David Linden
Scottish National Party · Scotland
“The first time that I was in Barlinnie, in 2008, as a case worker, I never imagined that, years on, I would be the local member of the Scottish Parliament, representing Barlinnie and overlooking justice policy.”
“Will the member give way? Stephen Kerr: I would never not give way to David Linden. David Linden: Mr Kerr will be aware that, in 2023, the then Conservative Government embarked on a process of early release.”
“Let us throw the book at the people in our society who are causing the misery that such individuals cause, but let us not run away from the realities. Speaking of realities, I draw colleagues’ attention to a letter dated 12 September 2025 from His Majesty’s chief inspector of prisons, about the prison situation.”
“All that I am looking for from the Scottish ministers is a degree of humility—for them to say, “Look, we’ve got this wrong and there’s another way to do it.” [Interruption.] For those who do not know, David Linden is holding up the report from the independent Scottish sentencing and penal policy commission.”
“I will, of course, accept an intervention from the cabinet secretary. Neil Gray: I certainly do not regret, and nor will I apologise for, the fact that we are prosecuting more serious offences, including sexual offences and historical sexual offences.”
“I hope that the cabinet secretary can count on his colleagues across Government to make sure that we mobilise every aspect of the state so that, when we come to the release measures, people do not come back into the system.”
The complete record
Every one of 43 lines we hold for David Linden, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account.
“I suggest that colleagues read the letter of 12 September 2025, because it is a reality check that we—all parties, and particularly the Government, where the responsibility rests—badly need.”
“That is unacceptable for me as a Scot and a Scottish Conservative, because I want us to have a rigorous justice system with victims at its heart. The letter repeatedly says that none of this is unexpected. The state of our prison system is not a flash-weather moment but the result of prisons being at the bottom of the to-do list. Why do we not just accept that that is what has happened for the past couple of decades? With such a foundation of honesty about where we are at, perhaps we can do something about it. I see that the Deputy Presiding Officer is inviting me to conclude, which I will happily do. I have not been able to deliver the speech that I prepared— there is nothing new about that—but I will say that ministers were warned.”
“Let us throw the book at the people in our society who are causing the misery that such individuals cause, but let us not run away from the realities. Speaking of realities, I draw colleagues’ attention to a letter dated 12 September 2025 from His Majesty’s chief inspector of prisons, about the prison situation. It is one of the starkest letters that I have ever read from any of His Majesty’s inspectors. It is such a call to action that no one who reads the letter could turn their back on what it contains. Basically, the letter says that we are presiding over a prison system that is worse than that of a third-world country. How can that possibly bring about remediation and rehabilitation? One of the Green members talked about countries looking at our prisons and being reluctant to extradite prisoners to Scotland.”
“I will, of course, accept an intervention from the cabinet secretary. Neil Gray: I certainly do not regret, and nor will I apologise for, the fact that we are prosecuting more serious offences, including sexual offences and historical sexual offences. That has driven the increase in the long-term prison population and is a significant contributor to the current prison population. Stephen Kerr: I applaud that, but it is not an admission about where things have gone wrong. I am glad that the cabinet secretary agrees that we should be locking up those bad people. An SNP member said earlier in the debate that there are bad people who do bad things. That is exactly right. Let us be tough on criminality, particularly serious crime, violent crime, sexual crime and organised crime.”
“All that I am looking for from the Scottish ministers is a degree of humility—for them to say, “Look, we’ve got this wrong and there’s another way to do it.” [Interruption.] For those who do not know, David Linden is holding up the report from the independent Scottish sentencing and penal policy commission. It is certainly worth reading and debating, but it is not an acknowledgment by those on the Government front bench, which is really all that I seek. It was a very small expectation on my part that they would admit that they got it wrong— that prisons were at the bottom of the to-do list. That would be a starting point for us all to work together from. However, that position has been taken— Neil Gray: Will the member take an intervention? Stephen Kerr: —in interventions such as Kate Campbell’s.”
“Will the member give way? Stephen Kerr: I would never not give way to David Linden. David Linden: Mr Kerr will be aware that, in 2023, the then Conservative Government embarked on a process of early release. I am sure that he will also be aware of some of the work that was undertaken by his, and indeed our, former colleagues at Westminster, Ed Argar and David Gauke, who were ministers. I understand why Mr Kerr might want to look back, but will he reflect on the situation that those former ministers left behind, and will he come up with some solutions, as we are trying to do today? Stephen Kerr: I stood up to intervene on Alyn Smith in order to compliment him on his speech, which was an acknowledgement of the problems that we face. I think that, in his remarks, David Linden, too, has acknowledged the problems that we face.”
“We should follow the evidence and ensure that the policies that we implement mean that the prison population starts to fall, as it did in Finland and the Netherlands because they took bold and radical action, which is exactly what the Scottish Government proposes. 15:38”
“I hope that the cabinet secretary can count on his colleagues across Government to make sure that we mobilise every aspect of the state so that, when we come to the release measures, people do not come back into the system. My final point is that, as a result of James Adams joining the Parliament today—I warmly welcome him and wish him every success for the five years that he is here—the majority of members are in this place for the first time. That gives us an opportunity to do things slightly differently, perhaps. My plea to members is to follow the evidence, give the cabinet secretary our support as he tries to take things through and resist the temptation to do the shock-jock comments to the Daily Mail and the walking-and-talking videos outside the Parliament.”
“As we pursue the measures that the cabinet secretary has outlined—I think that we should—my question for the Scottish Government is about having the wraparound support that will be required when people come out of the prison gate, which is my big concern. From my experience early in the process of joining the Criminal Justice Committee, doing background reading and taking evidence from HM Inspectorate of Prisons in Scotland, it is clear that we need to set people up to succeed both when they are in the prison system and when they come out. That relates to things such as addiction support, health support and making sure that housing is in place.”
“Given that we are all policy makers, I hope that members have read the report of the Scottish sentencing and penal policy commission, which was published earlier this year, because many of the measures that the cabinet secretary has outlined are contained in that report. He is following the evidence and, as he does so, he deserves the support of the Parliament. However, I raise challenges with the Scottish Government—particularly when it comes to remand, which other colleagues have raised. One in four prisoners in the prison system is on remand. Those prisoners have not been tried or convicted. The latest figures that I have seen suggest that 33 per cent of the population at HMP Barlinnie in Riddrie are on remand.”
“The first time that I was in Barlinnie, in 2008, as a case worker, I never imagined that, years on, I would be the local member of the Scottish Parliament, representing Barlinnie and overlooking justice policy. I have thoroughly enjoyed the first few weeks of Parliament, looking specifically at criminal justice and understanding better the context to how we have got to where we are. In Scotland, we have roughly 177 prisoners per 100,000 of the population. Comparing that with our European neighbours—for example, the Netherlands, which has around 54 prisoners per 100,000—gives us an idea that the course that we have followed has not necessarily worked. What other countries such as the Netherlands and Finland have in common is that they took radical and bold action. That is exactly what the cabinet secretary is attempting to do.”
“However, that is a deliberate choice by this Government and reflects our commitment to ensuring that eligible people receive the support that they are entitled to. Once again, that goes back to dignity and respect. Despite those challenges, financial performance remains strong. The final outturn was within 0.3 per cent of the £6.5 billion budget, demonstrating the overall accuracy of forecasting and the effective management of a large and complex, demand-led, programme.”
“I commend ministers for their incredibly tight fiscal management. I am particularly interested in the social security and social justice aspects of the figures. Scotland now has 17 devolved benefits. Which of those showed the largest variance between forecast and outturn and what are the minister’s reflections on that, given that, as she acknowledged in her statement, it is difficult to predict those things? Hannah Mary Goodlad: We know that social security expenditure is demand led and that spending is determined by the number of people who are eligible for support and apply for it. Everyone who qualifies must receive the payment that they are entitled to under the relevant policy. That approach inevitably creates a degree of volatility and forecasting risk within the budget.”
“To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the adequacy of provision for Islamic cemeteries and burial grounds in Scotland, including the support or guidance that it provides to local authorities in meeting the needs of Muslim communities. (S7O- 00096)”
“The chief constable confirmed to the Scottish Police Authority board last month that recruitment will have a particular focus on rural and island communities.”
“You have been called worse. Gary Bouse: Yes, sometimes. “Blouse” is probably the main one. Can the cabinet secretary reassure my constituents that, despite the unique challenges of rural policing, the recruitment pipeline remains strong, allowing the chief constable to keep police numbers at around 16,500? Neil Gray: The Scottish Government is investing record funding of more than £1.7 billion in 2026-27, and the chief constable confirmed at the Criminal Justice Committee that the budget allocation will allow her to maintain officer numbers at around 16,500. Police Scotland maintains that it has a healthy recruitment pipeline, with around 175 new officers recruited last month and further recruitment planned throughout the year.”
“For me, a lot of what we are talking about comes back to the language that we use. In the first few weeks of this session, I have been slightly concerned about some of the language that I have heard in the chamber. I am not going to name individuals, because that will not help, but my plea to all members is to be slightly mindful of the language that is used in here. As I seek to do that, I will certainly take with me the verses in James, chapter 3, on taming the tongue. 18:00”
“It struck me that we have probably lost something in terms of how we conduct our politics. I mentioned earlier the two years that I spent away from politics. The electorate are never wrong, and that two-year period gave me the ability to think about how, if I were to go back into politics, I would want to contribute to Parliament and legislate. I reflected that, in the seven years that I was at Westminster, there were occasions on which I would go for the jugular; indeed, I would sometimes make a two-footed tackle against Stephen Kerr. However, in coming to this place, I have made a conscious decision that I want to contribute a bit more thoughtfully—although there will be occasions when I will get it wrong. I want to end on this point, because I picked up on the slight biblical reference that Ms Young made earlier.”
“I encourage all members to seek out and visit its local warm welcome space to see how loneliness and isolation, the very issues that Jo Cox campaigned on, are being tackled. Recently, I saw a documentary that dealt with the Dunblane massacre that took place 30 years ago. I was struck by the fact that Lord Robertson and Michael Forsyth appeared together in the documentary. They sat and reflected on how they, as Secretary of State for Scotland and shadow secretary of state, handled the situation back in 1996. I thought that it was very unusual to see a Labour and a Conservative politician sitting alongside each other talking about something that united them. However, it was a sad moment, because the thing that united them was grief: George Robertson lived in Dunblane and his kids went to that school, and Michael Forsyth was the local MP.”
“The things that she espoused in terms of tackling loneliness and isolation are incredibly important, and in that respect, I want to touch on what I refer to as my gap years between Westminster and the Scottish Parliament, which were important for me in reflecting on how I behaved as a legislator and as a politician. During that two-year period, I worked for the Good Faith Partnership, as I have noted in my register of interests. One of the things that I was involved in was the warm welcome campaign, which was set up to deal with loneliness and isolation in our communities. On one of the first visits that I undertook as an MSP, I had the privilege of visiting my own parish church, St Paul the Apostle, which has a warm welcome hub.”
“She epitomised what was clearly a family value of being kind and compassionate. When I arrived at Westminster in 2017, I made quite a deliberate decision. As somebody who had joined a political party at the age of 11 and was incredibly tribal, I made a very deliberate decision to spend time with other parliamentarians. This is the first time that I have spoken about it, but I used to play tennis on a Wednesday morning with Kim Leadbeater—Jo’s sister—David Mundell and Sir Desmond Swayne. It would be fair to say that, other than our terrible lack of ability when it came to tennis, there was very little that united us in our politics. However, we could put that to one side, and that is something that we need to learn to do an awful lot more. Ms Young is absolutely right to touch on Jo’s legacy.”
“I start by paying tribute to Jenny Young and thanking her for securing this debate. Members’ business motions often talk about celebrating something, but the topic of this debate is clearly not something that we want to celebrate; rather, it is something that we want to mark, and we want to do so with a degree of solemnity, for the sake of Jo’s family. I served in Westminster from 2017 onwards, so I was not in the same intake as Jo, who entered Parliament in 2015. However, she entered Parliament alongside my other half, who is an English Labour MP—which, by the way, has really taken cross-party working to a new level, and is not something that would recommend to everybody— and I have also had the pleasure and privilege of serving alongside Jo’s sister, Kim, who was referred to by Mr McArthur earlier.”
“I ask members to bear that in mind, as we move through budgetary discussions, if they are requesting further multiyear settlements.”
“Secondly, to support a strong and independent sector, we will explore governance, leadership and workforce resilience to ensure that the sector is equipped to meet future challenges within an effective regulatory environment. The third theme is improving financial sustainability. The fiscal environment continues to place significant pressures on the sector, and the issue is recognised as a key driver of instability. We will encourage honest conversations about those challenges, identify opportunities for improvement and build on our fairer funding approach. However, we must bear in mind that the Scottish Government does not receive multiyear funding and that providing multiyear grants for any organisation, including those in the third sector, takes away flexibility within the remainder of budgets.”
“Importantly, the partnership will include the whole sector; it will not reach only organisations with a direct funding relationship with the Government. Work is at an early stage, but we have begun to identify key themes that will shape the first phase of engagement. Those themes will not dictate the outcome; instead, they will provide a baseline for open, meaningful and collaborative discussion. First, on developing a partnership of equals, as I have emphasised, we want the third sector to actively inform and shape policy development. That means supporting transparency, sharing knowledge and embedding a culture in the Government that values the sector’s contribution.”
“We have repeatedly heard that the current system is unsustainable. The demand for services continues to increase, as do challenging financial pressures, which are worsened by costs such as the UK Government’s decision to hike employer national insurance contributions, placing pressure on employees and volunteers. We recognise that the Scottish Government has a shared responsibility with the sector and other third sector funders not only to deliver services but to strengthen the foundations on which delivery relies. In February, I announced my intention to co- design a third sector partnership agreement. Following a strong endorsement of that vision in the recent election, I am delighted to take that work forward and, ultimately, create a strategic partnership of equals.”
“The aim is to let them get on with the job; appropriate reporting and analysis is part of that work, but it must not become overburdensome and prevent them from getting on with their very important jobs. I very much agree with the sentiment behind David Linden’s remarks. I welcome that the Cabinet Secretary for Public Service Reform will shortly meet the SCVO to explore opportunities around public service reform, and the partnership will align with the public service reform programme to strengthen collaboration. I also welcome that other charities have proactively reached out to the cabinet secretary, which once again demonstrates the sector’s readiness to innovate for the benefit of all those whom we are here to serve. Alongside that progress, I must make clear the importance of listening to the concerns that the sector shares.”
“I draw attention to my entry in the register of members’ interests: until last month, I was the chair of Cranhill Development Trust. I very much welcome any moves that we can take to reduce bureaucracy for a lot of small organisations, such as Cranhill Development Trust. We want to see people being able to get on with the job, rather than having to spend huge amounts of time filling in forms to apply for grants and doing the analysis after that. I welcome what the Government has said and look forward to seeing such changes being borne out, because they would be very welcome indeed. Shirley-Anne Somerville: David Linden made a very important point that relates particularly to— but not only to—smaller organisations.”
“It is the responsibility of local authorities to enforce compliance with the register in their local areas, and it is already illegal to sell all such products to under-18s. The registration process means that that illegality can be stamped out. Lochgelly Health Centre 2.”
“With flavours such as candy and sugar, it is indisputable that vapes are marketed towards children. In April, the Riddrie action group expressed concern that far too many vapes are being targeted towards children. Will the Scottish Government consider a nationwide moratorium on new vape shops being established within a certain radius of educational establishments? Maree Todd: Planning authorities within local authorities are able to regulate the development of shops, including the creation of new shops, but changes to the specific range of goods that are sold in an existing shop do not constitute development, so they are not within the scope of planning control. However, Scotland has a tobacco and vapes retail register, and all businesses must be registered to be able to sell those products in Scotland.”
“I will close—I thank the Deputy Presiding Officer for her forbearance. I thank the people of Glasgow Baillieston and Shettleston for giving me the honour to serve here, and I look forward to making a strong contribution during my time on the back benches and ensuring that I stand up for my constituents, just as I did at Westminster. 15:11”
“We need to consider how prescribing is done and, frankly, bring it into the 21st century. That brings me to my penultimate point, which is about the cabinet secretary appointment of another predecessor in my constituency: Mr McKee, who now serves as the MSP for Glasgow Easterhouse and Springburn. Members on the Conservative benches have been fond of giving him a new nickname, but I genuinely think that his professional track record on issues of reform is to be highly respected. In this parliamentary session, I will certainly question why we have ended up in a situation where we have 14 territorial health boards and seven special health boards. Although such conversations are difficult, it is incumbent on us to have them as we seek to enter into a spirit of reform and renewal.”
“Another issue that I want to talk about—I might seem like an unlikely advocate for this—is the provision of adaptations for disabled women who present for cervical screenings. Far too few NHS facilities in Scotland have accessible tables or hoists in place for examinations. I look forward to working with Ms Kinross-O’Neill on that, to ensure that we rectify what I consider to be an issue of social justice for women who are disabled. I was pleased to see a commitment in the SNP manifesto to making use of emerging technology in areas such as the rolling out of digital prescribing. Several members of the community nursing team in Shettleston, particularly Marc Morris, have been lobbying me on that point. It was also something that was raised during a visit with Community Pharmacy Scotland in the course of the election campaign.”
“It also strikes me as being ridiculous that there are more labelling requirements on a bottle of orange juice than there are on a can or bottle of alcohol. That is something that I will seek to raise with the minister. I will raise a couple of other issues, one of which follows on from a point that was made by Ms Baillie on the provision of thrombectomy services, which I support being moved to a 24/7 service. The Scottish Government has already given the best part of £50 million to thrombectomy services, and there is a commitment in the SNP manifesto for another £25 million. However, we need to hold the health boards’ feet to the fire to ensure that we roll out life-saving and life-changing thrombectomy support. I hope that I can count on the cabinet secretary’s support on that.”
“There are challenges that the Government is well aware of in relation to drug deaths. In particular, I pay tribute to Alison Thewliss, who I know did such a huge amount of work to campaign for the introduction of the Thistle medical facility, which is making a massive difference. It was a risk to go out and call for that facility in the face of populist newspaper writers using inflammatory language, but we are now seeing—and, going forward, we will continue to see—that it is making a difference and starting to save lives. It is now time to start looking at rolling that model out. Scotland has a challenging relationship with alcohol, which I will speak more about over the course of this parliamentary session. There are some additional things that we need to look at, such as uprating minimum unit pricing.”
“I will raise an issue in that context, which is in the spirit of Glasgow being incredibly proud to be a city of sanctuary for asylum seekers and refugees, which I am also very proud of. From speaking to a lot of doctors locally, I know that they feel that there is a moral mission to respond to that context. However, there is undoubtedly a challenge that comes with it, by the nature of the fact that people require extra translation services, so appointments need to be longer, and, for cultural reasons, more people might come to an appointment. In the past, the health board has been given extra funding in recognition of that high asylum dispersal load. In working with the Scottish Government, I hope that we can make that point to the health board, so that my local health centre can receive such support as well.”
“The Scottish Parliament has a great story to tell about its control over health policy, and that is something that I will seek to build on. My constituency unashamedly got £67 million from the Scottish Government for the new Parkhead health hub, which was opened by the First Minister in December. That is a fantastic example of co-location of services, which is the model that we now need to move towards, and it is something that I will come back to in the course of this speech. I also welcome the Scottish Government’s commitment to walk-in GP clinics. I would be keen to see one in the east end of Glasgow, and I am sure that the cabinet secretary will not be surprised to see me beat a path to her door to make the case for that.”
“However, it would be fair to say that there has been significant progress, particularly in recent months, when there has been, for example, a reduction in long waits and a record number of knee and hip operations. I pay tribute to the outgoing ministers in the health department who ensured that. I know that ministers in the health department are aware that there are some challenges for them to deal with, which I plan to talk about. As we come out of the first quarter century of devolution and move into the second, the Scottish Parliament can be incredibly proud of the achievements that it has made on health, whether that is in relation to tackling smoking, with the ban on smoking in public places, or the introduction of minimum unit pricing.”
“[Applause.] Having made reference to the rather unusual Cranhill water tower, I cannot necessarily claim to have the rolling hills and scenic landscapes that Mr Melville, Ms Minto and others have in their constituencies, but I have, without any doubt, a real sense of community spirit among my constituents, who are absolutely unbeatable and unmatchable when it comes to putting their shoulder to the wheel to do things for their community. There is a tradition of people working together to help one another, and that is very much the spirit in which I come to this Parliament. I know that ministers on the front bench—whom I congratulate on their appointment—will also seek to serve Scotland. Ministers who have taken up or are returning to post in the health department have certainly inherited an inbox to deal with.”
“As much as I might have disagreed with certain views that he held, he was without doubt a very committed constituency representative. He served the people of the east end of Glasgow for the best part of 30 years as a councillor, an MP and an MSP. You would struggle to find people, particularly in the Garrowhill area of my constituency, who do not have a nice word to say about John for his commitment. On behalf of everybody in the Parliament, I send him every good wish for his retirement.”
“It would have been even more of a surprise to know that, some 30 years on, I would have the privilege, the pleasure and the honour of representing my friends, my family, my neighbours and my constituents. I take that role very seriously, particularly in the light of the public service that Mr Green just spoke about. It is customary in a maiden speech for members to make reference to their predecessor. This is the second time that I have given a maiden speech— or, in this case, a first speech. I find myself in the unusual and invidious position of following a predecessor who started life as an SNP parliamentarian only for the whip to be withdrawn. I do not know whether that means that I have some sort of reverse Midas touch, but, in all seriousness and without being flippant about it, I pay tribute to John Mason.”
“I pay tribute to the previous speaker, Mr Green, and associate myself with his words that referenced the spirit in which Jim Wallace both legislated and served as a member of the Scottish Parliament. It is a test for us all as we come to this new parliamentary session. I remember, in 1995, as a primary 1 pupil at Milncroft primary in Cranhill, standing and looking up at the Cranhill water tower, which remains the only square water tower in Europe. If I had been asked back then whether I expected the Scottish Parliament to have its powers over health, education and justice, it would certainly have been a surprise to find out that it would.”
“I, David Linden, 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. Tha mise Daibhidh Linden, Gu sòlaimte is fìrinneach a’ cur an cèill agus ag innse gum bi mi dìleas agus fìor umhail do A Mhòrachd An Rìgh Teàrlach, a oighreachan agus a thànaistean, a rèir an lagh.”