John Swinney
Scottish National Party · Scotland
“Since the report from several years ago was published, the Government has presided over the passage of legislation to rationalise that area of activity. Work is under way to transfer the responsibility for the funding of further education student support from the Scottish Funding Council to the Student Awards Agency Scotland.”
“I appreciate the urgency of the general policy elements of the question, because a number of applications are now being considered by planning authorities. My view is that, given the concerns that have been expressed by planning authorities, the Government has to be responsive to the issue.”
“For as long as we do not have a proper strategy on prison capacity, rehabilitation and clearing the court backlog, early release will be a revolving door, with people going in, coming out and going back into our prisons. Our justice system is in crisis, so we need a strategy.”
“I associate myself unreservedly Mr Cole-Hamilton’s comments about the feelings in the Muslim community. On Monday, I visited the Broomhouse mosque along with Simita Kumar and the Annandale Street mosque in Edinburgh with Ben Macpherson.”
“The development of further guidance will be undertaken in a manner consistent with the ruling by Lady Ross. Malcolm Offord: I thank the First Minister for his answer, which was more comprehensive than I expected.”
“I am a huge supporter of apprenticeship programmes. With foundation apprenticeships and graduate apprenticeships, the Government has brought forward important reforms that create new and successful pathways for young people. I am determined to make sure that every young person has that desirable pathway for their future.”
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“That obviously has an effect on capital priorities, but the Government will be happy to engage with Mr Rowley and other interested members on those questions, which are very much on the agenda of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and”
“That gives a practical indication of the effects of climate change. Mr Rowley will be familiar with the Government’s priority of tackling climate change, which is part of the solution. Another part of the solution is the constant improvements that are being made to water infrastructure around the country. A significant upgrade has just been completed in my constituency, in the city of Perth, to deal with the issues that Mr Rowley has raised. Such developments, which are going on around the country, often cause some disruption to members of the public, and we have to wrestle with that, too. Mr Rowley’s final point was about the importance of water resilience and what more must be done to secure that.”
“NFU Scotland has said: “Building resilience must be a shared priority between growers, regulators and policymakers.” Will the First Minister agree to look at what we need to do in the medium term to put in more water storage to support farmers and others who draw water, and at the issue of reservoirs and whether we need to increase capacity across Scotland in the medium and longer term? The First Minister: Not for the first time, Mr Rowley has raised significant issues and provided an indication of where the solutions lie. I very much welcome the content of his question and express the willingness of ministers to engage with him on those points. The situation has been acute. This year, I started to receive a weekly water scarcity warning from SEPA in April. Normally, I would probably begin to receive such warnings in August.”
“However, supplies are clearly not infinite, so I encourage everyone to use water responsibly. Alex Rowley: In the past week, I and other MSPs who represent the east of Scotland, including the First Minister, had an online meeting with Scottish Water, at which we heard about the work that it is doing. That includes its efforts to get people to reduce water usage, which I support. I have also been in touch with SEPA over the past few months, and I thank the staff at Scottish Water and SEPA for the work that they have done to manage the situation. However, looking forward to the medium and longer term, does the First Minister recognise that there is a need to review water infrastructure and water resilience? For farmers, this has been a difficult year, and it is predicted that food production will be well down as a result of the dry spells.”
“It is clear that climate change is driving more extreme weather, and, this summer, very dry conditions have been seen across Scotland, particularly in the east. Today, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency has confirmed that the number of areas that have significant water scarcity has increased to 10. With SEPA and Scottish Water, we are implementing Scotland’s national water scarcity plan, to support those who are affected. I recognise the seriousness of the situation, particularly for producers. SEPA is working closely with affected water abstractors—principally, NFU Scotland and the Scotch Whisky Association, and others—to minimise the impact where possible. Our investment in resilience measures over many years means that Scottish Water is able to maintain supplies to all parts of Scotland during prolonged dry periods.”
“This SNP Government is showing wilful ignorance. Why is the First Minister deliberately ignoring the rule of law?”
“We also continue to engage with the Equality and Human Rights Commission while we await its updated code of practice, which I understand is yet to be submitted to the United Kingdom Government. Tess White: What the First Minister has said is a huge insult to women and to the women who are protesting outside today. First Minister, we are not buttoned up at the back. It has been months since the Supreme Court judgment and the Court of Session decision on single-sex toilets in schools. Children have gone back to school now and teachers, some of whom are in the gallery today, are still being told to follow the Scottish National Party Government’s unlawful supporting transgender pupils in schools guidance. They are fearful for their jobs if they do not do so. The City of Edinburgh Council has acted now because delaying would be illegal.”
“The Government has made clear since the Supreme Court ruling that we accept the judgment and that we are taking forward detailed work that is necessary as a consequence. A working group convened by the permanent secretary is actively considering the implications of the judgment across every key area of Government. As a result of that work, action has already been taken, including updated guidance for the Gender Representation on Public Boards (Scotland) Act 2018 and amendments to the public appointments recruitment process for regulated public bodies, through which the act is applied. Through joint working with Police Scotland, we will publicly consult on the stop-and-search code of practice before the end of this year. Actions have been taken.”
“Will the Cabinet Secretary for Transport meet me and concerned community members to discuss it? The First Minister: I understand the concerns that have been raised by Evelyn Tweed about that junction. I understand that there is an on-going police investigation into recent claims in the area; that will be subject to review by Transport Scotland. I would be happy for ministers to meet Evelyn Tweed and her constituents to discuss the issue. It is important that we are responsive to the challenges that are faced on the road network. Transport Scotland and the Cabinet Secretary for Transport look carefully at all these incidents to identify where we can take action to improve road safety. I am happy for those arrangements to be put in place.”
“I express my sympathies to anyone who is affected by the loss of a loved one or who has been injured on our roads. The Scottish Government is investing a record £48 million in road safety in this financial year, including just over £12 million on trunk road safety engineering. Transport Scotland regularly liaises with Police Scotland on road safety issues and undertakes an annual assessment of the safety performance of the trunk road network. Mitigation measures are then prioritised for delivery. That robust approach ensures that the funding targets specific locations with a direct focus to improve safety and to save lives. Evelyn Tweed: Recently, there have been five serious road traffic accidents on the A84 at Blair Drummond, in my constituency. What action is being taken following the 2019 Transport Scotland review of the area?”
“My simple response to Mr Greer, the Parliament and the people of Scotland is this: if you want to work out what a Labour Government would look like, look at the shambles that is at Westminster today. Road Traffic Incidents (Trunk Road Network) 4.”
“Should aristocrats get blank cheques, while the poorest have bailiffs at their door? The First Minister: The issues that Mr Greer raises relate to the budget process, which the Government needs to go through. We will happily engage with the member on those issues, as we will with all parties. On his point about family and household costs, I totally agree with him about the burden of energy costs. I do not think that the situation has been helped by the failure of the Labour Government at Westminster to deliver on the promises that were made to people. People were promised that there would be a reduction in their energy bills of £300, yet energy bills are higher now than when the Labour Government came to power.”
“One in five households are living from payslip to payslip, and they are terrified of how they will pay their bills if something goes wrong. Yet not everyone is having a hard time. The richest 2 per cent of people now have more wealth than half the population combined. Billionaires should never be getting tax breaks, but they are. Some of Scotland’s richest people pay no business rates for their shooting estates. We are missing out on millions of pounds for our schools, libraries and health centres. It is indefensible that some of the richest people on the planet get a 100 per cent tax break from the Scottish Government. The Scottish Greens have a plan to end that injustice. Does the First Minister really think that billionaire-owned shooting estates need a tax break?”
“The support that we put in place is designed to do that, with measures such as the Scottish child payment. That does not exist in England and Wales and it is a significant measure that supports families who are in difficulty. On other occasions, we have taken steps to remove council tax debt. Ms McAllan, the Cabinet Secretary for Housing, and I are very happy to engage in discussions with Mr Greer about the proposals that he wishes to bring forward for the Housing (Scotland) Bill, which is coming to the Parliament for consideration. Ross Greer: I thank the First Minister for his kind words. Energy bills are sky high, the weekly shop costs double what it used to, a meal deal can be a fiver now and a jar of coffee can cost £7.50.”
“Before I answer Mr Greer’s question, I express my congratulations to Ross Greer and Gillian Mackay on their election as co-leaders of the Scottish Green Party. I extend my admiration to Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater for their service and I look forward, as I do with all party leaders, to co- operating on the issues that require our co- operation in a Parliament in which no one party has a majority at present. On the substance of Mr Greer’s point, I acknowledge that financial distress can be a significant source of difficulty for families and that it can increase the challenges that they face. That is why the Government’s agenda is absolutely focused on eradicating child poverty. That is my key priority and it is at the heart of the Government’s agenda.”
“Anas Sarwar: The First Minister is saying that the Patient Safety Commissioner is wrong, and his response just proves that he is completely and utterly out of touch. It is clear that John Swinney and his knackered Government are totally out of touch with the reality that Scots are facing.”
“We surpassed our original targets with that investment, and we put in place the largest-ever financial settlement to expand the service’s capacity. What is that achieving for us? It is helping us to roll out national treatment centre activity around the country; to deliver an increased number of operations; and to make sure that we have the largest number of hip and knee operations, which are at an all-time high. Those are all things that the budget deal put in place. The only problem with the budget deal is that Anas Sarwar refused to vote for it. How has he got any credibility on the health service when he cannot even put his finger on the button to support the Government’s budget? It is laughable.”
“There are record waiting lists, with no plan to fix them; a record number of Scots are being forced to pay for their healthcare; and we have the highest drug deaths rates in Europe. This Government is so out of touch. Is it any wonder that the Patient Safety Commissioner has said that we have a bed crisis and that waiting lists are imploding under the SNP? The First Minister: In-patient waiting lists are falling. That is what is happening under the SNP. In-patient waiting lists are getting smaller as a consequence of the interventions that we made. I put to the Parliament a range of measures that would expand the number of procedures and appointments that were envisaged in the national health service.”
“Anas Sarwar: It is okay, First Minister—I know that you are tired, but you have only about eight months left, so I would not worry about it. The Presiding Officer: Always speak through the chair, Mr Sarwar. Anas Sarwar: John Swinney is not the only knackered Scottish National Party politician who has given up on fixing our NHS. Yesterday, health secretary Neil Gray abruptly abandoned the SNP’s flagship promise to end waits of more than a year in our NHS. On the same day that the news broke that more than 1,000 Scots lost their lives to drugs in 2024, what did Neil Gray do? He took to social media to ask people whether they had seen the good news about Scotland’s NHS. That was on the same day that more than 1,000 deaths to drugs were revealed.”
“Well, they have that, and they do not need to change the First Minister as long as I am here. Let me give Anas Sarwar some statistics on what is going on: 97 per cent of people leave Scottish hospitals without their discharge from hospital being delayed; the number of operations that were performed in July was the highest in five years—and an 8.9 per cent increase compared with the number for July last year; our rapid cancer diagnostic services have reduced patients’ waiting time from referral to diagnosis to an average of 14 days; and the number of hip and knee operations reached an all-time high in 2024. That is because the health secretary and I are absolutely focused on improving the performance of the NHS, and that approach is delivering for the people of Scotland.”
“Let me reassure Russell Findlay that all those issues command my attention. They are the constant focus of the work of my ministers and my Cabinet and of my personal attention as First Minister, because, as I said this morning, I am absolutely determined to focus on the priorities of the people of Scotland. One of the things that the people of Scotland are concerned about is that their standard of living has been static for most of the past 10 years of austerity, bequeathed to us by the Conservative United Kingdom Government. What independence offers for Scotland is— Members: Nothing.”
“Unfortunately, I believe that, in supporting a motion without timing, our side would be seen to be supporting the immediate recognition of Palestine, when we believe that that should be in the context of a wider settlement. We will not vote against the motion, but we will abstain. 17:09”
“Pauline McNeill: The point that I was making was that, if a Palestinian is shot and there is no accountability, surely the member would accept that that is not compliant with what a normal country would do in holding criminality to account. That is my concern. Does he understand where I was coming from? Jackson Carlaw: I appreciate that point, but I expect that the Netanyahu Government will have to face not just the judgment of the international community but that of the people in Israel, too, many of whom are deeply concerned by the actions of that Government but, nonetheless, believe in their implicit right to exist as a state. Presiding Officer, I realise that I am out of time. I have listened carefully to the debate and to the speeches that have been made.”
“I doubt that anyone who is protesting in Gaza against Hamas is treated with the same leniency or tolerance, should they choose to protest. Pauline McNeill: Will the member take an intervention? Jackson Carlaw: I will, in a second. Among those protesting are the hostages’ families. They have the obvious concern that the prosecution of events in Gaza by the Netanyahu Administration is not designed to return their loved ones alive. It is clear that that is no longer a priority of Netanyahu, which is shameful. It began as a conquest to get back the hostages who were taken, which should be the fundamental aim of any Israeli Government action.”
“I take the opportunity to reinforce the point that I made to the representatives of the Jewish community on Monday, which is that they are valued members of our society and are a valued community. Their safety and security is as important to me as the safety and security of any other citizen in Scotland. We will work with them to support their security and safety. Jackson Carlaw: The First Minister knows how much I appreciate his comments. I take issue with one thing that Pauline McNeill has said, although I possibly understand her motivation. She said that Israel is no longer a democracy. A key right in a democracy is the right to protest. There have been widespread protests in Israel involving hundreds of thousands of people who are challenging the actions of the current Government.”
“The Deputy Presiding Officer: The First Minister will take questions on the issues that were raised in his statement. I intend to allow around 30 minutes for that, after which we will need to move to the next item of business. I encourage members wishing to ask a question to press their request-to- speak button if they have not already done so.”
“The bombs and rockets must stop and humanitarian aid must flow. The international community, including the United Kingdom Government, must recognise a Palestinian state as the first step towards peace and a two-state solution in which the peoples of both Israel and Palestine can live side-by-side in peace and security. Acknowledging that we are witnessing the signs of genocide brings with it a responsibility to act. The people of Scotland expect no less of us. For the duration of this afternoon’s business, I have authorised that the Palestinian flag be raised outside St Andrew’s house as an indication of Scotland’s solidarity with the people of Palestine. Scotland will always raise her voice in favour of peace and humanity.”
“Although there are significant challenges in relocating human rights defenders such as journalists from Gaza at this time, we are determined to do what we can, and we will explore that and other ways of supporting their vital work at pace. We will also support those who are struggling for justice, however distant a prospect that currently seems. We are exploring practical measures to bring expertise within Scotland’s legal establishment, our universities and our civil society, to contribute to gathering and preserving evidence that might be used in international criminal cases. We are witnessing a humanitarian disaster of historic proportions, yet the bombs continue to fall. The world cannot wait for a final court ruling before acting. The signs are clear and the alarm has been raised.”
“It will provide essential surgical, maternity and paediatric services to thousands of patients every year. The hub, or pilot hospital, will be co- ordinated from Dundee and will support similar deployments in future crises. We will also donate £600,000 to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs-led humanitarian fund for the occupied Palestinian territories, which will provide life-saving health services, food and nutrition assistance, emergency shelter, water and sanitation, protection services, education support and cash for families, ensuring that aid reaches those who are most at risk. We have also committed to providing medical support for up to 20 injured children from Gaza. We expect the first arrivals, along with their families, in mid-September.”
“Anyone who is in an apprenticeship or who has a formal offer will continue to be funded in their current place for the full duration of the apprenticeship. This is a humanitarian crisis and Scotland will directly address that humanitarian need. We have a long history of helping those in desperate need and we will not be found wanting now. I can announce that we will provide £400,000 to Kids Operating Room to establish the Gaza HOPES— healthcare for obstetrics, paediatrics, emergency, and surgical care—field readiness hub in Scotland. The funding will help to unlock $15 million of additional funding to deliver a rapidly deployable hospital in Gaza. Designed in Scotland to be built in just a week, it can operate in the most challenging environments and last for decades.”
“The UK Government should review what other steps it must now take in view of the United Kingdom’s duty in international law to respond when there is a serious risk of genocide. Ultimately, the International Court of Justice must come to a determination in the case against the Israeli Government of genocide. Until we have that clarity, new public moneys should not go to arms companies that are involved with the Israeli military. I know that there will be people in Scotland, not least apprentices funded by the Scottish Government who are working on the Clyde, at Rosyth and elsewhere, asking,“What does this mean for me?” Let me be clear: we have made a legally binding commitment to those young people and it will be honoured.”
“In recognition of the changed international landscape, the Scottish Government will lift the restriction that we have applied on the use of support for the production of munitions. However, in the face of genocide there can be no business as usual. We will pause new awards of public money to arms companies whose products or services are provided to countries when there is plausible evidence of genocide being committed by those countries. That will include Israel. The pause will apply, where possible, to new grants provided or investments made by the Scottish Government, our enterprise agencies and the Scottish National Investment Bank. Any defence company that is seeking support from the Scottish Government will have to demonstrate that its products are not involved militarily with Israel.”
“The International Court of Justice has made it plain that that risk exists. It has said that there is a prima facie case of genocide in Gaza. The Scottish Government cannot ignore that. We have previously provided business grants and investment support to companies that are involved in the design, production, supply and support of military equipment, technologies and services. We do so because we recognise that defending our country and defending our continent is a duty of Government. I hope that anyone watching the war in Ukraine would recognise the importance of defence. Indeed, the invasion shows that we live in a world in which our national security faces much greater and more immediate threats.”
“In fact, to speak out is our moral and legal responsibility. The challenge for this Parliament, this Government, the United Kingdom Government and governments across the world is what action we should we take if we agree that we are witnessing an unfolding genocide. I have spoken about the actions that I am calling on the UK Government to take, but let me turn now to what this Government will do. We are instructing relevant delivery bodies, where possible, not to provide support in facilitating trade between Scotland and Israel. The UK has treaty obligations and duties in international law to respond appropriately when a situation involving a serious risk of genocide arises. The ministerial code, under which I operate, at section 1.7 lays a clear responsibility on all ministers to comply with “international law and treaty obligations”.”
“They are an integral part of Scotland’s story, and they are a valued and cherished community in Scotland. However, I recognise that events in the middle east—and reactions to those events here, in Scotland— cause anxiety for members of our Jewish community, irrespective of their individual views on the conflict. I also know that members of our community have been affected by Hamas’s terrorism in the worst possible way, and I again pay tribute to the memory of Bernard Cowan. My condemnation of this Israeli Government’s actions is grounded in international law, human rights and a belief in the equal value of every human life. Many Jewish organisations and individuals have condemned the assault on Gaza. Their courage reminds us that to speak out against mass violence is not antisemitic; it is deeply human.”
“The UK must end military co- operation with the Israeli Government while the war continues and the question of genocide remains current. I want to directly address accusations that that opinion could be seen as antisemitic. Let me be clear: I utterly reject antisemitism and all forms of racism and hatred. I stand with Scotland’s Jewish, Muslim and Palestinian communities, and I condemn all forms of antisemitism, Islamophobia and racism. I recognise the trauma experienced by those communities and I pledge as First Minister to ensure their safety and dignity. On Monday, I met members of Scotland’s Jewish community. I did so because I wanted to reassure them of the respect that I have for the contribution that the community makes to all aspects of Scottish life.”
“Our neighbours in Ireland were the first Government in the European Union to say that what the Israeli Government is doing is genocide, when the Taoiseach told the Dáil on 28 May that the Israeli government was “committing genocide in Gaza”. The UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese concluded in March 2024 that “there are reasonable grounds to believe that the threshold indicating the commission of ... genocide against Palestinians ... in Gaza has been met.” In April 2025, the UN humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, stated: “This is not a war for security. It is a war to erase a people. And our failure to stop it will haunt our generation, and history.” The United Kingdom Government should support the international rule of law, join South Africa’s case at the ICJ and commit to implementing the ICC arrest warrants.”
“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu invoked the biblical command “remember Amalek”, which is historically associated with collective annihilation. The finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, said that Gaza would be “entirely destroyed” and that its civilians would be relocated to a humanitarian zone in the south before they would leave their homeland. Those statements have been cited in South Africa’s legal submissions to the International Court of Justice. International legal scholars have argued that they help to establish the specific intent that is required for a finding of genocide under the convention. Governments must act now.”
“Credible, widely documented evidence suggests that both of those conditions may be present in Israel’s conduct in Gaza. More than 63,000 Palestinians—the majority of them civilians, including more than 15,000 children—have been killed since October 2023. Vital infrastructure, including hospitals, homes, schools and water systems, have been systematically destroyed. Access to food, water and medical aid has been obstructed. The entire population has faced repeated forced displacement, often under life- threatening conditions. Statements by senior Israeli officials include dehumanising language and express intent to eliminate Gaza. Defence minister Yoav Gallant described Palestinians as “human animals”.”
“I said recently that I share the concerns of other countries and international leaders that a genocide appears to be unfolding in Gaza. I did not make that claim lightly. The legal determination of genocide is the responsibility of international courts, and the International Court of Justice found a prima facie case that Israel was committing genocide. Under article II of the 1948 genocide convention, two conditions must be met for genocide to be established. The first is that specific acts such as killing, “causing serious bodily or mental harm”, or inflicting life conditions calculated to destroy a group have occurred. The second is that those acts were carried out with the “intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group”.”
“This Government has contributed to humanitarian responses to the Gaza crisis—to date, we have contributed £1.3 million for Gaza and the wider middle east. In November 2023, we provided £750,000 to support access to food, water, shelter and medical supplies for more than 670,000 displaced people. More recently, we provided £550,000 for the Disasters Emergency Committee middle east appeal, the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund and Mercy Corps. We welcome the fact that the UK Government has committed to supporting the evacuation of Gazan students who have been awarded places at Scottish universities. For some time, I have been calling for the UK to end arms sales to Israel. The UK Government’s decision to suspend some arms licences was welcome, but I believe that it should go further. All licensed arms exports should stop.”
“I am therefore calling for the immediate recognition of the Palestinian state, strengthened sanctions against those who are complicit in illegal settlements and the imposition of sanctions on the members of the Israeli security cabinet where they are complicit in the horrors that civilians in Gaza City face. I welcomed the UK Government’s announcement in May that it had suspended trade negotiations with Israel, but it is clear that that action has made no difference. It is therefore time for the United Kingdom to withdraw from the UK- Israel free trade agreement, in view of Israel’s behaviour. I am also calling on the UK Government to follow the example of Ireland and to prohibit the import of goods produced in Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.”
“On Monday, I spoke to Dr Husam Zomlot, the head of the Palestinian Mission in London. He described how settler violence and land grabs in the West Bank are accelerating and how it looks different to even two years ago, with Palestinian towns and cities behind barbed wire and walls, and with roadblocks choking mobility across the territory. He told me that the economy was being choked, with unemployment at around 50 per cent. He was convinced that the aim of the activity was, as the Israeli finance minister set out, to end the prospect of a Palestinian state. The Israeli security cabinet’s decision to seize Gaza City last month has been condemned by the United Kingdom, the majority of the UN Security Council and senior UN figures. However, again, the Israeli Government has paid no heed. We need to act. The UK Government needs to act.”
“Although I welcome the intent behind the UK Government’s decision to recognise a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly this month, recognition must not be conditional and should be irreversible. It is the right of Palestinians, not the gift of international powers, and it must be backed by sanctions against the Israeli Government. A two-state solution is the only way that Palestinian and Israeli peoples can have a future, living side by side in peace and security. The Palestinian people and the Israeli people deserve no less. The Government of Israel has, however, overtly rejected that position, announcing another massive illegal settlement in the West Bank, with Israel’s finance minister explicitly claiming that the development would “bury the idea of a Palestinian state”.”
“This Government has consistently and unequivocally condemned the terrorist attacks that were carried out by Hamas on 7 October 2023, which claimed the lives of over 1,200 Israelis and saw 251 hostages taken. We have joined the international community in demanding the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. All human life is equal, Israeli and Palestinian alike. We have repeatedly called for an immediate and sustained ceasefire by all parties—a call that was endorsed by this Parliament on 21 November 2023—and for humanitarian aid to flow unrestricted into the territory. We have urged the United Kingdom Government to recognise the state of Palestine within the 1967 borders, joining over 140 UN member states—a number that is growing—and aligning with the international consensus on a two-state solution.”
“The situation in Gaza is a man-made humanitarian catastrophe. Over 63,000 people in Gaza have been killed and many more have been maimed. Most of the strip lies in ruins, and famine now grips the population. In a compelling address to the United Nations Security Council on 27 August, Joyce Msuya, the UN’s deputy humanitarian chief, advised that famine had been confirmed in north- central Gaza, where Gaza City is located, and that it is expected to spread to the south by the end of this month. The scale of suffering is unimaginable. Nobody can ignore it. We must confront this crisis with urgency, compassion and an unwavering commitment to accountability. I know that colleagues across this Parliament share my horror at what is unfolding in Gaza.”
“In Scotland, 97 per cent of people leave hospital with no delay, 95 per cent are registered with an NHS dentist, and 7 million treatments have been delivered since November 2023. Scotland’s core accident and emergency system has consistently outperformed that in England and Wales for the past decade, as has been repeated again in the most recent figures. Those are not just numbers: last year, more than 1 million patients were seen within four hours in our accident and emergency system, which is around one patient every 30 seconds in”
“Today I will speak mostly about how we have delivered, how we are delivering and how we will continue to deliver for the people of Scotland in ways that will improve their lives. It is a story of much achieved but more still to do, of a corner that is being turned and of progress that is once again being made. I will start with the national health service. I often hear my political rivals say that the national health service is broken. I reject that. I say that, thanks to our dedicated staff, Scotland’s national health service remains fundamentally strong and an asset for this country. Yes, it has problems, and why would it not, after a decade and more of Westminster austerity, after Brexit and after the foundation-shaking experience of Covid? That is not just my view; it is what the Labour Party says about the NHS in Labour-run Wales.”
“That has been ever present during the summer recess, when migrants have been put in the spotlight and the politics of intolerance has been stoked by some. Let me be clear, at the outset of this final year of the parliamentary session, that I reject that demonising behaviour. Let me be clear that I intend to defeat the politics of fear and division by offering a clear, principled alternative based on the decent, welcoming values that have served Scotland so well throughout my lifetime. That is why I want to use every opportunity that is available to my Government to give that leadership to Scotland and to deliver improvements in the lives of people in Scotland. Since becoming First Minister, I have heard loud and clear the desire of the people for effective delivery in Government alongside a meaningful message of hope.”
“I also share the concerns of other Governments and other international leaders that the brutal actions of the Israeli Government in Gaza constitute a genocide. That has unleashed widespread suffering and has caused such anguish. In the United Kingdom, we are seeing the prolonged application of austerity at a time of desperate need to rebuild in our society. These are difficult days. For many in our society, the implications of those events are that money is tight, prices are rising and hope is in short supply. The danger in such circumstances is that all those difficulties are marshalled together to be made the fault of others in our society, and that some get blamed for supposedly causing those problems.”