Martyn Day
Scottish National Party · Scotland
“The Labour Government has announced £219 million for sustainable aviation fuel, a key transition option for the Grangemouth site, which produced jet fuel for all of Scotland before it was betrayed and shut down.”
“Next week marks 10 years since Scotland was dragged out of the European Union against our will, and the damage to our economy and public finances has been immense.”
“Indeed, Labour members have had less input than the Conservatives have had in the debate today. In Scotland, the figure that I gave equates to a cut in public revenues of about £3 billion in 2025.”
“My former Westminster constituency overlapped with the constituencies of Fiona Hyslop and Michelle Thomson, and we worked well together until the public decided that I should spend more time with my family.”
“Deputy Presiding Officer, if you will indulge me with one final tribute, I will mention the Presiding Officer’s predecessor, George Reid, who passed away during the election campaign. He represented parts of my constituency in the 1970s and was fondly remembered by many people whom I met on the doorsteps. I have my own George Reid story.”
“It is an honour to make my first speech in our national Parliament as the member for Falkirk East and Linlithgow. I thank the people of my home constituency for placing their trust in me. I do not take that lightly, and I promise that, however people may have voted, I will work tirelessly as their representative.”
The complete record
Every one of 15 lines we hold for Martyn Day, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account.
“To ask the Scottish Government what urgent action it is taking to bring forward planning guidance on AI data centres in order to enable local authorities to fully and properly assess their impact on local communities and the environment. (S7O-00126)”
“The Labour Government has announced £219 million for sustainable aviation fuel, a key transition option for the Grangemouth site, which produced jet fuel for all of Scotland before it was betrayed and shut down. Will the First Minister join me in calling on the United Kingdom Government to spend every penny of that money on Grangemouth and its workers?”
“Indeed, Labour members have had less input than the Conservatives have had in the debate today. In Scotland, the figure that I gave equates to a cut in public revenues of about £3 billion in 2025. Similarly, the UK’s fiscal watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility, estimates that the trade and co-operation agreement will reduce long-term productivity by 4 per cent, relative to the position if we had remained in the EU, because of all non- tariff barriers to UK-EU trade. We will continue to take a responsible approach to managing the public finances. We will prioritise investment in front-line services and focus on delivering the things that matter most to the people of”
“Next week marks 10 years since Scotland was dragged out of the European Union against our will, and the damage to our economy and public finances has been immense. Will the minister provide an update on what assessment has been made of the impact that Brexit is having on Scotland’s finances and on what steps are being taken to mitigate those impacts? Hannah Mary Goodlad: Martyn Day will have been listening with eagle ears to my colleague Mr Gethins, who did a sterling job in outlining in his statement the damage that Brexit has done and will continue to do unless we reverse our course. In its modelling, the National Institute of Economic and Social Research estimates that Brexit resulted in a 3.2 per cent hit to UK GDP in 2025, and it is estimated that that figure will increase to 5.7 per cent by 2035.”
“To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made regarding funding for the Grangemouth flood protection scheme. (S7O- 00063)”
“To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent reports of aviation fuel supply issues at Edinburgh and Glasgow airports, what discussions it has had with the United Kingdom Government regarding future fuel security and the fuel supply chain. (S7O-00044)”
“People with substantial assets can save more, invest more and benefit from the opportunities that are simply unavailable to many working families. Over time, that gap widens. If we are serious about tackling inequality, we cannot ignore that fact. That is why I support measures that ask the people with the broadest shoulders to make a fair contribution. Public services should be funded through a tax system that asks more of those who are best able to contribute. Ultimately, wealth taxation is about fairness. It is about ensuring that opportunity is shared more fairly and that public services are properly funded. That is the principle that lies behind the debate, and I am proud to support it.”
“Had inheritance tax been devolved, Scotland would have been spared the uncertainty that was created by Labour’s proposals for family farms. Farming families in my constituency and across Scotland face the prospect of selling land that has been built up over generations simply to meet tax liabilities. Although Labour eventually changed course, months of anxiety had already been inflicted on our rural communities. That is a reminder that the decisions that affect Scotland are best made by those who are accountable to the people who live and work here. Every day in my constituency I meet people who are worried about paying bills, affording childcare or getting on to the housing ladder. At the same time, wealth has become increasingly concentrated. The stark reality is that wealth often generates more wealth.”
“More than a century later, communities in the Braes and in West Lothian are still waiting. The Scottish Government’s infrastructure investment plan recognises its importance, but years of delay have left local people wondering whether they will ever see a shovel in the ground. Getting the Avon gorge crossing back on track will be one of my priorities in the Parliament. Of course, everything needs to be paid for, and I believe that those with the broadest shoulders should pay their fair share. That means looking not only at income from work but at wealth and assets. The difficulty is that many of the important taxes on wealth, including inheritance tax and capital gains tax, remain reserved to Westminster, leaving the Parliament without the tools that it needs.”
“Deputy Presiding Officer, if you will indulge me with one final tribute, I will mention the Presiding Officer’s predecessor, George Reid, who passed away during the election campaign. He represented parts of my constituency in the 1970s and was fondly remembered by many people whom I met on the doorsteps. I have my own George Reid story. Before this Parliament was reconvened, he became the only passenger I have ever driven who grabbed the steering wheel— because he thought that I was about to drive into the Avon gorge on a stormy night. He never took another lift from me. The Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Tourism and Transport can expect to hear from me about this matter—the gorge, not my driving. The A801 Avon gorge has been talked about for so long that Manny Shinwell raised it when he was MP for Linlithgowshire.”
“My former Westminster constituency overlapped with the constituencies of Fiona Hyslop and Michelle Thomson, and we worked well together until the public decided that I should spend more time with my family. I am still trying to work out what it says about me that my family were so overjoyed when the public decided that they wanted me back. One of Michelle’s jokes is that, when you join the national movement, no one tells you that the first 20 years are the worst. After almost 40 years of campaigning for independence, I have seen both the highs and the lows, such as being swept into Westminster in 2015 as part of the SNP landslide and then watching Scotland repeatedly return mandates for a referendum only to be told, “No”. Whatever view members take on the constitution, the denial of democracy is not a healthy position for our nation.”
“For many in my constituency, the question is one of fairness—whether wealth is being taxed fairly and whether we have the resources to support the public services that we all depend on. Every constituency member will tell you that they have big boots to fill. In my case, there are multiple boots, belonging to Fiona Hyslop, Michael Matheson and Michelle Thomson, who, between them, had more than six decades of parliamentary service and experience. Fiona and Michael were members of the Parliament’s founding generation, elected in 1999, and they helped to shape the institution that we serve in today. I place on record my appreciation for their work and their friendship and for the support and advice that they have given me over the years.”
“The transition to net zero must be a just transition. The skills and industrial expertise are national assets and the community must share in the opportunities that come with change. When we discuss wealth in Scotland, we should remember that it is created not only in the boardrooms and financial markets but by the hard work of people in places such as Grangemouth. The men and women who have worked in Grangemouth over generations have helped to create considerable wealth for Scotland. It is only right that communities that create that wealth should share fairly in the opportunities and the public services that flow from it. That brings me to today’s debate.”
“It is an honour to make my first speech in our national Parliament as the member for Falkirk East and Linlithgow. I thank the people of my home constituency for placing their trust in me. I do not take that lightly, and I promise that, however people may have voted, I will work tirelessly as their representative. It is a community with industrial and historical heritage, stretching from Blackness to South Alloa and from Grangemouth to Limerigg. We sit, quite literally, between a rock and a hard place— between Edinburgh and Glasgow. At times, it can feel that way politically, too, and nowhere more so than in Grangemouth. For generations, the refinery and wider industrial complex have provided skilled jobs and have supported local families. The uncertainty surrounding its future has caused understandable concern.”
“I, Martyn Day, 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”