George Adam
Scottish National Party · Scotland
“The spirit of hope, optimism and belief has always been part of Scotland’s heart and Scotland’s story, which is why the motion feels so out of place in our chamber. Where Scotland sees hope, Reform sees grievance. Where Scotland sees opportunity, Reform sees division.”
“The tartan army have travelled in numbers, as they always do, and they have shown the world exactly what Scotland is all about. Scotland is good humoured, looks for friendship and shows respect to others and their culture—and is a wee bit gallus.”
“By the end, it reads like the ramblings of a very angry man sitting on his own in the corner of the pub, complaining about immigrants, about net zero, about equality, about young people and about Scotland—and eventually falling out with absolutely everyone else in the pub.”
“It is Nigel Farage—the same Nigel Farage who promised prosperity and delivered labour shortages, higher costs, barriers to trade and years of economic uncertainty— Malcolm Offord: Will the member take an intervention? George Adam:—and now he is back, demanding that Scotland trusts him again.”
“What Scotland needs is confidence in ourselves—confidence to build our communities and confidence in our ability to build a fair economy that works for everyone. We need confidence that our future is not bound up in the bitterness and division offered by Reform UK.”
“George Adam: His lordship’s argument is that it is slightly better than it is for somebody else next door. That is complete and utter nonsense. Presiding Officer, I used to be in the motor industry—if someone sold you a second-hand car that immediately burst into flames, you would not turn up and ask for a second one, would you?”
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“The University of the West of Scotland is another cornerstone of our town—a world-class institution that is shaping the future of our young people. Together, those two pillars of our town are creating opportunities that will resonate far beyond football. Since the partnership began, more than 30 UWS students have gained invaluable experience with St Mirren. From coaching and sports science to media and journalism, they have had the chance to apply their skills in a professional setting. The partnership is about not just work experience or a work placement, but equipping our young people with the tools that they need to succeed, while strengthening St Mirren’s operations across the board. One of the exciting aspects of the collaboration is its focus on youth development.”
“That buy-out laid the foundation for the success that we see today, both on and off the pitch. However, today’s debate is about not just one Paisley institution, but two. The other one has also been a part of the town for a very long time. What was then called the Paisley College of Technology opened its door in 1897, becoming the University of Paisley in 1992 and finally the University of the West of Scotland in 2007. Both club and university have served their town for a very long time, and this debate is about a collaboration that resonates deeply with the heart of Paisley—a partnership that embodies our town’s values of community, ambition and resilience. Now, through the partnership with UWS, St Mirren is taking its commitment to our community to new heights.”
“I got up on the karaoke and started singing “Angels”. At this point, Stacey instantly thought, “Here he goes again—big romantic that he is, he’s going to be singing that to me.” Most of the time, as we all know, I will direct that towards Stacey, but this one time, I finished the song with, “I’m loving St Mirren instead.” I have never heard the end of that, but here we are, in 2025, and things are still going strong. That is because St Mirren is about more than just football—it is an integral part of Paisley and is a symbol of our community spirit and determination to succeed. When the fan-led buy- out took place, I was immensely proud to support that effort. It was about not just ownership, but empowerment and putting the future of our beloved club in the hands of the people who truly care for it.”
“It is the roar of the crowd at what was once Love Street and is now the SMISA—St Mirren Independent Supporters Association—stadium. It is the history that we cherish: lifting the Scottish cup in 1987, winning the league cup in 2013 and surviving against the odds, time and time again—and that is just during my lifetime. Countless generations have been there before me and felt the sadness, fear and unbridled joy of being a St Mirren supporter. Members will be aware of the importance of the football team to me and my wife, Stacey, and our family. So many key parts of our life are intertwined with St Mirren, both on and off the park. There was a time when we won the championship in 2000—the millennial season in the old first division—and we were in a pub celebrating among all the St Mirren supporters.”
“Deputy Presiding Officer, no one will be surprised that my first members’ business debate as I return to the back benches is focused on Paisley and St Mirren—two of the three great loves of my life. I am going to shock you some more—and shock everyone—with a quote from a Labour councillor. This was said some time ago, at one of the many dramatic moments in the history of St Mirren Football Club. He said: “Paisley is St Mirren and St Mirren is Paisley”, and that is as true now as it was then. The club has served the people of Paisley since its inception in 1877, and it is a major part of our town’s past and will be important in the future, too. For me and for countless buddies, the club is not just a team—it is a way of life. It is the black- and-white stripes, and it has brought us moments of unbridled joy and pride.”
“If it does not, it must step aside. Let us get on with the work here, in Scotland, and create the future that our children deserve. 16:14”
“It reflects the unwavering commitment of the SNP and our First Minister to eradicating child poverty and ensuring that every child in Scotland has the best start in life. We know that inequality damages our health, our communities and our economy. That is why the SNP Government is delivering hope for the future and practical solutions for the present, including the expansion of free school meals, the affordable housing supply programme and the ground-breaking Scottish child payment, which is designed to tackle poverty at its very roots. I will end by saying that tackling child poverty is not just a policy choice but a moral imperative. The Scottish Government’s budget represents hope, resilience and a brighter future for every child in Scotland. It is time for the Labour UK Government to match our ambition.”
“As many members know, tackling poverty in Scotland is a passion of mine, not just because of my background and where I was brought up— although those things are important to a lot of people out there in the real world who are still living in those communities—but because I want to see further progress being made in our communities. There is no silver-bullet solution; there is no big idea. A collective of ideas and plans—a basket of measures—will always be needed for us to deal with child poverty. In order to achieve that, however, we also have to have the commitment to do something about it and the belief that we can. The Scottish Government’s budget for 2025-26 is not just a financial plan; it also shows the Scottish Government’s values.”
“That is an important issue that we need to deal with as the debate goes forward. Out there, the people of Scotland want a plan and they want to know what we are doing. The Scottish Government, with its budget, offers a plan to deal with the here and now and build for the future. That is what people are looking for—not just the usual nonsense from the unionist parties, but the opportunity to debate the issue in more detail. The debate gives us an opportunity to address an issue—child poverty—that cuts to the heart of our nation’s values.”
“That shows us where the Conservatives are. They are appealing to a Farage-esque, Musk-type ideal in trying for a populist vote, but I do not believe that that populist vote is here, in Scotland. The people of Scotland want a plan. They want to see that the Government is actually going to do something for them, and they want a Government that supports them, not one that is going to leave them at the beck and call of the free-market economy, which would in effect create Thatcherism and Reaganomics on stilts. The Labour Party is all over the place when it comes to child poverty. It seems to have no idea where it is going or how it will deal with that issue. This might be unhelpful, as I may have drifted off earlier in the debate, but I have not heard the two- child cap mentioned in any shape or form.”
“Here we are, in the first debate of a new year, which has been interesting—although clearly not for the Labour Party, as only four Labour members appear to be in the chamber at the moment. That is quite telling when we consider how important the issue is to people in our constituencies. However, one of my new year’s resolutions was to be nicer to everyone, and I am hoping to try to get through my speech while keeping that resolution—[Interruption.] Unfortunately, I have no chance, according one of my colleagues. When Russell Findlay spoke in the debate, he spent eight of his 10 minutes talking about how doomed we are and how bad everything is—he never gave us one idea of what the Conservatives would do, and he was devoid of ideas and of any plan to make a difference to the lives of people in our constituencies.”