Lorna Slater
Scottish Green Party · Scotland
“I am grateful to the minister for highlighting the impact of Green policies such as free bus travel and free school meals. The Scottish Greens have always maintained that progressive public services should be underpinned by sustainable and fair sources of revenue, which is why we have consistently supported changes to Scotland’s income ta…”
“It is also worth stating that the ask in this country is great, but the offer is even greater, with free tuition, free prescriptions, the baby box and the child payment, which the UK Government has followed suit on. There is also free bus travel and free interisland ferry travel for under-22s.”
“It is a matter of urgency that Scotland’s land register be completed so that a comprehensive and publicly accessible online map can be created. I would be very interested to hear the cabinet secretary’s view on the importance of that aspect.”
“If the public purse is stretched, that is the first place that we should look for money. It might involve taxing polluters or using extended producer responsibility schemes such as the deposit return scheme, but in any case it is clear that we can no longer afford to subsidise polluters. The same goes for carbon emissions.”
“In the previous session of Parliament, I was part of the cross-party SPCB Supported Bodies Landscape Review Committee. I would like to highlight to the cabinet secretary two of the recommendations that resulted from that committee’s work.”
“We therefore recommend that the Scottish Government urgently undertakes a strategic mapping exercise to identify the functions of all Scottish public bodies and where they overlap, to inform decisions on future size, structure, and coherence across the public sector.” Michael Marra: It strikes me that that is precisely what Scottish Labou…”
The complete record
Every one of 468 lines we hold for Lorna Slater, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 1 of 10.
“It is also worth stating that the ask in this country is great, but the offer is even greater, with free tuition, free prescriptions, the baby box and the child payment, which the UK Government has followed suit on. There is also free bus travel and free interisland ferry travel for under-22s. Therefore, the ask is great, but the offer is greater. I agree with Ms Slater’s statement.”
“I am grateful to the minister for highlighting the impact of Green policies such as free bus travel and free school meals. The Scottish Greens have always maintained that progressive public services should be underpinned by sustainable and fair sources of revenue, which is why we have consistently supported changes to Scotland’s income tax regime. Given the increase in the net income tax position, does the minister agree that Scotland’s progressive approach to taxation has been an important factor in strengthening the public finances that help to fund those investments? Hannah Mary Goodlad: I thank Ms Slater for the opportunity to reinforce my agreement with what she asked about in her question. A majority of members have been elected to the Parliament on a mandate for progressive tax policy; the benches are full of us.”
“Amendment disagreed to. The Presiding Officer: The fifth question is, that amendment S7M-00309.1, in the name of David Green, which seeks to amend motion S7M- 00309, in the name of Ivan McKee, on public service reform and empowering staff, service users and local communities, be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No. The Presiding Officer: There will be a division. The vote is closed.”
“For Bannerman, Max (Highlands and Islands) (Reform) Beresford, Senga (South Scotland) (Reform) Bland, Amanda (Central Scot and Lothians West) (Reform) Briggs, Miles (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Con) Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Currie, Victor (Highlands and Islands) (Reform) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Findlay, Russell (West Scotland) (Con) Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Gallacher, Meghan (Central Scot and Lothians West) (Con) Hamilton, Rachael (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) Kerr, Liam (North East Scotland) (Con) Kerr, Stephen (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Kerr, Thomas (Glasgow) (Reform) Kirkwood, David (South Scotland) (Reform) Langan, Jamie (South Scotland) (Reform) Lindsay, Amanda (Central Scot and Lothians West) (Reform) MacDougall, Julie (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Reform) Massey, Duncan (North East Scotland) (Reform) McDade, Helen (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Reform) Offord, Malcolm (West Scotland) (Reform) Ross, Angela (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Reform) Schmulian, Kim (Glasgow) (Reform) Simpson, Graham (Central Scot and Lothians West) (Reform) Simpson, Mark (North East Scotland) (Reform) Smith, David (West Scotland) (Reform) Against Adam, George (Paisley) (SNP) Adam, Karen (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) Adamson, Clare (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP) Ahmed, Irshad (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Lab) Anderson, Heather (Dundee City West) (SNP) Arthur, Tom (Renfrewshire West and Levern Valley) (SNP) Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Barratt, David (Cowdenbeath) (SNP) Baxter, Andrew (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (LD) Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North) (SNP) Bibby, Neil (West Scotland) (Lab) Black, Dawn (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP) Bonnar, Steven (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) Bouse, Gary (Falkirk West) (SNP) Brown, Alan (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP) Brown, Keith (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP) Bruce, Holly (Glasgow Southside) (Green) Burgess, Ariane (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Campbell, Kate (Edinburgh Eastern, Musselburgh and Tranent) (SNP) Campbell, Michelle (Renfrewshire North and Cardonald) (SNP) Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green) Chou Turvey, Yi-pei (North East Scotland) (LD) Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab) Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Edinburgh North Western) (LD) Constance, Angela (Almond Valley) (SNP) Day, Martyn (Falkirk East and Linlithgow) (SNP) Dijkstra-Downie, Sanne (Edinburgh Northern) (LD) Doris, Bob (Glasgow Kelvin and Maryhill) (SNP) Duane, Iris (Glasgow) (Green) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) Dunlop, Duncan (South Scotland) (LD) Fagan, Joe (South Scotland) (Lab) Flynn, Stephen (Aberdeen Deeside and North Kincardine) (SNP) Gethins, Stephen (Dundee City East) (SNP) Ghani, Zen (Glasgow Cathcart and Pollok) (SNP) Gibson, Patricia (Cunninghame South) (SNP) Gilruth, Jenny (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (SNP) Goodlad, Hannah Mary (Shetland Islands) (SNP) Gray, Neil (Airdrie) (SNP) Green, David (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (LD) Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green) Griffin, Mark (Central Scot and Lothians West) (Lab) Hagmann, Katie (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) Harley, Adam (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (LD) Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green) Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen and Cambuslang) (SNP) Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP) Johnson, Daniel (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) Kerr, Alex (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (SNP) Kerr, Calum (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP) Kinross-O’Neill, Kayleigh (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Green) Kumar, Simita (Edinburgh South Western) (SNP) Leask, Kristopher (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Long, Joe (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) MacCallum, Morven-May (Highlands and Islands) (LD) MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP) Mackay, Gillian (Central Scot and Lothians West) (Green) MacKinnon, Donald (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (Lab) Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh North Eastern and Leith) (SNP) Marra, Michael (North East Scotland) (Lab) Martin, Gillian (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP) McArthur, Liam (Orkney Islands) (LD) McKee, Cara (West Scotland) (Green) McKee, Ivan (Glasgow Easterhouse and Springburn) (SNP) McMillan, Stuart (Inverclyde) (SNP) McNair, Marie (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP) McNeill, Pauline (Glasgow) (Lab) Melville, Lloyd (Angus South) (SNP) Merrick, Colm (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP) Middleton, Jack (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) Minto, Jenni (Argyll and Bute) (SNP) Mitchell, Laura (Moray) (SNP) Mochan, Carol (South Scotland) (Lab) Moodie, Laura (South Scotland) (Green) Nevens, Kate (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Green) Oswald, Kirsten (Eastwood) (SNP) Rennie, Willie (Fife North East) (LD) Roddick, Emma (Inverness and Nairn) (SNP) Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Sangster, Katherine (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Lab) Slater, Lorna (Edinburgh Central) (Green) Smith, Alyn (Stirling) (SNP) Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP) Stafford, Pauline (Bathgate) (SNP) Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Todd, Maree (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) Torrance, David (Kirkcaldy) (SNP) Young, Jenny (Central Scot and Lothians West) (Lab) The Presiding Officer: The result of the division on amendment S7M-00309.5, in the name of Murdo Fraser, is: For 26, Against 91, Abstentions 0.”
“Amendment agreed to. The Presiding Officer: The next question is, that amendment S7M-00309.5, in the name of Murdo Fraser, which seeks to amend motion S7M- 00309, in the name of Ivan McKee, on public service reform and empowering staff, service users and local communities, be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No. The Presiding Officer: There will be a division.”
“For Adam, George (Paisley) (SNP) Adam, Karen (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) Adamson, Clare (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP) Anderson, Heather (Dundee City West) (SNP) Arthur, Tom (Renfrewshire West and Levern Valley) (SNP) Barratt, David (Cowdenbeath) (SNP) Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North) (SNP) Black, Dawn (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP) Bonnar, Steven (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) Bouse, Gary (Falkirk West) (SNP) Brown, Alan (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP) Brown, Keith (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP) Bruce, Holly (Glasgow Southside) (Green) Burgess, Ariane (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Campbell, Kate (Edinburgh Eastern, Musselburgh and Tranent) (SNP) Campbell, Michelle (Renfrewshire North and Cardonald) (SNP) Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green) Constance, Angela (Almond Valley) (SNP) Day, Martyn (Falkirk East and Linlithgow) (SNP) Doris, Bob (Glasgow Kelvin and Maryhill) (SNP) Duane, Iris (Glasgow) (Green) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) Flynn, Stephen (Aberdeen Deeside and North Kincardine) (SNP) Gethins, Stephen (Dundee City East) (SNP) Ghani, Zen (Glasgow Cathcart and Pollok) (SNP) Gibson, Patricia (Cunninghame South) (SNP) Gilruth, Jenny (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (SNP) Goodlad, Hannah Mary (Shetland Islands) (SNP) Gray, Neil (Airdrie) (SNP) Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green) Hagmann, Katie (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green) Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen and Cambuslang) (SNP) Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP) Kerr, Alex (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (SNP) Kerr, Calum (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP) Kinross-O’Neill, Kayleigh (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Green) Kumar, Simita (Edinburgh South Western) (SNP) Leask, Kristopher (Highlands and Islands) (Green) MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP) Mackay, Gillian (Central Scot and Lothians West) (Green) Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh North Eastern and Leith) (SNP) Manivannan, Q (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Green) Martin, Gillian (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP) McKee, Cara (West Scotland) (Green) McKee, Ivan (Glasgow Easterhouse and Springburn) (SNP) McMillan, Stuart (Inverclyde) (SNP) McNair, Marie (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP) Melville, Lloyd (Angus South) (SNP) Merrick, Colm (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP) Middleton, Jack (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) Minto, Jenni (Argyll and Bute) (SNP) Mitchell, Laura (Moray) (SNP) Moodie, Laura (South Scotland) (Green) Nevens, Kate (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Green) Oswald, Kirsten (Eastwood) (SNP) Roddick, Emma (Inverness and Nairn) (SNP) Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Slater, Lorna (Edinburgh Central) (Green) Smith, Alyn (Stirling) (SNP) Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP) Stafford, Pauline (Bathgate) (SNP) Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP) Todd, Maree (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) Torrance, David (Kirkcaldy) (SNP) Against Bannerman, Max (Highlands and Islands) (Reform) Beresford, Senga (South Scotland) (Reform) Bland, Amanda (Central Scot and Lothians West) (Reform) Briggs, Miles (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Con) Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Currie, Victor (Highlands and Islands) (Reform) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Findlay, Russell (West Scotland) (Con) Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Gallacher, Meghan (Central Scot and Lothians West) (Con) Hamilton, Rachael (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) Hoy, Craig (Dumfriesshire) (Con) Kerr, Liam (North East Scotland) (Con) Kerr, Stephen (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Kerr, Thomas (Glasgow) (Reform) Kirkwood, David (South Scotland) (Reform) Langan, Jamie (South Scotland) (Reform) Lindsay, Amanda (Central Scot and Lothians West) (Reform) MacDougall, Julie (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Reform) Massey, Duncan (North East Scotland) (Reform) McDade, Helen (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Reform) Offord, Malcolm (West Scotland) (Reform) Ross, Angela (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Reform) Schmulian, Kim (Glasgow) (Reform) Simpson, Graham (Central Scot and Lothians West) (Reform) Simpson, Mark (North East Scotland) (Reform) Smith, David (West Scotland) (Reform) Abstentions Ahmed, Irshad (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Lab) Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Baxter, Andrew (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (LD) Bibby, Neil (West Scotland) (Lab) Chou Turvey, Yi-pei (North East Scotland) (LD) Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab) Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Edinburgh North Western) (LD) Dijkstra-Downie, Sanne (Edinburgh Northern) (LD) Dunlop, Duncan (South Scotland) (LD) Fagan, Joe (South Scotland) (Lab) Green, David (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (LD) Griffin, Mark (Central Scot and Lothians West) (Lab) Harley, Adam (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (LD) Johnson, Daniel (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) Long, Joe (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) MacCallum, Morven-May (Highlands and Islands) (LD) MacKinnon, Donald (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (Lab) Marra, Michael (North East Scotland) (Lab) McArthur, Liam (Orkney Islands) (LD) McNeill, Pauline (Glasgow) (Lab) Mochan, Carol (South Scotland) (Lab) Rennie, Willie (Fife North East) (LD) Sangster, Katherine (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Lab) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Young, Jenny (Central Scot and Lothians West) (Lab) The Presiding Officer: The result of the division on amendment S7M-00309.2, in the name of Lorna Slater, is: For 66, Against 27, Abstentions 26.”
“Amendment disagreed to. The Presiding Officer: The next question is, that amendment S7M-00309.2, in the name of Lorna Slater, which seeks to amend motion S7M- 00309, in the name of Ivan McKee, on public service reform and empowering staff, service users and local communities, be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No. The Presiding Officer: There will be a division.”
“For Bannerman, Max (Highlands and Islands) (Reform) Beresford, Senga (South Scotland) (Reform) Bland, Amanda (Central Scot and Lothians West) (Reform) Currie, Victor (Highlands and Islands) (Reform) Kerr, Thomas (Glasgow) (Reform) Kirkwood, David (South Scotland) (Reform) Langan, Jamie (South Scotland) (Reform) Lindsay, Amanda (Central Scot and Lothians West) (Reform) MacDougall, Julie (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Reform) Massey, Duncan (North East Scotland) (Reform) McDade, Helen (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Reform) Offord, Malcolm (West Scotland) (Reform) Ross, Angela (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Reform) Schmulian, Kim (Glasgow) (Reform) Simpson, Graham (Central Scot and Lothians West) (Reform) Simpson, Mark (North East Scotland) (Reform) Smith, David (West Scotland) (Reform) Against Adam, George (Paisley) (SNP) Adam, Karen (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) Adamson, Clare (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP) Ahmed, Irshad (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Lab) Anderson, Heather (Dundee City West) (SNP) Arthur, Tom (Renfrewshire West and Levern Valley) (SNP) Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Barratt, David (Cowdenbeath) (SNP) Baxter, Andrew (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (LD) Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North) (SNP) Bibby, Neil (West Scotland) (Lab) Black, Dawn (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP) Bonnar, Steven (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) Bouse, Gary (Falkirk West) (SNP) Brown, Alan (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP) Brown, Keith (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP) Bruce, Holly (Glasgow Southside) (Green) Burgess, Ariane (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Campbell, Kate (Edinburgh Eastern, Musselburgh and Tranent) (SNP) Campbell, Michelle (Renfrewshire North and Cardonald) (SNP) Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green) Chou Turvey, Yi-pei (North East Scotland) (LD) Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab) Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Edinburgh North Western) (LD) Constance, Angela (Almond Valley) (SNP) Day, Martyn (Falkirk East and Linlithgow) (SNP) Dijkstra-Downie, Sanne (Edinburgh Northern) (LD) Doris, Bob (Glasgow Kelvin and Maryhill) (SNP) Duane, Iris (Glasgow) (Green) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) Dunlop, Duncan (South Scotland) (LD) Fagan, Joe (South Scotland) (Lab) Flynn, Stephen (Aberdeen Deeside and North Kincardine) (SNP) Gethins, Stephen (Dundee City East) (SNP) Ghani, Zen (Glasgow Cathcart and Pollok) (SNP) Gibson, Patricia (Cunninghame South) (SNP) Gilruth, Jenny (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (SNP) Goodlad, Hannah Mary (Shetland Islands) (SNP) Gray, Neil (Airdrie) (SNP) Green, David (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (LD) Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green) Griffin, Mark (Central Scot and Lothians West) (Lab) Hagmann, Katie (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) Harley, Adam (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (LD) Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green) Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen and Cambuslang) (SNP) Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP) Johnson, Daniel (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) Kerr, Alex (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (SNP) Kerr, Calum (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP) Kinross-O’Neill, Kayleigh (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Green) Kumar, Simita (Edinburgh South Western) (SNP) Leask, Kristopher (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Long, Joe (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) MacCallum, Morven-May (Highlands and Islands) (LD) MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP) Mackay, Gillian (Central Scot and Lothians West) (Green) MacKinnon, Donald (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (Lab) Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh North Eastern and Leith) (SNP) Manivannan, Q (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Green) Marra, Michael (North East Scotland) (Lab) Martin, Gillian (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP) McArthur, Liam (Orkney Islands) (LD) McKee, Cara (West Scotland) (Green) McKee, Ivan (Glasgow Easterhouse and Springburn) (SNP) McMillan, Stuart (Inverclyde) (SNP) McNair, Marie (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP) McNeill, Pauline (Glasgow) (Lab) Melville, Lloyd (Angus South) (SNP) Merrick, Colm (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP) Middleton, Jack (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) Minto, Jenni (Argyll and Bute) (SNP) Mitchell, Laura (Moray) (SNP) Mochan, Carol (South Scotland) (Lab) Moodie, Laura (South Scotland) (Green) Nevens, Kate (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Green) Oswald, Kirsten (Eastwood) (SNP) Rennie, Willie (Fife North East) (LD) Roddick, Emma (Inverness and Nairn) (SNP) Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Sangster, Katherine (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Lab) Slater, Lorna (Edinburgh Central) (Green) Smith, Alyn (Stirling) (SNP) Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP) Stafford, Pauline (Bathgate) (SNP) Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Todd, Maree (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) Torrance, David (Kirkcaldy) (SNP) Young, Jenny (Central Scot and Lothians West) (Lab) Abstentions Briggs, Miles (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Con) Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Findlay, Russell (West Scotland) (Con) Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Gallacher, Meghan (Central Scot and Lothians West) (Con) Hamilton, Rachael (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) Kerr, Liam (North East Scotland) (Con) Kerr, Stephen (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) The Presiding Officer: The result of the division on amendment S7M-00309.4, in the name of Malcolm Offord, is: For 17, Against 92, Abstentions 9.”
“Amendment agreed to. The Presiding Officer: I remind members that, if the amendment in the name of Malcolm Offord is agreed to, the amendment in the name of Murdo Fraser will fall. The next question is, that amendment S7M- 00309.4, in the name of Malcolm Offord, which seeks to amend motion S7M-00309, in the name of Ivan McKee, on public service reform and empowering staff, service users and local communities, be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No. The Presiding Officer: There will be a division.”
“My apologies, Presiding Officer. That was left over from when the app was not working. The Presiding Officer: Okay, thank you. For Adam, George (Paisley) (SNP) Adam, Karen (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) Adamson, Clare (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP) Ahmed, Irshad (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Lab) Anderson, Heather (Dundee City West) (SNP) Arthur, Tom (Renfrewshire West and Levern Valley) (SNP) Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Bannerman, Max (Highlands and Islands) (Reform) Barratt, David (Cowdenbeath) (SNP) Baxter, Andrew (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (LD) Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North) (SNP) Beresford, Senga (South Scotland) (Reform) Bibby, Neil (West Scotland) (Lab) Black, Dawn (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP) Bland, Amanda (Central Scot and Lothians West) (Reform) Bonnar, Steven (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) Bouse, Gary (Falkirk West) (SNP) Brown, Alan (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP) Brown, Keith (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP) Campbell, Kate (Edinburgh Eastern, Musselburgh and Tranent) (SNP) Campbell, Michelle (Renfrewshire North and Cardonald) (SNP) Chou Turvey, Yi-pei (North East Scotland) (LD) Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab) Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Edinburgh North Western) (LD) Constance, Angela (Almond Valley) (SNP) Currie, Victor (Highlands and Islands) (Reform) Day, Martyn (Falkirk East and Linlithgow) (SNP) Dijkstra-Downie, Sanne (Edinburgh Northern) (LD) Doris, Bob (Glasgow Kelvin and Maryhill) (SNP) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) Dunlop, Duncan (South Scotland) (LD) Fagan, Joe (South Scotland) (Lab) Flynn, Stephen (Aberdeen Deeside and North Kincardine) (SNP) Gethins, Stephen (Dundee City East) (SNP) Ghani, Zen (Glasgow Cathcart and Pollok) (SNP) Gibson, Patricia (Cunninghame South) (SNP) Gilruth, Jenny (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (SNP) Goodlad, Hannah Mary (Shetland Islands) (SNP) Gray, Neil (Airdrie) (SNP) Green, David (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (LD) Griffin, Mark (Central Scot and Lothians West) (Lab) Hagmann, Katie (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) Harley, Adam (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (LD) Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen and Cambuslang) (SNP) Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP) Johnson, Daniel (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) Kerr, Alex (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (SNP) Kerr, Calum (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP) Kerr, Thomas (Glasgow) (Reform) Kirkwood, David (South Scotland) (Reform) Kumar, Simita (Edinburgh South Western) (SNP) Langan, Jamie (South Scotland) (Reform) Lindsay, Amanda (Central Scot and Lothians West) (Reform) Long, Joe (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) MacCallum, Morven-May (Highlands and Islands) (LD) MacDougall, Julie (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Reform) MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP) MacKinnon, Donald (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (Lab) Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh North Eastern and Leith) (SNP) Marra, Michael (North East Scotland) (Lab) Martin, Gillian (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP) Massey, Duncan (North East Scotland) (Reform) McArthur, Liam (Orkney Islands) (LD) McDade, Helen (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Reform) McKee, Ivan (Glasgow Easterhouse and Springburn) (SNP) McMillan, Stuart (Inverclyde) (SNP) McNair, Marie (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP) McNeill, Pauline (Glasgow) (Lab) Melville, Lloyd (Angus South) (SNP) Merrick, Colm (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP) Middleton, Jack (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) Minto, Jenni (Argyll and Bute) (SNP) Mitchell, Laura (Moray) (SNP) Mochan, Carol (South Scotland) (Lab) Offord, Malcolm (West Scotland) (Reform) Oswald, Kirsten (Eastwood) (SNP) Rennie, Willie (Fife North East) (LD) Roddick, Emma (Inverness and Nairn) (SNP) Ross, Angela (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Reform) Sangster, Katherine (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Lab) Schmulian, Kim (Glasgow) (Reform) Simpson, Graham (Central Scot and Lothians West) (Reform) Simpson, Mark (North East Scotland) (Reform) Smith, Alyn (Stirling) (SNP) Smith, David (West Scotland) (Reform) Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP) Stafford, Pauline (Bathgate) (SNP) Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Todd, Maree (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) Torrance, David (Kirkcaldy) (SNP) Young, Jenny (Central Scot and Lothians West) (Lab) Against Bruce, Holly (Glasgow Southside) (Green) Burgess, Ariane (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green) Duane, Iris (Glasgow) (Green) Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green) Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green) Kinross-O’Neill, Kayleigh (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Green) Leask, Kristopher (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Mackay, Gillian (Central Scot and Lothians West) (Green) Manivannan, Q (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Green) McKee, Cara (West Scotland) (Green) Moodie, Laura (South Scotland) (Green) Nevens, Kate (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Green) Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Slater, Lorna (Edinburgh Central) (Green) Abstentions Briggs, Miles (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Con) Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Findlay, Russell (West Scotland) (Con) Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Gallacher, Meghan (Central Scot and Lothians West) (Con) Hamilton, Rachael (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) Kerr, Liam (North East Scotland) (Con) Kerr, Stephen (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) The Presiding Officer: The result of the division on amendment S7M-00309.3, in the name of Michael Marra, is: For 94, Against 15, Abstentions 9.”
“I move amendment S7M-00309, to insert at end: “; agrees that any programme of public sector reform must be worker-led; believes that public service reform must incorporate community wealth building principles, including procurement reform, to ensure that more public money is spent locally; agrees that public bodies and organisations receiving public funding must adhere to fair work principles, and that public bodies should have clear duties to protect the environment, build resilience to climate change and uphold human rights and that public sector reform should be accompanied by a greater devolution of powers to Scotland.””
“We can try to do things differently on taxation or benefits so as to increase revenue or improve outcomes, but we will always be trying to fight poverty and climate change with one arm tied behind our back. It is clear to the Scottish Greens that public sector reform must be accompanied by a greater devolution of powers to Scotland.”
“It may be that, in the course of consultation with the public and workers, decisions may be made to change the number of public bodies. However, for Labour to come in, right off the bat, saying, “Let’s cut some”, before we have even asked questions and done the mapping exercise, seems to be putting the cart before the horse, and it hardly represents the worker-led reform that we are after. As with many aspects of governing in Scotland, we can do only so much because of the limitations of the devolution settlement. We can try to implement initiatives such as the polluter-pays approach, but we can be vetoed by the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020.”
“We therefore recommend that the Scottish Government urgently undertakes a strategic mapping exercise to identify the functions of all Scottish public bodies and where they overlap, to inform decisions on future size, structure, and coherence across the public sector.” Michael Marra: It strikes me that that is precisely what Scottish Labour’s amendment describes. We must understand the shape of those public bodies, decide where there is duplication and stop having some of them. Given that the committee that the member sat on said that that was a good idea, will she vote for our amendment? Lorna Slater: The Labour amendment specifically talks about cutting public bodies, but not about making sure that their remits do not overlap, which would involve changing the remits of those bodies.”
“In the previous session of Parliament, I was part of the cross-party SPCB Supported Bodies Landscape Review Committee. I would like to highlight to the cabinet secretary two of the recommendations that resulted from that committee’s work. One says: “While the Committee was tasked with reviewing the SPCB supported landscape only, this small fraction of the public sector should not be seen in isolation from the wider public sector. The evidence is clear that many of the measures we are recommending in this report could also apply more widely.” Another says: “In particular, while we welcome the Scottish Government’s public service reform programme, we were surprised to learn about a lack of understanding of the functions and potential overlaps and duplication among the public bodies it funds.”
“It is a matter of urgency that Scotland’s land register be completed so that a comprehensive and publicly accessible online map can be created. I would be very interested to hear the cabinet secretary’s view on the importance of that aspect. The Scottish Greens believe that public money can be spent more effectively if conditions are attached to it. We would make fair work first conditions mandatory for public procurement, grants and economic development funding, which would ensure that no company in receipt of public money could use exploitative practices such as fire and rehire or zero-hours contracts. The Scottish Greens believe that public bodies should have clear duties to protect the environment, build resilience to climate change and uphold human rights. Reform of the public sector must embed those duties throughout.”
“If the public purse is stretched, that is the first place that we should look for money. It might involve taxing polluters or using extended producer responsibility schemes such as the deposit return scheme, but in any case it is clear that we can no longer afford to subsidise polluters. The same goes for carbon emissions. Through tree planting, peatland restoration and carbon capture schemes, the Scottish Government is spending—and will spend—a lot of money on desperately trying to pull carbon out of our atmosphere. It would be much cheaper to prevent those emissions in the first place, by removing the direct and indirect subsidies for producing them. Of course, we would know more about who is receiving public subsidies and what they are doing with them if we had a complete land registry.”
“The Scottish Greens believe that public services should be under public ownership and should not be run for profit. We would bring more of Scotland’s buses back under public control, and we would support having publicly owned ports that could be key economic drivers of the energy transition to develop local supply chains, bring oil and gas workers into new opportunities and diversify our marine economy. There is a larger conversation to be had about the responsibilities of the public and private sectors. For too long, private companies have generated profits while polluting our environment—pollution and litter that our councils and other public bodies have had to clean up at public expense. Industries should pay to clean up after themselves—that is, the polluter-pays approach.”
“Simple things such as ensuring that our children have enough healthy food to eat while they are growing up will lessen the strain on our NHS in the future. I absolutely do not support Scottish Labour’s approach, as set out in its amendment, that a list should be created of all public bodies and that someone—possibly the cabinet secretary—should look down that list and, with a black marker pen, cross out organisations to satisfy that party’s desire to make cuts. The Scottish Greens believe that reform in our public services should be worker led. Reform should be designed by the front-line workers who deliver the services and by the communities that depend on them, not by someone sitting in St Andrew's house with a whiteboard and a black marker pen.”
“Reforming our public services means making sure that they are sustainable for the long term. It also means ensuring that they are delivering what we need them to deliver, including healthcare that is free at the point of need. Poverty is expensive. Not only is so much human potential lost when children grow up in poverty, because they lack the opportunity to thrive, but their health outcomes are worse and social structures are more fragile. We all have to pay the costs of repairing that damage. Although I am sceptical about the focus on AI in the Government’s reform strategy, I support the cabinet secretary’s emphasis on prevention. Preventing children from growing up in poverty will alleviate much of the strain on our public services down the line.”
“Lorna Slater: I am going to make some progress, thank you.”
“Where do we source the gas and oil to meet the demand? Lorna Slater: We need to manage that demand. The Scottish Government should have kept its commitment to reduce traffic kilometres by 20 per cent. It should have introduced the heat in buildings bill, which would have reduced energy demand to heat our homes. We can reduce the demand by changing how we use energy. The main problem for our energy in the UK, and for our costs here, is the way that the UK Government links energy, electricity and gas prices, which prevents bill payers from benefiting from the low generating cost of renewable energy. That urgently needs to change to allow for cheap renewable energy that would boost industry and accelerate the decarbonisation of heat and transport. Duncan Massey: Will the member take an intervention?”
“For a change of tone, the Scottish Greens believe that Scotland’s energy should be put in Scotland’s hands. We have long called for more powers for Scotland, as well as Scottish independence. Scotland urgently needs to respond to the climate emergency, cut the cost of living and ensure our long-term sustainable energy security. It might come as a shock to my colleague, but oil and gas are a finite resource. They are not abundant—it is a declining basin. Every litre of oil and gas that is pulled out of that basin costs more than the litre before, and that is even if we expand investment in oil and gas. It is a declining industry. The cost of energy in Scotland is a challenge. Liam Kerr: The member does not, however, address the fact that demand is continuing to rise and is not going anywhere.”
“I am sure that the vision that we have set out is shared by many across the parties, even if we differ on the path to realising it. Where there is common ground, I invite members to work with us. Gillian Mackay was right to point out last week that those parties that were able to extract things from the Government in the previous session benefited at the ballot box. I say challenge us, engage with us and help us to deliver for our people, who, more than ever, demand a Parliament that can urgently respond to the cost of living crisis. They voted for a Parliament of minorities, in which parties must reach out across their dividing lines to improve our country. In the seventh session of Scotland’s reconvened national Parliament, the Parliament must truly work to serve all the people of Scotland. Urgent Question 16:50”
“Working to bring down the cost of the family shop, helping more young people to afford their first home and capping bus fares to help with the cost of living are just some of the ambitious policies that will provide transformative change for families, communities and our country, and we will transform the way that people access our public services. I am mindful of the time and will close. Today, the First Minister has set out a clear and ambitious vision, which we are starting to deliver in the first 100 days. That vision will create a wealthier Scotland in which wealth is shared and people can see the benefits of our collective efforts in their lives and the services that they use. As we have seen in today’s debate, some things divide us but plenty unites us.”
“Going back to the kingdom of Fife, I note that she is the daughter of the former Labour MP for Glenrothes and that her father is fondly recalled in my constituency for the service that he provided over a number of years. It is essential to have a Government that is ambitious and that will prioritise the cost of living crisis. Our people want a Government that will back our businesses not just by protecting them from economic headwinds, but by seizing new opportunities to help to grow our economy. They want to see the benefits of that prosperity reflected in their daily lives and the services that they use. The First Minister set out earlier just some of the bold and innovative actions that we will take to support people and businesses in Scotland in these really challenging times.”
“I am mindful of the time, but it would be remiss of me not to mention Duncan Dunlop’s speech. Many colleagues across the chamber will know Mr Dunlop from his advocacy and work through Who Cares? Scotland. His work on behalf of the care- experienced community is admirable, and I know that he, too, will use his experience to hold the Government to account. He spoke really powerfully today, particularly on behalf of a young man whom he spoke about in great detail. Duncan Dunlop: Will the cabinet secretary commit to recording the premature deaths of care- experienced people? Jenny Gilruth: I am certainly happy to take away that ask from the member this afternoon. Julie MacDougall also made her initial speech in the chamber today.”
“She spoke really powerfully about her personal experiences and she drew a strong analogy between the barriers that she has faced and those that Scotland faces today. I know that she will bring her powerful experience to be a strong advocate for her community in this place, and I expect to be held to account on those points in the coming months. We also heard from Paisley’s MSP, George Adam. He is back, and members on the SNP benches are delighted to see that. He spoke passionately about the negativity in the election campaign from some corners, and we heard that continue from some Opposition members this afternoon. He also spoke about belief, fairness and the opportunity to drive improvement. We want to build a country to unlock Scotland’s real potential. What is so wrong about that? What is the fear that is holding Scotland back?”
“Michelle Campbell brings with her a wealth of experience from her time as a nurse, which this Parliament will benefit from, but she also brings political experience, because, like so many people, she has changed her mind since 2014. People are allowed to change their minds about who they vote for and about the constitutional position of this country. In a voluntary union, people should be able to change their minds, just as Michelle Campbell did. Today, the Government has put forward a proposal to ask again to run a referendum and to ask the people to give their views on Scotland’s future. I feel quite old, because Kayleigh Kinross- O'Neill said that she was only a couple of months old in 1999, but I welcome her youthfulness to this place nonetheless.”
“We heard, too, from Alex Kerr, who is the new MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse. I pay tribute to Mr Kerr. Those of us on the SNP benches are sincerely proud that Christina McKelvie’s constituency is once again represented by an SNP MSP. Mr Kerr asked why, if the Opposition was confident in the strength of its conviction, it would fear giving Scotland’s people a say on their future. We have not heard an answer to that question in this afternoon’s debate. What is the fear about asking the people for their views on our constitutional future? Michelle Campbell, who is a fellow Fifer, has replaced Natalie Don-Innes—my former Minister for Children, Young People and the Promise, who will also be much missed in the chamber.”
“That has been a key part of this afternoon’s debate—indeed, that is its purpose. We know that the status quo is not as good as it gets. As Patricia Gibson rightly observed, the people have a right to choose their future, and they should have an opportunity to express their views on the country’s future. We heard from a number of new MSPs including Senga Beresford from Reform UK, whom I welcome to her place. I am afraid that I am not going to agree with her characterisation of Scotland’s education system, but I can agree with her on a point that she made in relation to the Scottish people making their priorities clear. Of course, this is a Parliament with the largest-ever majority support for independence. She might not like that, and we can agree to disagree on those matters, but it cannot simply be wished away.”
“Lloyd Melville reminded us about the journey here, the campaigning, and about the normalisation of the existence of this Parliament for his generation and for those yet to come. Mr Melville commented on living well with our neighbours, which should be the ambition for all. That sentiment came through in a number of contributions today. Patricia Gibson, a fellow former teacher and the new MSP for Cunninghame South, spoke about Ruth Maguire, whom colleagues here know well. Like me, Ruth was part of the 2016 intake, and she will be much missed by my party. Patricia Gibson rightly spoke about the progress that we have delivered under this Government in relation to free tuition and the expansion of early learning and childcare, and she spoke about there not being a limit to our ambitions.”
“It is a mark of the man that Mr MacKinnon paid tribute to Dr Alasdair Allan. It will come as no surprise to Mr MacKinnon that I spent a good deal of my time as transport minister in the Western Isles, so I know how important connectivity is to his constituency. I give him a commitment that this Government will do all that we can to engage directly with him on those issues, as we have done in previous years. His allegation that his constituency is the most beautiful part of the country will have to sit on the shelf, as there may be some disagreement about that. I pay tribute to Lloyd Melville, the new MSP for Angus South. I know that Graeme Dey will be extremely proud of Mr Melville and his contribution, having campaigned alongside Lloyd to secure his election to Parliament.”
“Their positivity today has been a breath of fresh air compared to what we saw in the previous session. I will begin with Kate Campbell, who was the first woman to make a contribution to today’s debate, after we had waited approximately an hour for that. I welcome her to Parliament as the new MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Musselburgh and Tranent. She is right to speak about the optimism and hope that people are asking for and voted for. I listened as she recounted the different political challenges that Scotland has faced and talked extremely powerfully about the opportunism that we have seen from the far right. As she said, it is not immigrants who have created the cost of living crisis. Parliament roundly agrees with that sentiment. We also heard from Donald MacKinnon, the new MSP for the Western Isles.”
“Those missions are not only our priorities; they are the priorities of the people of Scotland and reflect issues that came up on doorsteps time and time again throughout the election campaign. As the First Minister said, it was a cost of living election. I am sure that every MSP heard that clearly on doorsteps as people spoke about food shopping, energy bills and even about being able to afford their journey to work. People told us that they want a Government that will be on their side. I will turn to members’ contributions, and I will begin with those from new MSPs. I agree with one point that was made by Rachael Hamilton. We were both elected 10 years ago, and she spoke about the nervousness that people feel on making their first contributions. I welcome the spirit that we have seen from our new MSPs.”
“He lifted our party up, led us forward and delivered the fifth successive SNP Scottish Government. Following that emphatic result, the first Scottish Government debate in this seventh session of our reconvened national Parliament is, rightly, focused on the future of our nation. We have heard a range of contributions today from colleagues across the chamber, and I thank them for those contributions. I particularly welcome those who were speaking in their first debate here, and I will comment on their remarks in due course. At the start of the debate, the First Minister set out the Government’s priorities, which are to create a prosperous, secure and fairer country.”
“The Deputy Presiding Officer: I call Jenny Gilruth to wind up on behalf of the Scottish Government. 16:40 The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government (Jenny Gilruth): This is my first contribution in Parliament since the election, so I begin by placing on record my gratitude to the people of the Mid Fife and Glenrothes constituency for re-electing me to serve them in our national Parliament. It is a privilege for all of us to serve here, and that privilege has been deepened in my new role as Deputy First Minister. I am sincerely grateful to the First Minister for the opportunity to serve my country in that capacity. I know that I speak on behalf of the entire SNP parliamentary group when I say a heartfelt thank you to John Swinney for his leadership throughout.”
“The First Minister must be open and must open up the Scottish Government to scrutiny so that ministers are held accountable for delivery and so that we can restore some of that public trust. The First Minister must make the priorities of Scots his priorities. George Adam is right: this is about people. Their priorities, as I heard on the doorstep, are about tackling the cost of living crisis; making life more affordable; ensuring that our young people learn and succeed; delivering trains, buses and ferries that run on time; reducing NHS waiting times; ending the 8 am rush for a GP appointment; and fixing the social care crisis. That is what being ambitious for Scotland looks like. The Government must stop the division, stop blaming someone else and deliver, because that is what it will, rightly, be judged on.”
“That was after a report had been made to the police. Frankly, it is mind-boggling that John Swinney, as a former finance secretary and now First Minister, was unaware of what was happening to the money in his own party yet thinks that he should be trusted with Scotland’s finances. There are people sitting in this chamber, as MSPs and ministers, who covered up that scandal, who bullied colleagues into silence and who must take their share of the blame for the lack of action. The SNP playbook means that the response has more to do with spin and secrecy than with being open and accountable. The level of secrecy and complacency erodes public trust in the Scottish Parliament, the Scottish Government and politicians overall.”
“She could be talking about how great the union is, but I do not think she talks about how great she thinks the union is. She will not allow an independence referendum because she knows that she would lose an independence referendum. That is the real reason why the Labour Government at Westminster will not allow one. Jackie Baillie: I am happy to take interventions, but fantasy interventions are too much. That might be what Lorna Slater chooses to think, but it does not reflect the reality of what I heard on doorsteps across Scotland. In his speech, Russell Findlay was right about the First Minister, who knew Peter Murrell well—in fact, he appointed him. He went on TV as Deputy First Minister in 2021 and said that he had no idea why his colleagues had resigned in protest from the SNP’s national executive committee.”
“Will Jackie Baillie take an intervention? Jackie Baillie: I will make some progress, if the member does not mind. However, instead of doing that, Peter Murrell spent it on a Jag, a mobile home, a salt-and- pepper grinder—worth £2,600—jewellery, make- up and a range of high-end household goods. Shopping at Harrods and Fortnum & Mason was a regular thing. How on earth does a luxury salt-and- pepper grinder advance the cause of independence? I think that we should be told. Murrell did all that while married to the SNP First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. It happened under her nose, in the party and in her own home. It is astonishing for a woman who is so smart and over the detail. However, in fairness to her, she has issued statements denying any knowledge of it. Lorna Slater: Jackie Baillie is presenting some pretty scraping-the-barrel stuff.”
“I want this Government to stand up to the challenge, to take on the mantle of the 2030 species threat abatement and restoration targets that it set for itself and to be able to confidently say, in four years, that it has succeeded. I want that more than I can say. The legacy of a particular Government or minister can last until the next election, or it can last for generations. I ask each and every one of the ministers who is being appointed today to think for the long term, to build a sustainable and fair Scotland and to be bold. 15:00”
“The Deputy First Minister is going to have to reform council tax if we are to have any chance of keeping our front-line public services sustainable. Stephen Flynn, Tom Arthur, Jim Fairlie and Gillian Martin are going to have to make some difficult decisions about transportation, industry and land management if they are to meet the Government’s own climate and nature targets. We already see the costs of wildfires and floods. We already see alarming losses of pollinators and seabirds. We see the encroachment of invasive species, such as rhododendron, into our last few remnants of native rainforest, and we are down to our last few capercaillie. Will this be the Government that loses the last of the rainforest? Will its actions lead to the loss of capercaillie and other species, for ever? We are going to find out.”
“We have no chance of meeting our climate targets while people in Scotland are living in poorly insulated, draughty homes, which they are forced to heat using oil and gas because of a lack of heat networks, district heating and a national ambition to install low- carbon heating. The lack of that ambition in the past is going to hit particularly hard next winter: with the Strait of Hormuz still effectively closed, it is likely that the price of oil and gas will climb to astronomical heights. The SNP’s historical failure to act is trapping millions into high heating costs. We are about to find out what the consequences of that are. All the easy stuff on climate and fair taxation has been done; what is left is the hard stuff.”
“Stephen Flynn on transport and Stephen Gethins on energy will need to make the changes necessary to meet the key 2030 milestones on our journey to net zero carbon emissions, as set out in the carbon budgeting framework. Shirley-Anne Somerville will have her hands full, delivering the 36,000 affordable homes that the Scottish Government has promised by 2030. If the Government does not want this term to be a litany of failure, cowardice and backtracking, it is going to need to take bold steps quickly. Whether it is introduced by Shirley-Anne Somerville under housing, Stephen Gethins under energy or Gillian Martin under climate, a heat in buildings bill needs to come back—and it needs to pass.”
“Supporting women to get the healthcare that they need is something that we can all be proud of. Members, it is 2026 and, in only four years, it will be 2030. The SNP Government has promised a lot by 2030—a lot of targets are coming due. This is going to be the “find out” Parliament. By 2030, the Government is supposed to have stopped the decline of our biodiversity and started on the road to nature restoration on a national scale. That is an international commitment that Scotland made on the world stage as we led the Edinburgh process on biodiversity. The Scottish Greens will hold Gillian Martin and Jim Fairlie to the delivery of that commitment.”
“The Scottish Greens recognise the right of the SNP, as the largest elected party, to form the Government. I offer my sincere congratulations to all the appointed cabinet secretaries and ministers. I am delighted by the gender balance of the Cabinet and I offer my especial best wishes to Jenny Gilruth, the new Deputy First Minister. I offer my solidarity to Hannah Mary Goodlad and Simita Kumar: going straight into a ministerial role as a first-time parliamentarian is a tough gig. I have every confidence that they will do really well, but I do not underestimate the challenge ahead of them. There is a steep learning curve. The Scottish Greens are sad to see Jenni Minto leaving Government. We thank her for her service and, particularly, her support on the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Act 2024.”
“My first allegiance is to the people of Scotland, who are sovereign. I, Lorna Jane Slater, do solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm, that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles, his heirs and successors, according to law.”
“This isn’t going to be traumatic. Your dad will fall into the best and deepest sleep he’s ever had. He’ll probably even snore a bit,” and that is exactly what happened. Mum climbed into the bed to cuddle him, we girls held his hand, I got to hug him, and he told us that he loved us. He told us to look after my mum and he fell asleep—he did snore a bit. It was beautiful. I wish that death for myself. I wish it for anyone who wants it for themselves. I do not mind if you would never want this choice for yourself but please, please do not prevent other people from choosing it for themselves. We should all have the right to choose. 20:32”
“He knew that he was going to die and he wanted to do it in the bright light of day, surrounded by his family, while he knew who we were, before he could be incapacitated by pain or by pain medications. He was ready to go. He did not want to risk gasping out his last alone and afraid in the dark of the night. My middle sister and I live a long way away from my parents, and his choice meant that he knew we would be there and that he would not die alone. It gave him the comfort of knowing that my mother would not have to cope alone, coming home from the hospital alone to an empty house. Originally, only my mum was going to stay in the room during the procedure, but, as the nurse was getting things set up, my mum gestured for us to stay and the nurse said to me and my sisters, “Don’t feel like you have to leave.”