Murdo Fraser
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party · Scotland
“This has been quite a lively debate so far. I might take a slightly more sympathetic approach to Reform than other colleagues who have spoken. To be fair to Reform members, they have been on a steep learning curve in relation to how they approach debates in the Parliament.”
“After all the promises that were made about Reform members coming in to shake this place up, they cannot even get the basics right. If these are the foxes in the hen house, the chickens will be sleeping pretty safely tonight. That seems reflected in Reform’s most recent electoral performances.”
“I will make what I hope is a constructive suggestion, which is that it would be more helpful to have a debate on any one of those topics to allow us time to discuss the issues in detail. We will all be here for another five years, so Angela Ross should not fire all her bullets at once.”
“Murdo Fraser: I will give way in a second. The only things that have been left out are the NHS and justice. Virtually every topic in the remit of the Parliament is covered in the motion, as are some topics that are not in the remit of the Parliament.”
“Most significantly of all, we had a superb Conservative victory in the Aberdeen South constituency, with my good friend Douglas Lumsden winning just shy of 50 per cent of the vote—a massive swing from the SNP. Reform received just 2,478 votes, or 8.6 per cent of the total.”
“He will know that there is a necessity in the case of individual judgments for those involved to consider whether there is any basis on which an appeal should be mounted in a particular case.”
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“Italy, which has a price of 21.82p, derives 45 per cent from gas. The Netherlands has a price of 16.28p and derives 38 per cent from gas. Greece has a price of just 15.31p and derives 32 per cent from gas. The US, which derives 42 per cent of its electricity from gas, has a price of just 6.48p, which is less than a quarter of what we currently pay. Each and every one of those countries, which derive more of their electricity from gas than we do, has lower—and, in some cases, substantially lower—costs, which suggests that the issue lies elsewhere. The Deputy First Minister said in her remarks that we need to be clear about the root causes. I agree, and it is very clear that the root cause is not the component of gas in electricity production but lies elsewhere.”
“To come back to my basic point, the high cost of energy—specifically, electricity—must be addressed if we are concerned about the future of heavy manufacturing and industry in this country. I turn to the point that Mr Johnson made. He reflects a point that has been made by the current UK energy secretary, Ed Miliband. He says that we have high electricity prices because we are overreliant on gas. I thought that I would examine some of the data. I am grateful to the latest edition of The Spectator magazine, which has some helpful information that compares the situation internationally. In the UK today, the cost of our electricity per kilowatt or equivalent is 25.85p. We derive 34 per cent—just over a third—of our electricity from gas. Ireland has a lower price of 22.55p, yet it derives 50 per cent of its electricity from gas.”
“Fergus Ewing: On that point, does Mr Fraser agree that, since the UK produces 1 per cent of the world’s carbon emissions and Scotland produces one tenth of that, we are responsible for one out of 1,000 of the carbon emissions and that the other 999 are emitted by other countries? Therefore, does he agree that what we do in terms of cutting is almost irrelevant to solving what is a global problem, and that we would be best focusing on areas such as supporting our oil and gas industry to produce oil and gas with the lowest possible carbon footprint and to export those skills throughout the world, so that we can all move more effectively towards a global solution? Murdo Fraser: I thank Mr Ewing for that intervention. I struggle to disagree with much of anything that he has said. He makes his points very well.”
“The issue is that we have not stopped using those products. We have not stopped needing steel for construction and we have not stopped needing metals and paper. All that is different now is that we purchase those products from other countries, which do not have the same commitment to meeting net zero as we do. Therefore, the overall carbon emissions from producing those materials have not been reduced; all that we have done is export them to other countries. We can feel virtuous about the fact that our carbon emissions have reduced but, overall, they have not gone down.”
“Daniel Johnson: I agree with Murdo Fraser on the fundamental importance of energy costs for the industrial strategy, but does he accept that the previous Tory Government’s selling off of our gas resilience—our gas storage—was one of the direct contributors to the fact that the UK has had higher electricity costs over the recent period compared with comparator countries? Murdo Fraser: I am afraid that the member is wrong, and I will come on to explain why in just a moment. Daniel Johnson: I look forward to that. Murdo Fraser: Thank you. On the point about steel, just last week, I read in the media that the current UK Government is considering importing coal to support our steel industry. That is a significant departure and is perhaps indicative of some of the choices that we have made as we try to achieve net zero.”
“In that respect, I agree very much—not for the first time and probably not for the last time—with the intervention that Fergus Ewing made a few moments ago. I recall that, more than two decades ago, when I was first elected as an MSP to represent Fife, paper making was a major component of its economy. Over the years, we have seen that industry shrink and almost disappear, as have other sectors, such as metal production and steel making. All those sectors are high users of energy. Rising electricity costs have been a major factor in the deindustrialisation of Scotland and the United Kingdom.”
“I was pleased to sit on a panel in the well of the chamber with the Deputy First Minister, Michael Marra and Lorna Slater and take questions from the audience. Those questions were, as members would expect, wide ranging, but they gave us a useful insight into some of the pressures that the Scottish economy and the business community face at this time. One question that came up in that discussion that is relevant to this debate was on the cost of energy, and electricity in particular. At the heart of the issue that we are discussing this afternoon— the decline of heavy industry in Scotland and across Great Britain, including Britain’s steel industry—lies the high cost of energy in this country.”
“I very much welcome this afternoon’s debate on supporting Scottish industry. I also welcome my good friend Jamie Greene to his new position as the economy lead for the Scottish Liberal Democrats, which is a very welcome and encouraging lurch to the right on the part of the Liberal Democrats. I am sure that we will hear a lot of good sense from Mr Greene shortly. On Friday, along with a number of colleagues, I attended the business in the Parliament conference, which was held in this chamber and the Parliament’s committee rooms. That conference is always a valuable opportunity to bring together members of the business community—both those in leadership and those who work at the grass roots—and MSPs.”
“I remind members that questions 4 and 8 have been grouped together, so I will take any supplementary questions after both substantive questions have been asked. Members looking to ask a supplementary question should press their request-to-speak buttons during the relevant questions. Again, there is quite a bit of demand for supplementary questions, so I make the usual appeal for brevity in both questions and answers. Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023 1.”
“It has done a tremendous job over the more than 200 years that a US consulate has been in Scotland. Since 1798, there have been diplomatic relations between US diplomats and Scotland, and we very much value that. I met Kathryn Porter, the consul general, this morning. The closure is a decision for the US Administration’s Department of State, but I observe that, in recent years, we have seen a significant increase in consular representation in Scotland. Many people would be extremely disappointed if the US were not part of the wider consular family of the international community that is based in Scotland. The Deputy Presiding Officer: That concludes portfolio questions on constitution, external affairs and culture. Justice and Home Affairs The Deputy Presiding Officer: The next portfolio is justice and home affairs.”
“I was hoping that we would get some Brexit realism from Christine Grahame but, sadly, we were disappointed on this occasion. Does the cabinet secretary agree that, given the impact that we are already seeing of US tariffs on Scottish exports, good relations with the US have never been more important? Does he share my concern about the potential closure of the US consulate in Edinburgh, which is being mooted by the US Department of State? Does the cabinet secretary acknowledge the excellent work that the consulate has done over many years? Will he join me in calling on the US Department of State to reconsider any plans to close that vital resource? Angus Robertson: I join Murdo Fraser in paying tribute to the work of the consulate of the United States of America in Edinburgh.”
“The position of NHS Fife in relation to the Sandie Peggie employment tribunal must now be entirely unsustainable in the light of the Supreme Court judgment. Like me, the cabinet secretary will have constituents in Fife—thousands of individuals— who have been waiting too long for vital treatments because NHS Fife is starved of resources, and yet it is spending what must now be hundreds of thousands of pounds in legal costs defending the indefensible. Is it not time that the Scottish Government instructed it to throw in the towel and to stop wasting our money? Shirley-Anne Somerville: As Murdo Fraser well knows, that is a matter between the employer, NHS Fife, and the employees. It is subject to on- going judicial proceedings in the employment tribunal, and it would not be appropriate for me to comment on a live case.”
“I apologise for being a few minutes late for the start of the session, Presiding Officer. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to increase house building. (S6O-04540)”
“In relation to the United Kingdom, that gives us a fiscal gap of £8 billion, or 12.5 per cent of the Scottish Government’s annual budget, and the Scottish Government has no idea how that gap would be filled—by cuts or by tax rises. Let us remember that these are the people, in the SNP, who were challenging us all the way through the budget process by asking us where we would find £1 billion; they are proposing to cut the budget by £8 billion—by eight times more. We have two left-wing Governments letting our country down, with more tax and lower growth. Whether it is under Labour or the SNP, we are paying more for less. You are better off with the Conservatives. 18:06”
“There is a new policy from the SNP that did not get mentioned today—a new policy, or rather a reheat of an old policy: full fiscal autonomy. The cabinet secretary wrote to the Scottish Affairs Committee at Westminster on 16 January to say that the SNP wants full fiscal autonomy, with all revenues raised in Scotland to be retained in Scotland and all expenditure paid for by the Government here. What does that mean in practical terms? According to the Scottish Government’s own figures, the gap between revenue and expenditure in Scotland is £22.7 billion. That is a deficit of 10.4 per cent, which is twice that of the United Kingdom.”
“I wonder whether anybody on the SNP front bench can tell me how it would be implemented, who it would have an impact on and how much money it would raise. In fact, is there any country in the world that has successfully implemented a wealth tax? If anybody on the SNP front bench can tell me where a wealth tax has been introduced, I will give way to them now. No, of course not, because that has not been the case—there is no country in the world that has successfully introduced a wealth tax. It is a chimera, which has been introduced just to give the SNP something to say. In fact, its record is one of tax, tax, tax. In the United Kingdom, we have the highest tax burden that we have ever had in our history. In Scotland, it is higher still.”
“We now see a record tax gap between Scotland and the rest of the UK. At a time when people are struggling with the cost of living, we are seeing water charges going up and eye- watering council tax increases of 10 per cent or more, at the same time as people are seeing services being reduced. Our universities are under threat. The University of Dundee faces 700 jobs being cut due to the funding settlement that it is getting from the Scottish Government. Still, the cost of Government goes up and up, with more civil servants—there have been 500 extra senior civil servants in the past two and a half years. If Mr McKee is looking for where to swing his axe, I suggest that he starts with the Scottish Government and makes progress from there. The cabinet secretary dangled the carrot of a wealth tax, which is an interesting proposal.”
“Murdo Fraser: Surely the opportunity to strike a bespoke trade deal with the US that avoids the possibility of tariffs on Scottish and British exports is something that we should all welcome and not try to denigrate. We have heard about Labour’s economic legacy: the broken promises that we have heard about from others; the winter fuel allowance that has been withdrawn; the farm tax that has been introduced, hitting farmers; the national insurance increases that I have referred to; the benefit cuts; and the promised £300 cut in fuel costs that has not been delivered. My good friend and our former colleague as an MSP Neil Findlay is, sadly, no longer with us in Parliament. He is abandoning the Labour Party because of its “vindictive and brutal policies”—at least he has some guts. That is enough about Labour. Let us look at the SNP record.”
“I turn to some of the comments that the cabinet secretary and SNP members made about rejoining the EU. At this particular point, when we are potentially facing the prospect of Donald Trump imposing tariffs on the EU but maybe not on the United Kingdom, nothing could be more misguided than looking at rejoining the EU, until we see where that develops. That would be a staggering proposal in terms of the interests of the UK economy. Michelle Thomson: I would just like to note that it is extremely unlikely that the UK would be able to rejoin the EU by 9 pm this evening, when the announcement about tariffs will be made. On a serious note, does he recognise that the UK has left itself between a rock and a hard place— aligned to the US, with Trump at its helm, and outwith the EU? That must surely be a concern for Murdo Fraser.”
“Alex Cole-Hamilton: Murdo Fraser is right to say that it is important not to overreact in these days of turmoil, but does he also recognise that it is important that the Government does not overly kowtow to Donald Trump through decreasing the digital services tax or removing other payments that American companies pay in order to try to avoid the tariffs that are coming? Murdo Fraser: I know that Mr Cole-Hamilton bought and drove a Tesla and that he then sold it. I know that he then went over to campaign for Kamala Harris. Maybe he is a little bit embarrassed about his actions. I think that it is very important that we act in the interests of Scottish businesses that are looking to export to America and that we tread very carefully in that respect.”
“The Office for Budget Responsibility estimates that the national insurance increase will lead to lower wages—76 per cent is expected to be delivered through lower wages for staff from 2026-27. Against all that, we have the threat of tariffs. In a few hours, we will learn more about the impact that they will have. I say gently to Lorna Slater that it is really important that we do not inflame the situation in this chamber or elsewhere by making comments that might be unhelpful. We do not have to love or like Donald Trump or his regime, but it is very important that those in positions of leadership in the United Kingdom do not overreact to the action that he might take.”
“Of course, there was a budget deficit that was inflated by all the payment support for the Covid pandemic, the furlough scheme and the cost of living payments that were made to individuals but, nevertheless, the budget deficit was half what the Conservatives inherited from the previous Labour Government in 2010. What do we have now? In the UK, economic growth is barely above recession levels, inflation is up, growth forecasts have been halved and business confidence is in the doldrums. The fiscal headroom that Rachel Reeves thought she had has now gone. All that is even before the national insurance increases kick in on Sunday—a veritable tax on jobs, as Liz Smith reminded us. That tax on jobs will deliver job losses; that is what the Federation of Small Businesses tells us when it surveys its members.”
“I start by reiterating a point that I made earlier this afternoon and which Alex Cole-Hamilton echoed in his speech. I hope that we will not see a trend whereby Government front benchers present statements to Parliament for 20 minutes, do not take any interventions, do not allow any interruptions, do not allow any questions and then steal Opposition time when it comes to the debate. That would be a very unhelpful development. In her lengthy statement, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government made some points that I agree with. She was quite right to make some of the criticisms that she made of Rachel Reeves and the Labour Government. Craig Hoy reminded us of some of the fiscal backdrop. Labour inherited a growing economy, with inflation down and unemployment low.”
“Opposition members may also be intervened on in a fashion that the cabinet secretary will not face when giving her statement. That is clearly a departure from normal practice, and it puts the Opposition in this Parliament at an unfair disadvantage. I know that the arrangement has been agreed by the Parliamentary Bureau in this particular case. However, I would welcome an assurance from you, Deputy Presiding Officer—or, in due course, an assurance from bureau members—that it will not set a precedent for future business, given that it unfairly advantages members of the Government.”
“On a point of order, Deputy Presiding Officer. On the programming of business for the remainder of the afternoon, I note that we are about to hear a statement from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government, which is scheduled to last for 20 minutes. I have seen the content of the statement and it amounts to little more than a party-political broadcast for the Scottish National Party. As is the case with all statements in the chamber, it requires to be heard without any interruptions or interventions. In this case, there is no capacity for questions to be put to the cabinet secretary on the content of her statement. The statement will be followed by a debate in which Opposition members will be able to speak, but they will not be given the amount of time that would otherwise be available.”
“In Aberfeldy, a striking monument was unveiled in 1887 as a tribute to the first mustering of the regiment there in 1740, and there are plans for a new memorial in Dundee in the future. The Black Watch continues to this day as 3 SCOTS, the third battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. It is currently based at Fort George near Inverness, but there are very welcome plans afoot to relocate the battalion to Leuchars in Fife, which would be closer to the traditional recruiting grounds across Perthshire, Angus, Dundee and Fife and would physically reconnect the regiment with the communities from which it draws its support. That would be a very welcome move for the future of the Black Watch. I join all members taking part in the debate in wishing members of the battalion the greatest success in the future. 13:18”
“Following an army reorganisation in the early 1960s, the barracks closed, but the Black Watch found a new and permanent home at Balhousie castle nearby. The historic castle has become a symbol for the regiment’s legacy, with a public campaign in 2008 raising a remarkable £3.5 million to transform the site into a five-star, award- winning visitor attraction, with a new museum and archive. The site has been a brilliant success and has welcomed nearly a million visitors from around the world over the past 10 years. Last June, the streets of Perth came alive once more as veterans marched in the freedom of Perth parade, commemorating the 20th anniversary of the regiment’s final deployment to Iraq.”
“It is testament to the courage and sacrifice shown by soldiers of the Black Watch that they have been awarded no fewer than 14 Victoria crosses—Britain’s highest military decoration for valour. Notwithstanding their indisputable loyalty, many members of the Black Watch have always considered themselves, as one of their commanders described, as men who felt a responsibility towards the country for which they cherished a devoted affection—notably Scotland. The connection that Alexander Stewart referred to between the Black Watch and Perthshire is not just symbolic but tangible and on-going. In 1947, the regiment was granted the freedom of the city of Perth. For decades, the Queen’s Barracks in Perth served as a depot for the regiment, housing training soldiers and acting as the main point for regimental life.”
“Crucially, the King stipulated that those soldiers were to be natives of that country and that none other were to be taken—a declaration that solidified the regiment’s unique Scottish identity. The first official muster of the new regiment took place the following year, in 1740, on the banks of the River Tay in Aberfeldy. Since then, as we have heard from others, the Black Watch has gained a reputation for bravery, discipline and direction on the battlefield, and it has played a part in every major conflict involving Britain, including the battles of Fontenoy and Culloden; the national Napoleonic wars; the American war of independence, where the regiment famously defeated forces under George Washington; both world wars; and, more recently, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, where the regiment served with honour.”
“As Liz Smith mentioned, that included the Fraser clan—a clan that was not always loyal to the Crown, although it was on that occasion. To set themselves apart from the existing regiments of the British Army and to drum home their independent identity, those Highland soldiers ditched the traditional red coat and donned the now-famous dark green, blue and black tartan. Those companies became known, in both fear and respect, as am Freiceadan Dubh in Gaelic or, as we know them, the Black Watch—a name that could be derived either from the 12-yard dark green military tartan or, possibly, the sombre nature of their duties. In 1739, King George I ordered the formation of four additional companies, bringing the total to 10, which were all to be recognised as a regiment of the line of the British Army.”
“I congratulate my friend Liz Smith on securing this timely and important debate. As others have done, I welcome the Black Watch veterans to the gallery this afternoon. I say to Brigadier Garry Barnett that I sympathise with his having to keep in order my friend Edward Mountain, but his experience has nothing on what the Conservative whips in the Parliament have had to put up with over the past number of years. As Liz Smith said, the origins of the Black Watch date back to a turbulent time in our country’s past. In the wake of the Jacobite rising of 1715, six companies of loyal Highlanders were assembled in 1725 to patrol the Highlands of Scotland, disarm the clans and restore order. Those men were not outsiders but Highlanders policing Highlanders, tasked with preserving peace in their own lands.”
“To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to reduce waiting times for children and adolescents for the diagnosis of autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. (S6F-03944)”
“I am happy to put on the record our party’s continuing support for the concept of fair trade and to join the cabinet secretary in celebrating Scotland’s position as a fair trade nation. I move amendment S6M-16923.1, to insert at end: “; recognises that free and fair trade is the most powerful engine for poverty reduction and global prosperity; affirms that open markets, trade liberalisation and the entrepreneurial spirit are central to Fair Trade; believes that protectionism and arbitrary trade barriers harm the very producers and communities that Fair Trade seeks to support; calls on all MSPs to actively champion global agreements that allow Scotland’s businesses to compete, innovate and lead on the world stage, and further calls on the Scottish Government to support the full potential of, and critical work already performed by, local producers by properly accounting for them in its public sector procurement rules and guidelines.” The Deputy Presiding Officer: I call Colin Smyth to speak to and move amendment S6M- 16923.2.”
“I am sure that we can pursue that issue in the Economy and Fair Work Committee and in the chamber as the bill progresses. My amendment to the motion also makes a wider point about the benefits of free trade more generally. We have a new US President who is threatening to impose trade tariffs, which might or might not end up hurting UK exports. We should be unequivocal about championing free trade. Trade barriers hurt growth and cost jobs, so let us be clear that free trade is a positive. Let us encourage the UK Government in particular to look for new trade deals across the world with countries such as India, which will help Scottish and British businesses to grow.”
“That all sounds very welcome, but my initial reading of the bill leaves me with a whole list of questions, which I will raise as the bill progresses through its committee stage. In essence, the bill requires ministers to publish a community wealth building statement. There are similar obligations on local authorities and relevant public bodies, including health boards, colleges and enterprise agencies, to work together as community wealth building partnerships. It all sounds very heavy on strategy and the publication of documents, and rather light on outcomes. It would be a pity if the bill was not a significant opportunity to address the concerns that have been raised with us over many years by local businesses about their difficulty in accessing a fair share of public contracts.”
“I would like to see that initiative rolled out more broadly. However, that practice is not universal. We need leadership from the Scottish Government to ensure that we are providing fairness for the very substantial public sector spend in supporting local business. There is a legislative opportunity to address some of those issues through the Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill, which was introduced last week and which I had the pleasure of reading over the weekend. The bill’s intention is to ensure greater support for local economic operators to access public sector contracts and to use public procurement to facilitate the generation, circulation and retention of wealth in the local economy.”
“Too often, in the past, national health service boards and local councils have hidden behind Scottish Government procurement rules to say that preference cannot be given to local producers. Similarly, the Scottish Government has hidden behind European Union procurement rules. Now that we are no longer in the EU, those excuses carry little weight. When the Parliament’s Economy and Fair Work Committee took evidence recently for its post- legislative scrutiny of the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014, we heard examples of good practice, where local authorities are making the effort to provide healthy, nutritious meals that are produced from local ingredients. That is very much to be welcomed, and I was encouraged to see Argyll and Bute Council providing venison on the school menu to support the local industry and local gamekeepers.”
“However, too often, we see supermarket shelves lined with fruit and vegetables that might well have been flown thousands of miles to get here, even though there are alternatives available that are produced closer to home. That frustration is felt particularly when it comes to public procurement. Over the years, I can recall many occasions on which we have debated the need for procurement rules to better support local economies and local producers. Such support is particularly needed when it comes to the provision of food, such as for school meals or catering in hospitals, where there is an opportunity to purchase what is produced locally, which would put money back into the local economy.”
“Those were both communities in which active people came together to push for the label to be adopted, and I am sure that other members will have similar stories of communities in the areas that they represent similarly embracing the concept of fair trade. Although the focus of the fair trade movement is on international imports of commodities, such as coffee, we should not lose sight of the wider concept of fair trade for producers at home, which is a topic that is mentioned in my amendment. A consistent and regular complaint that we hear from farmers and food producers in Scotland is that they do not see sufficient focus on the purchase of locally produced food. Such a focus would not only support local employment but help the environment by reducing food miles.”
“If individuals recognise the value of the Fairtrade label and understand the benefits that it brings, they can choose to use their spending power to support the initiative, even when it might cost them a little bit extra. As I highlighted earlier, the evidence shows us that Scottish consumers are prepared to continue to support the fair trade programme, even though it might mean them paying a small amount extra to do so. It has been good to see many local communities across Scotland embracing the concept of fair trade. In my region, Aberfeldy became the first Fairtrade town in Scotland, in 2002, and Kinross- shire became the first Fairtrade county in Scotland, in August 2005.”
“In 2023, UK sales of fair trade products generated £28 million in fair trade premiums for farmers and workers—that was money over and above the cash that they would otherwise have received for their products. A number of years ago, I had the privilege of visiting Malawi as part of a visit with a number of other parliamentary colleagues. We saw for ourselves at a coffee plantation the value that fair trade brought to the workers there. It allowed them to enjoy a level of income and job security that simply would not otherwise have been possible. Public agencies here can lead by example on the purchase of fair trade products, and here in the Scottish Parliament, the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body has been very clear that fair trade products should be used wherever possible. However, ultimately, fair trade is driven by the consumer.”
“Essentially, it is an arrangement designed to help producers in developing countries to achieve sustainable and equitable trade relationships. Generally speaking, producers who are part of the fair trade movement can expect higher prices for their products. They can pass that extra money on to their workers in better pay and benefits, and it can also be used to help to improve environmental standards. The fair trade movement originated in relation to commodities that were typically exported from developing countries, such as coffee, cocoa, sugar, fruit, flowers and gold. The Fairtrade Foundation works with farmers, producers and more than 1,900 producer organisations across 68 countries.”
“However, Scottish Fair Trade made a series of eight recommendations for keeping the fair trade movement going, including on the need to improve data and legislation, to connect with supermarkets and to work with the public to keep ethics a high priority. We know that, across Scotland, there is considerable consumer support for the concept of fair trade. The latest figures, from March 2024, tell us that 85 per cent of Scottish consumers say that they buy a fair trade product at least once a year, with 66 per cent—two thirds—saying that they buy one at least once a month. Despite the rising cost of living, there is little evidence that those figures are going into decline, which shows that, even when economic times are tough, people still recognise the value of fair trade. What is fair trade?”
“I very much welcome the opportunity to debate the topic of Scotland as a fair trade nation. In the course of my remarks, I will talk about the progress that we have made in relation to the purchase of fair trade products internationally, but I also want to spend a little time looking at what is happening in Scotland in relation to giving a fair deal to producers here. As the cabinet secretary has already said, Scotland is a fair trade nation. On 10 March this year, Scottish Fair Trade announced that we had retained our status, stating that all five criteria that we require to meet to be a fair trade nation had been met.”
“Let us take the example of the Scotch whisky sector in which American companies own Scottish distilleries, American barrels are imported to Scotland to produce Scotch whisky and French or Italian-headquartered companies own significant parts of the sector. We are not immune to tariff decisions, whether we are in the European Union or not. For all of us, the key issue at hand is to persuade decision makers that tariffs are not the best way to ensure economic success, whether that is in the European Union, Scotland and the UK outside the European Union, or the United States of America. Historic Sites 7.”
“United States President Donald Trump is currently threatening trade tariffs against the EU, which we might avoid in the UK because we are no longer part of the EU. Those tariffs would be immensely damaging to key export sectors, such as food and drink, in Scotland. Is it not reckless to talk about rejoining the European single market while such a threat hangs over us? Angus Robertson: No, but I take the opportunity to agree with the member that a trade war has no winners, which is why it is incumbent on all of us, across all parties, to use the good offices that we have to communicate that point to those who choose to introduce trade tariffs.”
“They seem to have been so in thrall to the trans activist lobby that they have not properly considered the consequences of allowing public agencies to go down that route. That is why they must now intervene and provide clear guidance on the issue in line with the Scottish Conservatives’ motion today. 15:53”
“The answer would therefore seem to be obvious: the provision of single-sex spaces in all public buildings for both males and females, and the provision of a third category of toileting and changing facilities that would be open to all and non-gender specific, and would be available to trans men and trans women. Mercedes Villalba: Will the member take an intervention on that point? The Deputy Presiding Officer: The member is about to conclude. Murdo Fraser: Such a policy, introduced across the public sector, would both address the legal issues that have arisen and respect the dignity of all involved. It is clear that we must have single-sex spaces for women, and it remains a mystery as to why SNP ministers have allowed the situation to develop under their watch.”
“Some are now saying that they are actually scared to use school toilets, instead having to leave the premises to use facilities in nearby cafes or supermarkets. There must be a real concern here that that use and promotion of unlawful policies lays those public bodies open to legal claims by women and girls who have been forced, against their will, to share facilities with men and boys or even trans women. I can easily foresee civil claims firms or specialist litigation lawyers signing up clients in class actions to seek compensation. The financial consequences for the public sector could well be severe. We should accept that there are trans individuals who have rights, too, and whose welfare must be considered.”
“Despite that clear statement of the law, we continue to see the public sector producing guidance to the contrary. Last week, we learned that NHS Scotland is developing new guidance that mandates that transgender health staff must be allowed to use their preferred facilities unless there is a particular reason to the contrary, to be determined on a case-by-case basis. As we have already heard from Russell Findlay, schools are now providing gender-neutral toilets without specific single-sex spaces for girls, which is leading to reports of girls being harassed or even assaulted. Some are now saying that they are actually scared— Lorna Slater: Will the member take an intervention on that point? Murdo Fraser: Not just now.”