Therefore, I urge all MSPs, regardless of their party, to use the committee system that the Parliament will agree today to hold the Government to account properly. Ministers might be frightened of transparency and routinely seek to avoid scrutiny, so they might not like that, but it is what we are paid to do on behalf of our constituents. Although we will not stand in the way of the formation of committees, the Scottish Conservatives are putting down a very strong marker before ministers. People have had enough of their secrecy. It is time to open the books. The Presiding Officer: I call the Minister for Parliamentary Business and Veterans to respond and to move the four motions. 13:33

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-04 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  41. People will not be surprised that SNP ministers are trying to hijack the finance committee, but it flies in the face of one of the fundamental principles of the Parliament—that the committee system should be independent of Government and doggedly hold it to account. The Scottish Conservatives are in line to secure the convenership of the Social Justice, Housing and Local Government Committee, which will oversee 41 per cent of the Government’s expenditure. We will use our presence on that committee to properly scrutinise the Scottish Government and its bloated SNP benefits bill. MSPs from all parties in the chamber were elected to the Parliament to question the Government and safeguard their constituents’ interests and the taxes that they pay.

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-04 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  42. Has John Swinney learned no lessons from the SNP’s financial scandal about the importance of transparency and independent audit and about the separation of powers? He clearly has not. The SNP has learned no lessons. Who might emerge in those two key roles? In the previous session, the Presiding Officer was the convener of the predecessor committee. He showed grit, determination and independence of mind from the SNP, but is the SNP about to propose a pair of party patsies to rubber-stamp its budget in the Parliament? Will it be the eagle-eyed Colin Beattie or will Kirsten Oswald be swapped from her ministerial brief? Those two MSPs apparently failed to spot £400,000 being stolen from under their noses.

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-04 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  43. I rise not to oppose the formation of committees but to challenge the Government over its latest attempt to undermine fair scrutiny of the decisions that it takes. The Scottish National Party has chosen to nominate one of its own as convener of the finance committee and to take on the position of deputy convener. That contrasts with the previous session of the Parliament, in which an MSP from an Opposition party took on the role of deputy. With a huge focus during this parliamentary session set to be on the Government’s finances, it is sadly predictable that the secretive SNP Government has grabbed those two vital positions. MSPs are rightly concerned about a £5 billion budget black hole, so would it not have been better for the SNP to allow Opposition politicians to lead the scrutiny of the Government’s finances?

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-06-04 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  44. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I echo earlier comments in welcoming you to your new role and congratulating the presiding officers on their election. Although this is not my maiden speech, I also take the opportunity to pay tribute to my predecessor as MSP for Dumfriesshire, Oliver Mundell, who served the constituency with distinction. [Applause.] There is a bitter irony in that, today, the day after the former First Minister’s husband was jailed for stealing the SNP’s independence campaign funds, the current First Minister is back in the chamber seeking another independence referendum. That is an irony that will not be lost on hard-working Scots, who cannot believe that repeating an argument that the SNP lost fairly, squarely and decisively in 2014 can, even for one moment, be the number 1 priority of Scotland’s new

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-05-26 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  45. We believe that that is wrong, but it is the reality. We should focus on what we can change, which is public opinion. There is currently a marginal lead for independence in the polls, but we can concede that the issue is basically 50:50.

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-05-26 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  46. It would give us the power to tackle poverty through things such as minimum wage laws. It would give us the full fiscal powers that we need to invest in the infrastructure for thriving communities and a successful economy. It would give us power over our energy systems, whereby we could make the switch from an energy regulation system that maximises the profits of a handful of companies to a system that provides affordable energy for everyone. The independence movement of 2014 grew support for our cause by focusing on that vision and on what we can achieve with the powers of a normal nation. In the 12 years since then—I have to be honest—I think that far too much of our focus as a movement has been on process rather than on the cause and on that vision. We know that much of it is in Westminster’s hands.

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-05-26 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  47. If Ross Greer believes in democracy and giving voters a choice, why did the Scottish Green Party stand in so few constituencies? Ross Greer: Mr Hoy may have missed the fact that the Scottish Greens gave every voter in Scotland the opportunity to vote for us, and far more of them chose to do so than chose to vote for the Scottish Conservative Party. As I said, I respect the arguments for the union and against independence, but I cannot respect the increasingly desperate means that are being used to justify denying the people of Scotland a choice over our future. The Scottish Greens have always believed that independence is the best choice for Scotland, not as an end but as a means to a greater end. It is our route back into the European Union to undo the incredible damage that Brexit has done and to regain our European citizenships.

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-05-26 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  48. I, Craig William Hoy, do swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles, his heirs and successors, according to law. So help me

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-05-14 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  49. Amendment 16 disagreed to. After section 45 The Deputy Presiding Officer: Amendment 17, in the name of Mark Griffin, has already been debated with amendment 11. I call Michael Marra to just move or not move. Michael Marra: Just moved. Amendment 17 moved—[Michael Marra]. The Deputy Presiding Officer: The question is, that amendment 17 be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No. The Deputy Presiding Officer: There will be a division. The vote is now closed.

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-03-17 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT

  50. For Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Boyack, Sarah (Lothian) (Lab) Burnett, Alexander (Aberdeenshire West) (Con) Carlaw, Jackson (Eastwood) (Con) Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Choudhury, Foysol (Lothian) (Ind) Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab) Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Edinburgh Western) (LD) Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con) Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Glasgow) (Ind) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Ewing, Fergus (Inverness and Nairn) (Ind) 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) Griffin, Mark (Central Scotland) (Lab) Gulhane, Sandesh (Glasgow) (Con) Halcro Johnston, Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Hoy, Craig (South Scotland) (Con) Johnson, Daniel (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) 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) 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) Rennie, Willie (North East Fife) (LD) Ross, Douglas (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Rowley, Alex (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Russell, Davy (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (Lab) Simpson, Graham (Central Scotland) (Reform) Smith, Liz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Stewart, Alexander (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Villalba, Mercedes (North East Scotland) (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) Dornan, James (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) Ewing, Annabelle (Cowdenbeath) (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) MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP) Mackay, Gillian (Central Scotland) (Green) Mackay, Rona (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP) Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP) Maguire, Ruth (Cunninghame South) (SNP) Martin, Gillian (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP) Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (Ind) Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP) McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP) 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) 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) 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 49, Against 66, Abstentions 0.

    MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENT, 2026-03-17 · READ THE OFFICIAL REPORT