Jack Middleton
Scottish National Party · Scotland
“I am grateful for the opportunity to open the debate on what is a hugely important issue for much of Scotland. I am passionate about the campaign to save STV North news, not only because the decision to end it has a profound effect on my constituents in terms of jobs, advertising and economic activity, but because it is no exaggeration fo…”
“Ofcom, the television regulator that is tasked with ensuring that STV sticks to its licensing obligations, is not only waving that through with minimal checks; it has actively helped STV to do it. It is a commercial decision that I strongly believe breaches the terms of STV’s channel 3 licence agreement. How did we get here?”
“Members from every party in Scotland’s Parliament agree not only that the decision is disappointing, but that it flies in the face of overwhelming public opinion, and we must recognise that at the outset of the debate.”
“STV chief executive Rufus Radcliffe accepted that a complete cull of the north’s distinct news coverage was unacceptable, but he felt that confining our regional news to less than a third of the bulletin and pre-recording that coverage from a studio on the banks of the River Clyde was acceptable.”
“It is my view that Ofcom seriously underestimated the strength of feeling on these proposals and that it has been taken aback by the number of responses that have been received—so much so that, in the run-up to a crunch election, it managed to unite all parties on a single issue. That is truly remarkable.”
“For too long, Aberdeen has paid the price for Westminster mismanagement of our energy industry. My constituency is the energy capital of Europe, and it should look and feel like it, so I welcome the significant Scottish National Party regeneration package for Our Union Street.”
The complete record
Every one of 40 lines we hold for Jack Middleton, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account.
“It is my view that Ofcom seriously underestimated the strength of feeling on these proposals and that it has been taken aback by the number of responses that have been received—so much so that, in the run-up to a crunch election, it managed to unite all parties on a single issue. That is truly remarkable. In a thinly veiled attempt to avoid scrutiny, Ofcom pushed back announcing its outcome until after the election. I think that that is cowardly and weak.”
“STV chief executive Rufus Radcliffe accepted that a complete cull of the north’s distinct news coverage was unacceptable, but he felt that confining our regional news to less than a third of the bulletin and pre-recording that coverage from a studio on the banks of the River Clyde was acceptable. No clarity on the content of that regional news section, to be beamed from a studio in Glasgow and squeezed to less than 10 minutes, has been offered. However, Ofcom indicated that it aimed to accept the plans anyway, before the consultation was even launched. When it was launched, John Swinney led the charge, but I was heartened to see MSPs from all parties by his side.”
“Ofcom, the television regulator that is tasked with ensuring that STV sticks to its licensing obligations, is not only waving that through with minimal checks; it has actively helped STV to do it. It is a commercial decision that I strongly believe breaches the terms of STV’s channel 3 licence agreement. How did we get here? In September, STV management announced plans to cut 60 jobs and axe the STV North edition of its flagship 6 o’clock news programme. Thanks to Holyrood’s Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee, we know that Ofcom described a back-and-forth conversation that ensued between itself and STV management, but, sadly, public access to records and minutes of those conversations has been denied. Nevertheless, whatever the content of those conversations, the plans were watered down in December 2025.”
“Members from every party in Scotland’s Parliament agree not only that the decision is disappointing, but that it flies in the face of overwhelming public opinion, and we must recognise that at the outset of the debate. I assure members that, although we must acknowledge that broadcasting in Scotland is a matter that remains reserved to the United Kingdom Government, I will not politicise the debate—it is far too important for that. Our national Parliament will speak with a united voice on this front so that those in the boardrooms of STV and Ofcom hear, loudly and clearly, our voices and the voices of the constituents whom we represent. The top brass at STV want to end the distinct news programme for the north that has existed for decades.”
“I am grateful for the opportunity to open the debate on what is a hugely important issue for much of Scotland. I am passionate about the campaign to save STV North news, not only because the decision to end it has a profound effect on my constituents in terms of jobs, advertising and economic activity, but because it is no exaggeration for me, as an Aberdonian, to say that that decision is an attack on our identity and seeks to silence our distinct voice in Scotland’s national conversation—at a time, I might add, when the story of industrial vandalism in the north-east is more important than ever. I know, however, that the decision impacts people far beyond the banks of the Dee and the Don—a fact that is reflected in the significant support that my motion has received from MSPs across Scotland and, importantly, across the chamber.”
“To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its discussions with NHS Grampian regarding the status of the Baird family hospital and Aberdeen and North Centre for Haematology, Oncology and Radiotherapy. (S7O- 00105)”
“I highlighted some of those small interventions in my remarks—the shop-front improvements, cleaning and maintenance of the street, and digital innovation. Cumulatively, all of that can help to boost confidence, but it creates a multiplier effect because, when one shop becomes occupied and starts trading, that acts as a catalyst for shops next door to become occupied. It draws more people into the centre and, indeed, can help to encourage more residents to move into the centre as well. The investment that has been put in over the past few years, as well as working in partnership, is having a positive impact and we are keen to accelerate that, which is why we are going to provide additional investment of up to £600,000.”
“For too long, Aberdeen has paid the price for Westminster mismanagement of our energy industry. My constituency is the energy capital of Europe, and it should look and feel like it, so I welcome the significant Scottish National Party regeneration package for Our Union Street. Will the minister outline the wider benefits that he hopes that it will deliver with regard to high street footfall and Aberdeen’s wider economy? Tom Arthur: The benefits that will be conferred are significant in and of themselves. An immediate impact can be achieved simply by improving the appearance of an area. For example, dressing a shop front can significantly change attitudes and perceptions. Such simple, small interventions can be impactful in catalysing an investment.”
“Can the cabinet secretary remind the chamber what improvements to road infrastructure the SNP Government has made in the north-east and outline what more it will deliver in the future? [Interruption.] Stephen Flynn: Of course I can, but I appreciate that members are conscious of time, so I do not want to list them all. I can draw Mr Middleton’s attention to what I drew Mr Kerr’s attention to, which is the Aberdeen western peripheral route. It was a huge investment in the north-east of Scotland and the city of Aberdeen that has improved the lives of many of Mr Middleton’s constituents and ensured that we have consistent economic growth in our city. Teaching Contracts 6.”
“In the case of Lord Alli, who donated more than half a million quid for designer gear, VIP tickets for new Labour Swifties and swanky penthouse flats, it was an access-all-areas pass to the protected corridors of 10 Downing Street. For the Sarwar family, who funded the Scottish Labour Party to the tune of almost £300,000, its reward has been watching their son—the humble multimillionaire dentist—win a single constituency election in 2010. Of course, he lost three other elections in quick succession—in 2015, in 2021, and in 2026, to our very own Zen Ghani. I appreciate that I am new to the chamber, but I cannot recall any Labour member calling for an inquiry into any of those revelations.”
“Worse still, it spent tens of thousands of pounds hunting down and spying on journalists. I will happily give way to any Labour member right now who can tell the chamber that not a single penny of that tainted Labour Together cash was used during their election campaign. The silence is deafening. Russell Findlay: [Made a request to intervene.] Jack Middleton: I thank Russell Findlay for jumping up—I am sure that Anas Sarwar will buy him a pint later for trying to come to the aid of his better together chum. I will make progress with my speech. What is in it for the donors? In the case of a convicted sex offender who donated thousands of pounds to Anas Sarwar’s leadership campaign, it was access to party events.”
“Matthew Doyle was a widely known friend of Sean Morton, a convicted paedophile, yet Doyle’s appointment to the Lords and into a plum job for life was pushed through anyway—anything goes, it seems, for Keir Starmer’s former head of press. We know, too, that links to Morton extended their tentacles into this very chamber and resulted in another huge scandal for those on the benches to my right. Those events eroded trust in politics, yet Labour still will not come clean about the facts. Members may be wondering who on earth in their right mind would donate to a Labour Party that is up to its neck in such sickening scandal. Well, I am nothing if not prepared: more than £100,000 in donations has flowed into the accounts of Scottish Labour politicians from a shadowy think tank that was found guilty of 20 breaches of electoral law.”
“This stunt gives me the opportunity to explore a catalogue of scandals from within the Labour Party that have rocked public confidence, and to outline how I believe that Labour may seek to restore the trust that it has lost. They say that you can tell a lot about a person by the company they keep. Peter Mandelson was known as the “Prince of Darkness” to most, but to Anas Sarwar he was known affectionately as an “old friend”. The biggest global political scandal of recent memory has led to Anas’s chum continuing to be under police investigation for misconduct in public office. We know that Mandelson failed vetting but was pushed through anyway. Shockingly, though, Labour’s disdain for proper process is not unique to that incident.”
“I knew that Anas Sarwar thought highly of himself, but even I am shocked that, after such a heavy defeat, his ego seems to be inflating faster than a hot-air balloon. MSPs are not above the law, nor are we police detectives. Our function is to improve the lives of Scots, and Parliament’s function is to hold the Government to account. That is the job that I want to get on with, and we should let the police get on with their job and let the Scottish court system get on with its job, too. Frankly, this smug stunt from the election losers— Stephen Kerr: Will the member give way? Jack Middleton: It is very cute that Stephen Kerr is jumping to the rescue of his better together colleagues. However, I want to make progress with my speech, thank you very much.”
“Because here we are again, with Labour choosing to ignore the priorities of the people and to play petty party politics—and, this time, it wants to do so at huge expense to the taxpayer. It is a strategy that is fundamentally built on snobbish arrogance. It failed miserably during the election campaign, and it will fail miserably again today. Let us remind ourselves of the facts. Police detectives who have decades of experience—the cream of the crop—forensically investigated the issue for more than three and a half years. Their thorough and extensive investigation cost the taxpayer more than £2 million, but now Anas and co want to run it all back, cosplay as Columbo and charge taxpayers millions for the luxury.”
“A month ago, the people of Aberdeen Central put their trust in me to deliver for them. Labour told Aberdonians that the election was a two-horse race. While I talked about policies designed to improve folk’s lives, the Labour candidate spent the campaign talking about the SNP and talking our city down. In the end, I won that election by 7,000 votes. Shortly after that result was announced, Anas Sarwar, who was humiliated, was forced to concede the election. His leadership led Labour to its worst-ever Holyrood result while the SNP won by a landslide. The old Confucian maxim teaches us that there are 1,000 lessons to learn in defeat, but I regret to inform the chamber that private schoolboy Anas Sarwar has failed to learn just one.”
“In closing, I again thank Patricia Gibson for bringing this important discussion to the chamber. 18:20”
“The strain on her body and mind was and continues to be significant, and her story, while distressing, is not uncommon or unique. I accept that, today, early diagnosis of symptoms has improved, and so, too, has post- pregnancy mental health support. However, Patricia Gibson’s motion makes it clear that women still do not receive the long-term monitoring that they deserve, and, in many cases, are not aware of the symptoms of pre-eclampsia. The post-pregnancy support does not yet go far enough, but the Scottish Government is aware of that. I know that it is working to change that reality for women, and I look forward to hearing the contribution from Maree Todd about how the Scottish Government will look to improve the support through phase 2 of the women’s health plan.”
“For the last eight weeks of her pregnancy with me, my mother was hospitalised with eclampsia. After two failed inductions, she began to fit and seizure during the third. Doctors explained to my dad that the lives of his wife and his unborn child were at risk. Once I was delivered and the placenta was removed, the symptoms waned, and we are both here today. However, the impact on her physical and mental health has been felt for years. In 1995, when I was born, post-traumatic stress disorder therapy and postpartum psychology were in their infancy. Six months after I was born, my mum became pregnant again, and she was medically advised to terminate the pregnancy. Another two miscarriages followed, with two major surgeries to resolve adhesions and internal hernias caused by eclampsia. There was no continuous support throughout all of that.”
“I thank Patricia Gibson for securing time through the first members’ business debate of this session to raise awareness of pre-eclampsia. I think that I speak for all of us when I say that her speech was powerful, moving and commanding. We know that the disorder affects up to one in 25 pregnancies in the UK. I was delivered into this world via an emergency caesarean section, as my mum suffered from severe eclampsia. With her permission, I want to share her story this evening, to underline the seriousness of the disorder for mothers during pregnancy and in the years beyond. My mother went from under 9 stone to 17 stone over the course of her pregnancy. As she was a 24-year-old woman, general practitioners dismissed her weight gain until she was unable to move her fingers. Her skin broke because of huge fluid retention.”
“I move amendment S7M-00290.5, to leave out from “recognises” to end and insert: “acknowledges Scotland’s economic potential, including its strengths in sectors such as oil and gas, energy, food and drink, financial services and space; recognises the vital contribution of the oil and gas industry to jobs, investment and energy security; regrets the Scottish National Party administration’s increases to Scottish Income Tax and failure to reform business rates, which have harmed Scotland’s competitiveness; endorses a continued focus on economic growth to build a more resilient and prosperous Scotland, and calls on the Scottish Government to support continued investment in the North Sea, reform business rates and reduce the tax burden on hard-working people in Scotland over the next five years.” 16:35”
“It is a bit like an arsonist helping SNP ministers pour petrol over a burning fire and not calling the fire service. Constituents in my constituency have been in touch about the damaging non-domestic rates. A constituent from Berwickshire contacted me to tell me that their draft rateable value could be more than double the current figure. At a time when energy and other costs are rising, that is very worrying. The Scottish Hospitality Group has said: “the Scottish Government and local authorities must urgently fix the immediate implementation failures on rates reliefs.” I see that time is marching on, Presiding Officer, so I will close there.”
“My other concern is that 80 per cent of Scots think that income tax should be the same or lower than the rest of the UK. It is one of the top concerns of business owners in Scotland. The Scottish Chambers of Commerce, the Confederation of British Industry, the Institute for Fiscal Studies, the Fraser of Allander Institute, the Institute of Chartered Accountants and many more have argued time and again that the SNP Government has a complicated high-tax regime. It is damaging our growth and prosperity. Moving on to non-domestic rates—I have a short time left—former SNP special adviser Jack Middleton said that there are clear flaws in his party’s business rate revaluation, which led to 412 businesses having rises of more than 1,000 per cent. He is quiet now, is he not, Presiding Officer?”
“Will Rachael Hamilton accept that the energy profits levy introduced by the Conservative UK Government is costing 1,000 jobs a month across the sector? What is her explanation for that? Rachael Hamilton: That was an interesting intervention from Jack Middleton. I wonder whether he supports the introduction of licences for Jackdaw and Rosebank. We are coming on to Jack Middleton, so he can listen up on non- domestic rates. Get your intervention ready, Mr Middleton. Now that Stephen Flynn has landed at Holyrood, he must find it pretty shameful that his own party disagrees with him and is refusing to remove its presumption against oil and gas to protect those jobs in the north-east. Any party that claims to support economic growth must support our oil and gas sector in Aberdeen.”
“I want us to provide greater funding to drive down the price of booking facilities for youth teams and to work with clubs to improve access for kids to watch their sporting heroes in the flesh. If we do those things, we will secure a healthier and more confident future for the next generation of Scots.”
“I therefore whole-heartedly welcome the SNP Government’s £40 million investment, which will ensure that this exciting Scottish summer of sport will provide more opportunity for kids. I especially welcome universal free swimming lessons, because swimming is one of the sports that can be most inaccessible to those from deprived backgrounds. We know that sport can have a positive impact on young people’s lives, but those living in disadvantaged communities and in the poorest households still face many barriers to participation. I want to see us go further over the course of this Parliament. I want to see us supporting families with sports membership fees and more help to afford sports equipment.”
“I worry that anything other than the very basic essentials will have to come to an end for the growing number of folk who are living on the margins and struggling to make ends meet. Although I believe in the importance of organised sport, I appreciate that the beauty of football worldwide is that, at the most basic level, all you need is a ball. That is simply not the case for other sports. At the Paris Olympics, winning Olympians from these islands were five times more likely to have been privately educated than those from the general population. That figure can be even higher at the winter Olympics, because the cost of access to many of those sports is simply eye-watering and I would argue that, in many cases, people need wealth and privilege to have that access.”
“She did not have much, but every year she would get together the annual fees that had to be paid to enable me to play for my local boys club. I will always remember that that cost more than £300 and that carrying the money in an envelope to hand to the coach felt like a big responsibility, because I knew that it was a massive sum for my mum at the time. That was 20 years ago, and the fees for football pitch bookings, referees and tracksuits will have grown exponentially, not to mention the cost of new boots, new goalie gloves or the new football top that every kid wants every season. The reality for those below the poverty line is that those fees and that kit are unaffordable for one child, never mind for those from households with three or four children.”
“I remember, as a boy, winning champion street, which was an annual summer youth football tournament in the city. I also remember the heartbreak of losing a schools Scottish cup semi- final. Next month, my old Sunday amateur team, Paisley Saints, will mark the terribly sad passing of our team-mate and friend Richie Fleming with the second charity memorial cup in his honour. I share those memories and stories to demonstrate that sport—in my instance, football— builds in young people skills that they will carry for the rest of their lives. Those skills include loyalty, dedication and teamwork, although there are many more to pick from. However, the sad reality is that too many kids will not have the opportunities that I had. I was not raised in hardship—I did not want for anything—although I was raised by a single mother in a small house.”
“I hope it is not 10 minutes. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I am grateful for the opportunity to address the chamber on an issue that I care deeply about. Those who know me know how passionate I am about sport. I have been a keen runner for years. I had a short-lived career as an amateur rower in Stirling and, although I would strongly question the accuracy of its reporting, a few months ago, the Daily Record described me as a gym lover, which led to much hilarity in my friend group. However, my real love has always been football. I have so many memories tied to the sport. Today, members have retold stories of McTominay’s aerial acrobatics last year, but, for me, 2025 was all about standing next to my dad, watching my local club, Aberdeen, lift the Scottish cup.”
“Yesterday, the television regulator Ofcom announced that it had approved controversial plans to end STV’s dedicated news coverage for the north of Scotland. Those plans are deeply unpopular and mean that my constituents will lose a news institution that they have trusted for decades. Broadcasting matters are reserved to Westminster, but the Labour media minister, Ian Murray, has assured me that he will not intervene on the issue. What will the First Minister do to hold Ofcom to account in relation to both its conduct throughout the process and its obligation to protect local news? What steps will his Government take to help retain the jobs and wider economic activity linked to broadcasting in the north-east of Scotland?”
“However, we can go forward and prepare for the future, because we have North Sea resources that will last for decades and a renewables potential that should last forever. The choice that we face in Scotland is whether we trust them—the folk who threw £400 billion in taxes from our oil revenues up against the wall— or whether we trust ourselves, the people of Scotland, to make decisions that are in our interests on issues such as new licences, to ensure that that huge energy wealth is serving our citizens. The next step in securing that very future is for members to support the motion in the name of Stephen Gethins.”
“The cherry on top is that its people enjoy a quality of life and a set of living standards that are the envy of the world. The Norwegians used the discovery of oil to become wealthier; in Scotland, by most metrics, we have somehow become poorer. That is because, while we entrusted Westminster with our energy wealth, Norway trusted itself. It understood one simple principle: a nation’s resources should be used to benefit a nation’s citizens. That is why its sovereign wealth fund is now larger than the gross domestic product of most western democracies. If Scotland had had the power to make the same choices as Norway did back then, a Scottish sovereign wealth fund would be worth more than £1 trillion by the end of this parliamentary session. I accept that we cannot go back.”
“Why on earth would we continue to put our trust in those charlatans, who want to exploit Scotland’s energy resources simply to fill the coffers of the UK Treasury and, perhaps if they are lucky, drive down bills for taxpayers in England? If we want things to change, it is very obvious that Scotland’s huge energy wealth has to be in Scotland’s hands. To visualise what that would look like, we need not dream or imagine—we just need to look a few hundred miles across the North Sea to Norway. Stavanger is a city of broadly similar size to Aberdeen. Norway discovered oil off its shores at virtually the same time as we discovered it off our own, yet Norway has much lower poverty, much higher wages and much greater job security.”
“There is nothing morally just about sending thousands of working women and men to the jobcentre during a cost of living crisis of Westminster’s making, with little prospect of those people regaining employment in the industry in which they have honed their skills for years. There is nothing progressive about blowing up the investment and infrastructure supply chain that we need to secure Scotland’s future as a green renewables powerhouse. To be frank, I do not think that those in charge at Westminster have a clue. The average punter in the north-east of Scotland has a greater understanding of industry and Scotland’s energy requirements in their pinkie finger than the boffins and bean counters in Whitehall, who rarely venture beyond the M25, will gain in their entire careers.”
“When it comes to our vast energy wealth, Westminster calls the shots, and the UK Government has no pride in Scotland’s premier industry. It promised to remove the energy profits levy and move to an oil and gas price mechanism, but it has not done so. It promised to bring thousands of jobs to Aberdeen through Great British Energy, but it has not done so. Aberdonians are being asked to ignore that reality. All the while, Labour lifts sanctions on Vladimir Putin’s regime and waves through dirty Russian oil and gas via the back door, while blocking use of our own domestic resources. The UK Government talks us down and tells us to keep our mouths shut, but, Presiding Officer, I will be crystal clear in speaking on behalf of my constituents.”
“During my election campaign, I spoke to thousands of Aberdonians who told me that they do not feel that the current political system delivers for them. No wonder. In Aberdeen Central, hard work does not always lead to job security, especially for our oil and gas workers. While London politicians are arguing about how they want to spend our energy wealth, we are paying some of the highest bills on the continent. My city faces many challenges, but I know that the answers to those challenges do not lie in the tired old politics of the past, nor do they lie in hatred or within division; those answers lie outside the walls of the chamber and among the sovereign people of Scotland. Key to understanding what is happening today in Aberdeen Central is acknowledging what is not happening.”
“[Laughter.] By serving his constituents with dedication and passion for 15 years, Kevin ultimately laid the groundwork for what was a resounding election victory for the SNP in Aberdeen Central. Speaking both as an Aberdonian and as a friend of his, I hope that members will join me in thanking Kevin for what he achieved in the Parliament and in wishing him the very best for the future. There is much to be proud of in Aberdeen Central, but, in the energy capital of Europe, far too many of my constituents live in deprivation. Too many cannot afford to feed themselves, feed their kids or even turn their heating on. Many more live on the margins, struggling every single day simply to make ends meet. In a city that is a global energy superpower, that reality makes me sick. It should make every MSP in the chamber feel sick, too.”
“I am grateful for my first opportunity to address members as the newly elected MSP for Aberdeen Central. My constituency rests between two shining rivers—the Don and the Dee—and absorbs the whole of Aberdeen city centre. My constituency is famed for its silver granite and golden beaches, and I am proud to call it my home. It is where I was born, and it is where my family has lived for generations. So, too, is Aberdeen home to many famous sons and daughters—the Ballon d’Or-winning footballer Denis Law; the multi-Grammy-award-winning singer Annie Lennox; the socialist revolutionary Bob Cooney; and, of course, the self-titled king of Aberdeen himself, Kevin Stewart.”
“I declare that my first loyalty will always be to the people of Scotland. I, Jack Middleton, do swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles, his heirs and successors, according to law. So help me”