Davy Russell
Scottish Labour · Scotland
“More than that, I hope that the Scottish and UK Governments will be prepared to work together to come down on retail banking conglomerates like a ton of bricks if banks will not independently curtail their detrimental closures of high street branches.”
“However, it is only in the longer term that we will see the full extent of the economic impact to Larkhall’s high street, which has always punched well above its weight— similar to Rutherglen, to be fair—as an independent hub for retailers.”
“I promise them that the customers they will see are those who are vulnerable in our society. They may be older or have a disability. They might want to send money abroad or they might be desperate to seek a line of credit or forgiveness for being overdrawn, while they are being punished by penalties that they cannot afford to pay.”
“I must thank Clare Haughey for bringing this debate to Parliament, as bank closures have also been a big issue in part of my constituency. I will also mention Councillor Ricky Nelson, who has worked closely with me on the issue. In January, the Bank of Scotland branch in Larkhall closed.”
“They were committed to the closure, apparently in the interests of shareholders, while putting the interests of vulnerable customers at the bottom of the pile.”
“I think that many constituents would find that those billions of pounds would be better spent on the national health service, schools and lowering energy costs, rather than rewarding shareholders and awarding bankers bonuses. The bank’s motto should be “Didn’t care, didn’t listen, won’t care, don’t care”. I have one more thing to say.”
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“The third possibility is that someone looked at the report and understood exactly what it said, which is that the most vulnerable were at risk, but pressed on with the opening of the hospital regardless of the consequences, because it suited the political aims of the Scottish Government at the time. In that case, we are looking at just plain criminality. None of these things would have happened if the Government of the day had put the patients and the most vulnerable in society at the heart of its decisions. The old motto of “safety first” was certainly not considered or applied; it was replaced with secrecy, denial, untruths and misinformation. I suggest that the adage should instead be, “It wasn’t me; it was a bad boy that done it and they ran away.”
“That is what happens when a Government applies pressure for political reasons and totally disregards a report that warned about the high risk of infection for vulnerable patients undergoing treatment. Let us face it—the individuals who died came into hospital to try to get better but, alas, that did not happen. The way that I see it, one of three things happened. First, someone was aware of the report, received it, filed it and did nothing, in which case we are looking at a case of criminal negligence. The second possibility is that someone looked at the report, did not understand it and did nothing with it, in which case we are looking at a case of criminal incompetence, if there is such a thing—I am not quite sure, but the SNP hierarchy of the period will be hoping that there is not.”
“My heart is heavy as I think about the families affected who have had to endure this avoidable tragedy. The Queen Elizabeth university hospital was designed to be a flagship and should have hit the ground running, but it saddens me to say that it is now infamous— it is more like the Titanic. Children and adults died. Many people caught serious infections, on top of the illnesses that they went into hospital with. Those people and their families put their trust in Scotland’s health service but were badly let down, although not by the excellent and hard-working staff, I must say. It is a tragedy. It is shameful and disgraceful, and it is inexcusable, as it could have been avoided.”
“Amendment 30 agreed to. After section 1B Amendment 31 not moved. Section 5—Aims of National Parks The Deputy Presiding Officer: Group 4 is on national parks. Amendment 48, in the name of Emma Harper, is grouped with amendments 71 to 73, 32 and 74 to 77.”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I could not connect. I would have voted yes. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Thank you, Mr Russell. Your vote will be recorded. For Adam, George (Paisley) (SNP) Adam, Karen (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) Adamson, Clare (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP) Allan, Alasdair (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (SNP) Arthur, Tom (Renfrewshire South) (SNP) Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Balfour, Jeremy (Lothian) (Ind) Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP) Boyack, Sarah (Lothian) (Lab) Brown, Keith (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP) Burgess, Ariane (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Callaghan, Stephanie (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green) Choudhury, Foysol (Lothian) (Ind) Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab) Coffey, Willie (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP) Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Edinburgh Western) (LD) Constance, Angela (Almond Valley) (SNP) Dey, Graeme (Angus South) (SNP) Don-Innes, Natalie (Renfrewshire North and West) (SNP) Doris, Bob (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP) Dornan, James (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) Ewing, Fergus (Inverness and Nairn) (Ind) Fairlie, Jim (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP) FitzPatrick, Joe (Dundee City West) (SNP) Gilruth, Jenny (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (SNP) Gougeon, Mairi (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP) Grahame, Christine (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP) Grant, Rhoda (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) Gray, Neil (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP) Greene, Jamie (West Scotland) (LD) Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green) Griffin, Mark (Central Scotland) (Lab) Harper, Emma (South Scotland) (SNP) Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green) Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen) (SNP) Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP) Hyslop, Fiona (Linlithgow) (SNP) Johnson, Daniel (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) Kidd, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP) 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) Marra, Michael (North East Scotland) (Lab) Martin, Gillian (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP) Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (Ind) Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP) McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP) McArthur, Liam (Orkney Islands) (LD) McKee, Ivan (Glasgow Provan) (SNP) McLennan, Paul (East Lothian) (SNP) McNair, Marie (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP) McNeill, Pauline (Glasgow) (Lab) Minto, Jenni (Argyll and Bute) (SNP) Mochan, Carol (South Scotland) (Lab) Nicoll, Audrey (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP) O’Kane, Paul (West Scotland) (Lab) Rennie, Willie (North East Fife) (LD) Robertson, Angus (Edinburgh Central) (SNP) Roddick, Emma (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) Rowley, Alex (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Russell, Davy (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (Lab) Simpson, Graham (Central Scotland) (Reform) Slater, Lorna (Lothian) (Green) Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP) Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP) Stewart, Kaukab (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) Stewart, Kevin (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) Sturgeon, Nicola (Glasgow Southside) (SNP) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Thomson, Michelle (Falkirk East) (SNP) Todd, Maree (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP) Torrance, David (Kirkcaldy) (SNP) Tweed, Evelyn (Stirling) (SNP) Villalba, Mercedes (North East Scotland) (Lab) Whitfield, Martin (South Scotland) (Lab) Whitham, Elena (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) Wishart, Beatrice (Shetland Islands) (LD) Against Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con) Carlaw, Jackson (Eastwood) (Con) Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Findlay, Russell (West Scotland) (Con) Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Hamilton, Rachael (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) Hoy, Craig (South Scotland) (Con) Halcro Johnston, Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Kerr, Liam (North East Scotland) (Con) Kerr, Stephen (Central Scotland) (Con) Lumsden, Douglas (North East Scotland) (Con) McCall, Roz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Mountain, Edward (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Ross, Douglas (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Smith, Liz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Webber, Sue (Lothian) (Con) Wells, Annie (Glasgow) (Con) White, Tess (North East Scotland) (Con) Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con) The Deputy Presiding Officer: The result of the division on amendment 30, in the name of Gillian Martin, is: For 86, Against 21, Abstentions 0.”
“We must expand the criteria for what is deemed to be a successful education-to-employment journey. Most importantly, we must fearlessly and unashamedly trust young people with the opportunity to contribute to society. That is what I take away from this debate. 13:08”
“What happens if you are forced to think about the wellbeing of someone who is not you?” As I mentioned in the chamber last week, we have a problem in our economy, with one in six young people aged between 20 and 24 being out of education, employment or training, so I am pleased to join Emma Roddick in congratulating the Growing2gether programme, and I think that the Scottish Government absolutely should consider how it can do more to expand it in the future. More than that, the Scottish Government should consider how the entire ethos of the programme can be applied to the education-to-employment pathway. The first question should not be what support someone needs, but what someone can offer their community, economy, family or society. If someone is looking after a toddler, that is tremendous.”
“I thank Emma Roddick for bringing the debate to Parliament. I join colleagues in their praise of the programme and hope that we can see it trialled in Lanarkshire at some point, because I think that it is a really good initiative. Not to harp back to old-fashioned ideals for the sake of it, but it used to be that giving less-than- well-behaved teenagers their first taste of responsibility would often be the making of them. I think that most of us know someone who that applies to. The trouble is that our public services pathways do not do that. Anything short of a path that goes from high school to university and on to a graduate job is seen as sub-par. That is just wrong. Growing2gether really turns that pyramid on its head. It points a finger at every young person and asks, “What are you going to offer the world?”
“Bridges are a vital part of our heritage, and they are essential to the economy, regardless of how magnificent or ugly they are. As I mentioned earlier, most go unnoticed; they are just performing the function that they were designed to fulfil. More cross-party co-operation in protecting these valuable assets is needed. A sustainable funding model should allow communities to benefit from existing infrastructure, using solutions that economists and the people of Scotland will choose. We should look after and cherish what we already have, because it is only when it isnae there that we miss it. The Deputy Presiding Officer: I call Alexander Burnett, who joins us remotely. 17:40”
“It makes us wonder how such bridges was constructed in the first place, considering that most of them were built before we were all born, when technology and equipment were primitive. That might be the civil engineer in me talking. I could go very hard on the Scottish National Party and say that all that ministers seem to be doing is managing decline, rather than rolling their sleeves up and tackling the issues that affect structures such as bridges. I must recognise, however, that we have built a few bridges at the same time: the squinty bridge in Glasgow, the Queensferry road bridge and the eyesore that many members will have seen on the M8—the rusty bridge, which is what all the kids call it, anyway. It is a bit of a monstrosity, and very few people will put their name to it. It is there, nonetheless.”
“Maintenance and inspection budgets for structures have been reducing, which is a great pity, because we have thousands of these tremendous structures. Some of them are works of art, but we are putting them in danger, especially the older type of bridge that is prevalent throughout rural Scotland. General maintenance can take months, but a new bridge can take several years to build and can cost tens of millions of pounds, rather than tens of thousands. Being a keen fisher, I have come across many bridges over the years: a bridge is the first thing that we look for when it starts to rain, as they provide a bit of shelter. We might usually have our piece and a cup of tea while under the bridge. Then, we start to notice the fine detail and precision.”
“I thank Tim Eagle for securing the debate. Roads and rail—and, once upon a time, canals as well—have been the vital arteries of our nation, which have driven prosperity in this country for hundreds of years. However, we all take for granted the key to that brilliant network functioning, which is its bridges, whether they are viaducts on a canal route, a wee narrow bridge on a country road connecting two villages or the mighty Forth rail bridge, oozing magnificence and strutting Scotland’s past engineering expertise for more than 135 years. However, with the exception of the many great structures, we have ignored this vital piece of Scottish infrastructure. Most bridges go unnoticed until there is a failure. That is usually caused by a lack of good inspection and maintenance regimes, which has been a common theme over the past 20 years.”
“Amendment 44 disagreed to. Amendment 85 not moved. Amendment 86 moved—[Stephen Kerr]. The Presiding Officer: The question is, that amendment 86 be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No. The Presiding Officer: There will be a division. The vote is closed.”
“For Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con) Burnett, Alexander (Aberdeenshire West) (Con) Carlaw, Jackson (Eastwood) (Con) Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Choudhury, Foysol (Lothian) (Ind) Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Findlay, Russell (West Scotland) (Con) Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Gallacher, Meghan (Central Scotland) (Con) Golden, Maurice (North East Scotland) (Con) Gosal, Pam (West Scotland) (Con) Gulhane, Sandesh (Glasgow) (Con) Hamilton, Rachael (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) Hoy, Craig (South Scotland) (Con) Halcro Johnston, Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Kerr, Liam (North East Scotland) (Con) Kerr, Stephen (Central Scotland) (Con) Lumsden, Douglas (North East Scotland) (Con) McCall, Roz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Mundell, Oliver (Dumfriesshire) (Con) Ross, Douglas (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Smith, Liz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Stewart, Alexander (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Webber, Sue (Lothian) (Con) Wells, Annie (Glasgow) (Con) White, Tess (North East Scotland) (Con) Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con) 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) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP) Boyack, Sarah (Lothian) (Lab) Brown, Keith (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP) Burgess, Ariane (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Callaghan, Stephanie (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green) Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab) Coffey, Willie (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP) Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Edinburgh Western) (LD) Constance, Angela (Almond Valley) (SNP) Dey, Graeme (Angus South) (SNP) Don-Innes, Natalie (Renfrewshire North and West) (SNP) Doris, Bob (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP) Dornan, James (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Glasgow) (Lab) Ewing, Annabelle (Cowdenbeath) (SNP) Ewing, Fergus (Inverness and Nairn) (Ind) Fairlie, Jim (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP) FitzPatrick, Joe (Dundee City West) (SNP) Forbes, Kate (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (SNP) Gibson, Kenneth (Cunninghame North) (SNP) Gilruth, Jenny (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (SNP) Gougeon, Mairi (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP) Grahame, Christine (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP) Grant, Rhoda (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) Gray, Neil (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP) Greene, Jamie (West Scotland) (LD) Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green) Griffin, Mark (Central Scotland) (Lab) Harper, Emma (South Scotland) (SNP) Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green) Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen) (SNP) Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP) Hyslop, Fiona (Linlithgow) (SNP) Johnson, Daniel (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) Kidd, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP) Leonard, Richard (Central Scotland) (Lab) Lochhead, Richard (Moray) (SNP) MacDonald, Gordon (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP) MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP) Mackay, Gillian (Central Scotland) (Green) Mackay, Rona (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP) Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP) Maguire, Ruth (Cunninghame South) (SNP) Marra, Michael (North East Scotland) (Lab) Martin, Gillian (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP) Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (Ind) Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP) McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP) McArthur, Liam (Orkney Islands) (LD) McKee, Ivan (Glasgow Provan) (SNP) McLennan, Paul (East Lothian) (SNP) McMillan, Stuart (Greenock and Inverclyde) (SNP) McNair, Marie (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP) McNeill, Pauline (Glasgow) (Lab) Minto, Jenni (Argyll and Bute) (SNP) Mochan, Carol (South Scotland) (Lab) Nicoll, Audrey (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP) O’Kane, Paul (West Scotland) (Lab) Rennie, Willie (North East Fife) (LD) Robertson, Angus (Edinburgh Central) (SNP) Robison, Shona (Dundee City East) (SNP) Roddick, Emma (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) Rowley, Alex (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Russell, Davy (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (Lab) Slater, Lorna (Lothian) (Green) Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP) Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP) Stewart, Kaukab (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) Stewart, Kevin (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) Sturgeon, Nicola (Glasgow Southside) (SNP) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Thomson, Michelle (Falkirk East) (SNP) Todd, Maree (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP) Torrance, David (Kirkcaldy) (SNP) Tweed, Evelyn (Stirling) (SNP) Villalba, Mercedes (North East Scotland) (Lab) Whitfield, Martin (South Scotland) (Lab) Whitham, Elena (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) [Proxy vote cast by Jackie Dunbar] Wishart, Beatrice (Shetland Islands) (LD) Yousaf, Humza (Glasgow Pollok) (SNP) The Presiding Officer: The result of the division is: For 28, Against 90, Abstentions 0.”
“Amendment 43 disagreed to. Amendment 44 moved—[Stephen Kerr]. The Presiding Officer: The question is, that amendment 44 be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No. The Presiding Officer: There will be a division. The vote is closed. Pam Gosal: On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I could not access the voting system. I would have voted yes. The Presiding Officer: Thank you, Ms Gosal. We will ensure that that is recorded.”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I could not log on to the voting system. I would have abstained. The Presiding Officer: Thank you, Mr Russell. We will ensure that that is recorded. For Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con) Burnett, Alexander (Aberdeenshire West) (Con) Carlaw, Jackson (Eastwood) (Con) Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) 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) Gulhane, Sandesh (Glasgow) (Con) Hamilton, Rachael (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) Hoy, Craig (South Scotland) (Con) Halcro Johnston, Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Kerr, Liam (North East Scotland) (Con) Kerr, Stephen (Central Scotland) (Con) Lumsden, Douglas (North East Scotland) (Con) McCall, Roz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Mountain, Edward (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Mundell, Oliver (Dumfriesshire) (Con) Ross, Douglas (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Smith, Liz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Stewart, Alexander (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Webber, Sue (Lothian) (Con) Wells, Annie (Glasgow) (Con) White, Tess (North East Scotland) (Con) Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con) 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) Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Edinburgh Western) (LD) Constance, Angela (Almond Valley) (SNP) Dey, Graeme (Angus South) (SNP) Don-Innes, Natalie (Renfrewshire North and West) (SNP) Doris, Bob (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP) Dornan, James (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) Ewing, Annabelle (Cowdenbeath) (SNP) Ewing, Fergus (Inverness and Nairn) (Ind) 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) Greene, Jamie (West Scotland) (LD) Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green) Harper, Emma (South Scotland) (SNP) Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green) Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen) (SNP) Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP) Hyslop, Fiona (Linlithgow) (SNP) Kidd, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP) Lochhead, Richard (Moray) (SNP) MacDonald, Gordon (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP) 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) McArthur, Liam (Orkney Islands) (LD) McKee, Ivan (Glasgow Provan) (SNP) McLennan, Paul (East Lothian) (SNP) McMillan, Stuart (Greenock and Inverclyde) (SNP) McNair, Marie (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP) Minto, Jenni (Argyll and Bute) (SNP) Nicoll, Audrey (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP) Rennie, Willie (North East Fife) (LD) 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) Sturgeon, Nicola (Glasgow Southside) (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) [Proxy vote cast by Jackie Dunbar] Wishart, Beatrice (Shetland Islands) (LD) Yousaf, Humza (Glasgow Pollok) (SNP) Abstentions Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Boyack, Sarah (Lothian) (Lab) Choudhury, Foysol (Lothian) (Ind) Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab) Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Glasgow) (Lab) Grant, Rhoda (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) Griffin, Mark (Central Scotland) (Lab) Johnson, Daniel (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) Leonard, Richard (Central Scotland) (Lab) Marra, Michael (North East Scotland) (Lab) McNeill, Pauline (Glasgow) (Lab) Mochan, Carol (South Scotland) (Lab) O’Kane, Paul (West Scotland) (Lab) Rowley, Alex (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Russell, Davy (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (Lab) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Villalba, Mercedes (North East Scotland) (Lab) Whitfield, Martin (South Scotland) (Lab) The Presiding Officer: The result of the division is: For 28, Against 72, Abstentions 18.”
“[Laughter.] On a wee note of dismay, I see that the prices for the tickets for the games are shockingly high, and I am disappointed that they will be out of reach for many genuine fans. I believe that that is a great pity, considering what is a rare and marvellous achievement. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Thank you, Mr Russell. You always have to be careful with the boil wash. The final speaker in the open debate is Fulton MacGregor. You have up to four minutes, Mr MacGregor. 18:27”
“I am sure that that will inspire some constructive debate over the coming months. My own home team, the Accies, have new owners, and I happily welcome that announcement. I wish the team every success, and I look forward to engaging with the new owners in the near future. Like all local teams, Hamilton Accies are a great doorstep asset for promoting cohesion in our communities. Last but not least, I personally congratulate the Scotland team on qualifying for the world cup finals in North America. I for one cannot wait for that. I looked out my old strip the other day: it is about 28 years since I last wore it. For some strange reason—it must have shrunk in the wash—it disnae fit me noo.”
“Above all, it was just plain fun. It is particularly important to note, in the current climate, that football is fantastically cross cultural. People of different backgrounds, religions and languages can enjoy the same game, whether as players or as spectators. Football in Scotland attracts fans from all over the world. Even when visiting some of the remotest parts of the world, if you mention that you are from Scotland, people will ask, “Are you Celtic or Rangers?”—forgetting, of course, that they are only two of the 42 senior teams in Scotland. The motion is absolutely right to say that the economic and cultural capital of Scottish football is an invaluable resource. The Scottish Premiership is looking to be the most nail-biting season for years, with a few teams competing at the top.”
“One group of supporters donated more than 200 toys to the Machan Trust, which is a support group that helps young children. It made the trust’s event a tremendous time for them, especially in these hard times. Beyond community work, football clubs are an important place for family to come together, and for friends—old and new—to come together to bond and discuss the game, and even disagree. For most of us, it is a well-earned reward at the end of the working week, where we can let off some steam. Football is an important part of childhood. It spurred me on. Regardless of the weather— whether it was rain, hail or snow—you wanted tae go oot and kick a ball about, spending hours with friends in the park, learning teamwork and competition and keeping healthy. That did a power of good without it feeling like an onerous task.”
“We in this chamber can spend an awful lot of time focusing on what is wrong with the country, so I thank Mr Adam for bringing this positive debate to the chamber. I still play football twice a week. I know that that it is hard to believe, because I am creaking at the seams a wee bit. I have been to three world cups, and I am thinking about going to the next one if my brother delivers the tickets for me. It has been wonderful to learn about the breadth of the community programmes that are based in many local clubs. I looked up St Mirren, which has a men’s shed programme and a team for those with additional support needs, which is tremendous. Football can be controversial at times, but local clubs and supporters can be a medium for social good. I briefly call attention to several local groups in my area.”
“I agree with Davy Russell that capital infrastructure is a major driver for economic growth. If he can speak to his Westminster counterparts and the Labour UK Government to ensure that this Parliament and this Government get more capital, we can drive ahead our infrastructure projects. In the meantime, we will use our resources appropriately and deliver, as I have set out in the statement today. The Deputy Presiding Officer: That concludes this item of business. There will be a brief pause before we move to the next item of business to allow members on the front benches to change. Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1”
“After 18 years, we are now promised that, in nine more years, we will finally have the dualled A9, which will cost between £16 million and £30 million per kilometre. That is 50 per cent more than the going rate—I am telling you that from experience. Are we using golden nuggets or asphalt? Does the Government not see that something is not right? There have been 20 years of delays, and the north-east has been deprived of billions of pounds in economic growth. Countless lives have been lost on a road that is not fit for purpose. The Scottish people deserve better. Will the cabinet secretary explain why costs are far above the going rate? Fiona Hyslop: Anybody will know—I am sure that Davy Russell will know from his experience— that construction costs and inflation have been particularly problematic over recent years.”
“To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the rates of young people not in education, employment or training. (S6O-05361)”
“We must face the fact that the current system is not in the interests of businesses or the public and that wholesale reform is required to help, not hinder, hospitality and retail businesses to return Scotland’s high streets to what our constituents want and deserve. 16:43”
“Members might ask what the SNP Government is going to do about that impending doom. Like the old Roman emperor Nero, it is going to fiddle while Scottish businesses and the economy burn. The UK Labour Government has delivered an additional £10.3 billion in funding to the Scottish Government, so there is no need to go after small businesses. If the SNP Government could get over its addiction to wasting public funds, it would not need to shamefully plunder high street businesses in this way to cover its own failings. I heartily support Mr Fraser’s motion and Daniel Johnson’s amendment.”
“From an economic perspective, between 2015 and 2025, more than 900 businesses closed, and nearly 25,000 jobs were lost as a result. At this time, we need more growth, greater investment, more entrepreneurial spirit and a helping hand from the Government. In addition, the retail and hospitality sectors present important opportunities for young people who are looking to take their first steps into the workforce. Without those opportunities, young people will suffer. In the current financial year, the SNP has failed to pass on the full business relief that is offered in England and Wales, making it more difficult for Scottish businesses to compete with those south of the border. The proposed revaluation from April could be the final, deadly blow to many Scottish businesses.”
“I agree with Mr Fraser’s assessment that businesses are facing a long list of rising costs, and they are definitely not helped by the Scottish Government’s current position of not passing on rate reliefs in the current financial year. Businesses are now threatened by the proposed revaluation from April. I am sure that we are all aware of the declining and struggling town centres and empty high street shops. Constituents are complaining to me that the high street shops and town centres have lost their mojo as a result of underinvestment and neglect. The decline in town centres is further pushing people to drop the habit of spending time and money in town centres, which accelerates that decline and contributes to the silent epidemic of isolation and rising antisocial behaviour among young people.”
“To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to further support the programme for Scotland’s childminding future beyond its current three-year cycle in order to continue to grow the number of childminders across Scotland. (S6O-05309)”
“It may be that entirely new types of cybercrime emerge that are far beyond what we can comprehend today. We are at the start of a fantastic journey, on which we will see lots of great things. However, we should take heed, as we do not know where we will end up or what perils await in these uncharted waters. 16:27”
“That aside, at some point or another, everyone in this chamber will have been on the receiving end of abuse and insults because of some point of view that they might have held in the past. Basically, doing that on social media is a cybercrime and should never be considered acceptable. Cybercriminality, in any shape or form, regardless of how it is manifested, is committed by calculated cold villains and no one is immune from it. The Scottish Government needs to be industrious and dynamic in its legislation to protect the public and businesses, and criminals need to be prosecuted with vigour. No doubt the worst is yet to come. As technology rapidly improves, those who are currently considered immune from AI deception may be the most vulnerable.”
“The Bank of Scotland’s decision to close the last branch in Larkhall highlighted that issue, with many feeling that in-person services were the last backstop between them and cyber criminals. The Government should do all that it can to protect in-person banking services, in particular to prevent older constituents from falling victim to financial cybercrime. Some criminal ploys have existed for a long time—fleecing emails, for example, and malign links on social media, often in the guise of bots. However, AI has introduced a new level of capability to mislead vulnerable groups and businesses on an industrial scale. I would hope that all my colleagues would be against those things, but I read a few weeks ago that the First Minister was in favour of the Iranian bots because they are pro-independence for some reason.”
“Schools should be our first port of call in giving children the experience of identifying unfriendly links and invitations. That needs to be an active Government initiative, not simply a hope that teachers who are already hard stretched will be able to rise to the challenge. Schools and community centres should also be hubs where parents and grandparents can learn what to do should their child—or even they—fall victim to cybercrime, because it will be a learning curve for us all. Maybe we should resurrect the old 1950s public information films, just to make people aware. I, too, have been approached by many older residents who are out of their comfort zone with digital platforms.”
“Many of our constituents are worried that they or a loved one will fall victim to an AI- generated request for money, although that pales in comparison with the violation of deepfake pornographic imagery. The Scottish Government must ensure that Police Scotland is adequately resourced and prepared, not for the crimes of the last century, but for the crimes of this century and beyond. That includes ensuring that the police have the powers to investigate and act if a new type of crime has been committed. The Parliament must be swift and flexible, and it must bring in appropriate legislation accordingly. However, the ability to identify crime will not be enough. As often as not, the culprits are far outside the UK, and a stronger cyberdefence is paramount.”
“I thank the Criminal Justice Committee for bringing the debate to the chamber. I am sure that I am not alone in worrying about the rise of cybercrime in Scotland. We can see from the Criminal Justice Committee’s report that cyber criminals were able to nearly double their output overnight in response to the pandemic, as their supply of in-person victims dried up. In addition, certain crimes lend themselves much more readily to becoming cybercrimes; there is a statistical propensity for that with sexual crimes and with threats and extortion. New technologies such as deepfakes and generative AI have enabled a whole new kind of fraud and deception.”
“We are now also asking councils to acquire family homes in particular off the market, to ensure that children spend less time in temporary accommodation. Of course, that comes in advance of the £4.9 billion-worth of funding that will, as we have set out, be invested in the coming four years. The Presiding Officer: That concludes general question time. First Minister’s Question Time 12:01 Grooming Gangs Inquiry 1.”
“Davy Russell: There are 5,000 families on the waiting list in my constituency alone. What action have you taken to improve the new-build situation, as the statistics say that there has been a significant drop in new builds over the past three years? The Presiding Officer: Always through the chair, please. Màiri McAllan: The Government is taking action across the board to increase the supply of social and affordable homes, building on a record that shows that we have built more than 140,000 affordable homes since we came into government, more than 100,000 of which have been for social rent. There is £808 million available in this year’s affordable homes budget, which we are putting towards the construction of new homes.”
“To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to Shelter Scotland statistics stating that there are 109,000 families on waiting lists for social housing. (S6O- 05282) The Cabinet Secretary for Housing (Màiri McAllan): We have the most confidence in those estimates, which are based on the Scottish household survey. They contain no double counting of households across multiple housing lists and are not dependent on keeping the administrative housing lists up to date. They will, however, contain some households who are already living in social rented housing and looking to transfer to another location. Estimates from the 2024 Scottish household survey are scheduled for publication in January next year. Of course, the Government is entirely focused on work to ensure that supply can meet increasing demand.”
“The Government’s belated decision to use its existing powers to take action on the matter is welcome, however. I see no justifiable reason why all members should not support the motion. 16:39”
“Let us face it: sexual exploitation of children by grooming gangs—or by anyone, for that matter—is a vile, heinous crime, and it should carry the most severe punishment. It deserves our full attention. If we do not protect children, who will? The police must be unencumbered in their ability to record data on victims and alleged perpetrators, and to react to the data gathered— not just around race, immigration status or language but on indicators of poverty, social class and even household income. Basically, no stone should be left unturned for the sake of political correctness. After all, the protection of children comes first, and this issue is about the protection of children from sexual violence and public confidence in the police and the Scottish Government.”
“The primary goal of an independent review should be to establish whether further investigation and, ultimately child protection measures, are needed, with the bonus that it will help to build public confidence in the Government and the police, improving their ability to detect and protect. I am glad to hear that the Scottish Government is going to hold a review, putting to bed already festering mistrust in the background among the public. That will reduce the space for malign groups to profit and sow the seeds of hate. Any review should have a wide remit to find the scale of abuse, to establish what risk factors were prevalent and to ascertain what actions were taken by public bodies.”
“As colleagues have already noted, this issue is fundamentally about transparency and clarity. We have seen from the Casey report in England and Wales that there were systemic problems in the protections from grooming gangs. For example, victims were not believed because they were young or from a particular social background, they were often blamed by the police for what had happened to them and there was systemic underrecording of key data, notably around race, so as not to appear biased. That is why I am glad to hear that the Scottish Government will not be leaving it up to the police to assess their own work, because that would not be acceptable. Some may try to turn this into another culture war, but that would be counterproductive and would detract attention from the voices of the victims.”
“The citizens of Glasgow—mums, dads, grannies and grandpas—paid for the tunnel. The SNP has an absolute cheek in trying to introduce charging for the use of something that the people of Glasgow have already paid for and own. The running costs of the Clyde tunnel are roughly £1.5 million a year, which is the best value of any tunnel in the UK. It costs about 7p per car trip and is used by roughly 60,000 vehicles a day. If each vehicle is charged £1, that equates to more than £20 million a year, compared to just over £1 million for running the tunnel. The tunnel belongs to the citizens of Glasgow, and charging for it is a supertax on the citizens of Glasgow. We should stand against that.”
“I thank Jackson Carlaw for bringing the debate to the chamber. I chose to speak in the debate because, once upon a time, in the not-too-distant past, I was responsible for the Clyde tunnel and the road network in Glasgow. It is a wee bit dear to my heart and I probably know a wee bit more about it than most of the people in the chamber. In the 1960s, the Clyde tunnel was state-of-the- art technology. It used to get visited by schools and by dignitaries from all over the world. Inside, it was like a spaceship—it was a tremendous thing to visit. However, it has been a bit neglected over the years; it has had a wee bit of capital investment, but not much. The Clyde tunnel was completed and opened in 1963 by Queen Elizabeth. It was paid for by the former Glasgow Corporation—that was 63 years ago.”
“If Scotland had the same growth and investment as those regions, its economy would be larger to the tune of £8 billion, with increased tax revenues to match for further investment in health, housing and education, further enabling growth. The Scottish Government should start by showing faith in Scottish companies by prioritising them in the way that greater Manchester and Norway have done. Manchester directly awarded contracts for buses to Alexander Dennis, and Norway has done the same with ships built in Glasgow, where the finest ships in the world are built. However, the drive, ambition and creative ideas that Scotland needs from its leaders in this challenging global context are clearly lacking and beyond this very old, tired SNP Government. 16:43”
“Instead of living on fantasy island, the Scottish Government must now look forward with the same ambition and vision that the UK Labour Government has shown and use the opportunity of a new budget to invest in Scotland’s growing industries and people. As I speak, Scotland is lagging behind England and Wales on regional growth, and median wage growth is stagnating, compared to the UK average, the north-east and north-west of England, Yorkshire and the Humber, the east midlands, the west midlands and Wales, which have captured growing technology and manufacturing sectors with a fraction of the economic levers that the Scottish Government has.”
“However, since then, interest rates have been cut five times, as has been mentioned; mortgage rates have been reduced; businesses have more money to invest in new technologies; inflation has dropped from over 9 per cent to 3.5 per cent; and the minimum wage will have risen by over 11 per cent in less than two years, helping the lowest-paid earners. Abolishing the two-child cap— Douglas Lumsden: Will the member take an intervention? Davy Russell: I do not have much time and I have quite a bit of my speech still to go. That is what competent governance looks like. Instead, the SNP Government has proposed unfunded spending demands worth more than £90 billion since Labour won the election while rejecting every single revenue-raising measure that is put to it. Let me tell you: money disnae grow on trees.”
“The budget that was published today can be viewed only in the context of a mandate that was given to the UK Government to provide stable and reliable governance of public finances. As we know from a previous UK Government, a cavalier approach, especially from Liz Truss, led to a disastrous situation in which interest rates jumped and inflation went through the roof. The national reserve was spent three times over, leaving a black hole of £22 billion, which is phenomenal. At best, it could be said that that was reckless; in actual fact, it was incompetent. However, in July 2024, Labour took the reins. Do not get me wrong; it has been extremely challenging and difficult for the Labour Government.”
“To ask the Scottish Government what specific action it has taken to address waiting lists for hip and knee replacement surgeries. (S6O-05200)”
“Parents will not let it rest if we pass the bill and at some point there is a difference between their child’s views and their own. Schools will end up being in the middle, and it will only cause disruption. I will abstain on the bill at decision time today. 15:56”