Mark Simpson
Reform UK · Scotland
“In a perfect world, we would all like to have fewer people in prison but, sadly, we do not live in a perfect world—we live in a country where victims are far too often forgotten. As we learned this week, sexual crimes in Scotland have hit record highs.”
Scottish Parliament25 June 2026Source ↗
“Will the member take an intervention? Maggie Chapman: No, not just now. Prison reform should allow us to do the upstream work that we know will help people to avoid prison in the first place.”
Scottish Parliament25 June 2026Source ↗
“When I was in HMP Grampian, I saw at first hand the intense daily pressures that our prison system faces: chronic overcrowding, serious staff shortages and the constant challenge of managing a revolving-door population. Scotland’s prisons are not sustainable, and that is the fault of the SNP Government.”
Scottish Parliament25 June 2026Source ↗
“We must have ways of preventing such harm. Indeed, harm reduction must be a cornerstone of our justice system. However, for many people—I would argue that this applies to the vast majority of those who are currently incarcerated, including women, neurodiverse people and people with mental health issues—the evidence overwhelmingly shows th…”
Scottish Parliament25 June 2026Source ↗
“I welcome the new member for North East Scotland to the chamber. A couple of weeks ago, one of my first actions as a Reform MSP was to visit HMP Grampian, so I have a particular interest in the topic. I had a good chat with the governor when I was there.”
Scottish Parliament25 June 2026Source ↗
“The current system is failing badly. Too many prisoners leave prison with no job, no stable housing and no meaningful support. Those failures help no one, least of all the victims. We need a stronger stick and a genuine carrot. The stick means that sentences actually deter.”
Scottish Parliament25 June 2026Source ↗