Joani Reid
MP for East Kilbride and Strathaven · Independent · United Kingdom
“This Government’s increase in defence spending is delivering £2 billion a year for Scotland as well as 12,000 jobs. Does my right hon. Friend agree that the greatest threat to my constituents is an SNP Government who are playing student politics with defence and will not use their existing powers to back Scottish industry, young people an…”
“I thank the Minister for her response. As she rightly outlines, antisemitism is on the rise. During the ongoing by-election campaign in Gorton and Denton, senior Green party figures engaged with 5Pillars—an outlet that has previously been disciplined for anti-Jewish hatred and that is well known for amplifying extremist voices.”
“It is a phrase that the former MP Andrew Percy warned others against using. In 2024, Liz Truss was forced to remove a bogus and antisemitic quote attributed to Mayer Rothschild from her memoirs. Then there is the case of Reform’s recently announced candidate for Gorton and Denton, who, like the right hon.”
“The arguments that dominate today’s antisemitic discourse are superficially more sophisticated, and are increasingly shaped by the melting pot of extreme ideas that is provided by social media, but the reality is that the far right, the far left and the Islamists still rely on the old tropes of hidden Jewish power and manipulation, Jewish…”
“The Holocaust matters to us today because we owe it to the dead, and to the living who went through that horror, to commemorate their suffering; because we should pay tribute to those still with us, as well as those who have gone before us and who brought an end to the Hitler regime, whose raison d’être was the mass murder of Jews and oth…”
“Perhaps some will make very fine speeches about Holocaust memorial, as they did last year, but we should not allow ourselves to be fooled. One Member of this House, writing about the middle east on social media, invoked images of the gas chambers, a barbaric creation used for the industrialised and systematic murder of Jews—Jewish men, wo…”
The complete record
Every one of 105 lines we hold for Joani Reid, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 2 of 3.
“The hon. Gentleman is mischaracterising what I said—we are not talking about absolute figures. Yes, the figures have risen, but they are disproportionately lower than for the rest of the UK. Once I find it, if the hon. Gentleman will let me, I will quote directly from the National Records of Scotland.”
“My hon. Friend rightly points out the outrageous situation that so many women in Scotland have faced over the last few years. Does she agree that if Scotland wants to attract more immigrants and more migrants, it needs to understand women’s issues more coherently?”
“Their platforms have too often facilitated harmful content—hate speech, misinformation and abuse—and the reality is that they continue to profit from division and outrage. We should expect a lot better from such influential businesses. I chair the all-party parliamentary group against antisemitism, so I am subjected to a particular kind of abuse that gives me the tiniest glimpse into what it is like to be either Jewish, or indeed any minority, in the UK. I just ignore most of it because it is so widespread, but occasionally I will get something and think, “That is really not acceptable”, and I will report it.”
“They promised to democratise the debate and give every citizen an equal voice, but the reality has been far more complicated and, I would argue, more destabilising than democratising. Polling by More in Common has revealed that 72% of Britons believe that social media negatively impacts young people, and even more people showed a strong appetite for greater accountability from tech companies, particularly regarding misinformation and online harm. Ofcom’s latest findings show that three in 10 children aged eight to 17 encountered harm online in the last month. That is not abstract; just because it is online does not mean it is not a real harm. We do not allow it offline, so we should not allow it online. Social media companies have enormous power to influence the public debate.”
“I am grateful for the opportunity to speak in this debate, and I thank the hon. Member for Lagan Valley (Sorcha Eastwood) for raising this important issue. It is all too tempting to believe that democratic processes were once stronger, more resilient or perhaps more civil, but I do not think nostalgia is a particularly practical strategy. Nor, however, can we assume that progress towards a better world is natural and without setbacks. It is our responsibility as legislators not simply to comment on history but actively to shape it, particularly when we are confronted with new and complex challenges. The impact of digital platforms on our democracy represents precisely such a challenge.”
“Transparency in the algorithms, proactive content moderation and genuine co-operation with regulators such as Ofcom should absolutely not be optional. Tech companies must understand that accessing our markets and citizens carries clear responsibilities and that if they want to operate here, they need to obey the law of our land. This is not about stifling innovation or freedom; it is about—”
“I absolutely agree. I want to give Members a sense of what I have reported to X, which I have been told does not meet its threshold for action and I can just block the accounts if I want to. Here are some of the comments being directed at me: “Why are Jews allowed to invest in politicians in the UK?” “Are you Jewish? Most Jewish children are weak and neurotic and struggle to understand things the way advanced Aryan children do.” “You are not well-bred. You are 1/4 tainted of Jewish blood. This softens the heart and darkens the soul.” In relation to the Holocaust, I have been told it “didn’t happen, mate.” That didn’t reach X’s harmful content threshold and was allowed to continue. These people operate with impunity in this country.”
“4. What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the independent review into data and statistics on sex and gender by Professor Alice Sullivan.”
“I thank the Secretary of State for his response, which will give much-needed reassurance to patients across the UK. Any public body that fails to accurately record sex and instead conflates it with gender puts people at serious risk of harm. Unfortunately, this type of organisational capture has been widespread across Scotland, with devastating consequences. Can the Secretary of State assure me that he will raise this issue with his counterparts in the Scottish Government to ensure that NHS Scotland does not put my constituents at risk?”
“Will my hon. Friend join me in congratulating Anas Sarwar, the leader of the Scottish Labour party, on announcing two weeks ago that he would ban mobile phones in schools across Scotland?”
“Does the Secretary of State agree that the SNP’s reckless pledge to scrap our nuclear deterrent at Faslane threatens our national security at a time of significant international volatility? The First Minister has said that Trident is of “no tangible or realistic benefit” to our current security challenges. Does the Secretary of State share my view that that stance is fundamentally naive, and demonstrates that the SNP cannot be trusted with Scotland’s future?”
“East Kilbride in my constituency has a long and proud history as a key part of the UK’s international development efforts. Generations of dedicated civil servants have worked there to tackle global poverty, strengthen partnerships, and uphold Britain’s reputation as a force for good in the world. However, I must express my deep concern about the fact that the Government are on the verge of severing that proud connection. The proposed closure of the overseas development office in East Kilbride is a mistake, not just for my constituents but for the integrity of Britain’s global development work. Let me be clear: East Kilbride is not a suburb of Glasgow. It is a town in its own right, designated as part of the new town movement by the post-war Labour Government.”
“I am sorry, but I will not, for reasons of time. East Kilbride is Scotland’s second largest town, with its own economy, its own economy, its own identity—”
“It is not a decision that I celebrate, but I support it, because governing means taking tough choices, not easy ones. However, closing the office and moving it to Glasgow, at a time when there is such deep uncertainty about the international development budget and no clear evidence that it will do anything other than cost money in the immediate term, is ill advised. Labour has a proud legacy, built by pioneers such as Judith Hart, and we must not allow it to be weakened by short-term thinking. We are now in an era where words are not enough and an era of show, not tell. If we really believe in the role that East Kilbride can continue to play in shaping Britain’s international engagement, the answer is clear: take the closure off the table, and use the money to focus on the announced priorities in international development.”
“Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. As I said, East Kilbride is not Glasgow. Closing the development office and shifting the jobs to Glasgow is not just tinkering with the administration of the FCDO; it is a blow to our community, which has built itself around the development opportunities that the office provides. It is taking well-paid, skilled jobs from a town and centralising them in a city—the kind of decision that too often leaves towns behind. I know that many of my hon. Friends share my concerns about the hollowing out of towns such as East Kilbride, and I urge the Government to think again. The decision to close the development office has been made at a moment of deep uncertainty for the civil servants working in international development. The Government have already made this very difficult and painful decision.”
“Last week, I had the privilege of visiting His Majesty’s naval base Clyde with a number of my colleagues from across the House. Will the Secretary of State reassure the House that he is working with the Scottish Government to address the capacity and retention issues at the base, and that the Scottish Government are engaging positively on the industrial defence strategy?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement and appreciate his approach in not wanting to prejudice the judicial process. I wonder whether we would be discussing this if Conservative Members had had a similarly responsible approach to government. In very general terms, does he agree that it is vital that the Government honour not just the letter but the spirit of our manifesto commitment, and that this proposal was originally approved over 20 years ago?”
“I thank the Secretary of State for her statement, and I particularly welcome the funding for tackling antisemitism on campus, which is a well-documented problem. When the original guidance on the Act was published, it took an approach to free speech that did not take account of the limitations on freedom of expression for minority groups that arise from hate speech. As chair of the all-party parliamentary group against antisemitism, I am particularly concerned about the risk of giving that hate implicit protection and amplification on campuses. Can the Secretary of State assure me and minority community representatives who have raised this issue with us that any future guidance will more carefully outline the importance of expression for all, including minority groups that are sometimes crowded out by loud, hateful voices?”
“Of course they are small—such content is so vile that the chances of the promoters getting bigger audiences will always be limited—but the need for the firmest regulation in these cases is driven by content, not by size.”
“Friends are pressing on with implementing it as best as they can. However, my request to them is to heed the petition and recognise that what was good enough for the then Government under those circumstances cannot be good enough for this new Government in the medium and long term. It is certainly not good enough for our children. The immediate concern for me, for the people I speak to at the school gates and for many of my hon. Friends is that the proposed regulatory regime will let some of the most dangerous and extreme websites escape the proper regulation that the vast majority of people in this country expect them to receive. It cannot be right that we allow some sites to escape accountability for their failure to remove certain promotional material speedily simply because they are small.”
“The Act was the product of a weak Conservative Government, with many Ministers and Back Benchers who shared the then Opposition’s conviction that strong regulation of social media companies was essential but were being held to ransom by extreme libertarians who had dressed up their ability to monetise hatred and extreme content as a free speech issue. Government Ministers gave in to an alliance of social media companies that were not willing to dilute profits to spend on effective moderation and that had a financial and political interest in driving engagement with extreme content. That was a deplorable outcome, as many hon. Members said at the time. Plainly, as a first task, the new Government must make that legislation work as best they can. I understand why my right hon. and hon.”
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Twigg. I pay tribute to Ellen Roome in the most genuine and heartfelt way for what she has achieved and what she does. The pain she has been through is utterly unimaginable. What we can do today, as I hope the Minister’s response will, is make her bravery worth while. I will focus my brief remarks on the Online Safety Act 2023, because so many of our hopes as parents, campaigners and elected representatives were pinned on that legislation. It is a step forward, but only a first step. I believe that more should be done.”
“Nor is the inclusion of high-harm sites in category 1 a barrier to investment plans for the frontline market leaders. This is about doing the right thing. I hope that all the voices will be heard today.”
“I thank my hon. Friend for that intervention. I believe that more needs to be done. I do not believe that the Government have ruled that out: they are collecting evidence, so I believe that in future iterations of the code, if that argument is accepted by Ofcom, they will make the appropriate changes. It is up to us to continue to submit the evidence and to call for those changes to be made. The main point in the debate is about the balance between regulation and innovation and about where we draw the line between the obligations of site users and those of content providers, so that we do not discourage new services and investment. However, I believe that that is not the issue that the petition we are debating addresses. Hatred and the data to which we are calling for access are not drivers of economic growth.”
“I thank my right hon. Friend for that answer, and of course my sympathies also go out to that mother this weekend. Recently published data showed a sharp rise in serious violent crime in Scotland, particularly in our cities and towns. Too many of my constituents feel unsafe in East Kilbride town centre and the Village, particularly at night. Meanwhile, the SNP Government’s chronic underfunding of Police Scotland has resulted in officer numbers being at their lowest level since 2008. Does the Secretary of State agree that the SNP now has the funding in place to increase police numbers, and that protecting our community and citizens should be its priority?”
“I recently met two special educational needs teachers in my constituency who are two of the thousands of teachers across Scotland who are owed millions of pounds in overpaid taxes. Unfortunately, His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and the 16 local authorities affected are at gridlock. Will the Leader of the House consider granting time for a debate so that we can help to overcome this intolerable situation for our valuable public sector workers?”
“I will take this opportunity to mention another area of tech that I think needs to be addressed: pimping websites, on which women’s bodies are freely advertised for sale to abusers. UK Feminista carried out a survey just before Christmas, and found that 368 women in my constituency of East Kilbride and Strathaven, and the surrounding area, were freely advertised online as for sale. That is legal. I know that many people argue that that is sex work, but as a socialist and a feminist, I remain wholly and utterly opposed to that dangerous idea. It is grotesque abuse and exploitation of vulnerable women, and it indicates to men that women are commodities to be bought and sold. Money should not make acts of physical abuse legal and lawful.”
“There has been far too much admiration for the tech bros, and too little willingness to challenge abuse. I thank the Prime Minister and the Ministers for their robust words this week, which made me proud to be a Labour MP. I hope that they mark a departure from what we have seen, and that we will see many more such responses in future. We should do more to tackle the abuse that the tech industry has been allowed to get away with for so long. I associate myself with every word that my hon. Friend the Member for Lowestoft (Jess Asato) said about the role that pornography plays, but I would add one piece of evidence that I find shocking. Eight-year-old boys regularly access pornography, and that has a well documented impact on violence against women and girls.”
“The profiteers of this hatred dress up their indulgence of extremism as free speech advocacy, but they are in fact consciously hoping to create a world in which women—particularly those who stand against the extreme hatred promoted on social media, which is based on sex and ethnicity—are cowed into submission. In this House, our speech is formally protected, and no billionaire can hope to launch a libel suit to shut us up, but that does not stop them trying to find other means that they hope will silence us—principally the mob. We have all been on the end of it. Every woman in this House knows that anything we say in here that challenges power and privilege can put us at risk in a way that is quantitively and qualitatively different from our male colleagues.”
“Nor should we pretend, as some on the Conservative Benches have appeared to do in recent weeks, that it is a problem only for one culture or ethnicity. That alone will not remove the threat of sex-based violence. In fact, in most places in the UK, including in my constituency, it would be unlikely to make any difference at all to the threat that women and girls face from violent men. If we want to be serious about tackling the grooming that leads to such violence, we must recognise the role that social media companies play in monetising hatred, promoting extreme misogyny for profit and making a packet out of legitimising the exploitation of women. The Minister mentioned in her opening remarks the problem of toxic masculinity, which we all know is ubiquitous online.”
“I sincerely thank the hon. Member for Lagan Valley (Sorcha Eastwood) for what was a moving, extraordinary and really brave speech—thank you very much indeed. The Chair of the Women and Equalities Committee, my hon. Friend the Member for Luton North (Sarah Owen), rightly said that this is a timely debate. It is timely, but the truth is that violence against women and girls has been a scourge on England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and beyond our islands since time immemorial, and it will take serious, calm and well thought through policies and a collaborative approach to tackle it. That is exactly what the Government are trying to bring. There should be no illusions about how serious a problem this is.”
“Yes, I wholeheartedly agree with that sentiment, and I hope that we can work across the House to make that happen. My plea to Ministers is that they consider introducing legislation to tackle pimping websites, pornography and the abuses of dating apps. Perhaps the Government could take firmer action against online abuse at its source, and spend money on some of the wonderfully thought through measures that the Minister outlined in her speech, the likes of which we have not seen for some time.”
“I recently had the privilege of opening an extension to the Kype Muir wind farm in my constituency. The extension alone will generate enough power for 53,000 homes for 30 years. My constituency is also home to part of Whitelee, the largest onshore wind farm in Europe. However, not one of those turbines was manufactured in the UK, let alone locally. What steps is the Minister taking to develop UK manufacturing capacity in that area?”
“This Budget is a serious, strategic, long-term approach to fixing our country—an approach that we have not seen from the Scottish Government or in the last 14 years from the Conservative Government. It sits alongside an ambitious investment and industrial strategy—again, something that we have not seen from either the SNP or the Conservatives in power in the last decade or so. I am confident that, with this new approach, we can rebuild our economy and country, and I therefore welcome the measures outlined in the Budget to rebuild Britain.”
“The Chancellor has committed the UK Government to working closely with the Scottish Government on the industrial strategy and the national wealth fund, but the vehicle for promoting that collaboration—the Council of the Nations and Regions—is unfortunately being undermined by the SNP, which cannot bear the prospect of UK joint working being a success. It has been manufacturing grievances on behalf of local councils regarding representation on the council, although it has been the most centralising Administration that these islands have ever seen, disproportionately stripping local government in Scotland of power and resources. I welcome the efforts of the Secretary of State for Scotland to rise above this petty divisiveness in pursuit of a higher vision for jobs, growth and prosperity.”
“Only when there is a Government in Scotland who seek to genuinely work collaboratively with the UK Government and the private sector on investment plans for not just the next decade but beyond will we fully reap the benefits of this Budget. However, we have a Government in Scotland who make policy and economic decisions through the prism of the constitution, and who seek, as a matter of ideology, to find points of difference and divergence. That was demonstrated by their failure to even turn up and vote for GB Energy—unquestionably an economic opportunity for Scotland.”
“I warmly welcome the additional £47.7 billion that this Budget will deliver to the Scottish Government—the largest settlement in the history of devolution. That additional funding can rebuild Scotland and our failing public services, but the Scottish Government must now take responsibility, admit their failures and take a long-term approach that is serious about addressing Scotland’s challenges. Economic and political stability underpin the Chancellor’s Budget. The undoubted attractiveness of Scotland for domestic and international investment requires the removal of uncertainty, which can hinder investment plans.”
“Scottish organisations such as TARA and Routes Out provide exemplary support to women who are exploited through prostitution and sex trafficking. However, these organisations are faced with an endless stream of women, in part because the law in Scotland, England and Wales provides impunity to pimping websites. Does the Minister agree that the UK Government should lead the way by outlawing pimping websites and offering support, not sanctions, to victims of commercial sexual exploitation?”
“It is a testament to the mission-led Government, who have a long-term strategic vision to rebuild Britain with an industrial and economic policy that puts working people, fairness and growth at its core.”
“The town feels neglected and let down by two Governments, and the lack of any serious investment industrial strategy has left communities like mine in East Kilbride behind. There is of course now hope with the new Government’s focus on growth and investment, as well as the creation of GB Energy. East Kilbride can use its space and its skills that were formerly used to deliver companies such as Rolls-Royce and Motorola. With a Government serious about driving investment, boosting our economy and creating jobs, towns such as mine in East Kilbride can be rebuilt and renewed. That is the focus of what this Government are trying to do. The work of post-war Governments who transformed our public realm can once again take place.”
“The town was a product of strategic thinking, planning and active intervention, and it was a place of hope and aspiration where families could find not just homes but communities, jobs and opportunities. However, the contrast between what it was and what it is now is stark. Although it is still one of our most successful new towns, East Kilbride is not what it once was. It used to have almost full employment, but after the manufacturers pulled out of the town, and the industries that replaced them—such as services and retail—faced some huge challenges as a result of the financial crisis, the town has failed to keep up with the pace of change. Also, the previous Westminster Government and the Holyrood Government have utterly failed in supporting the town.”
“I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow East (John Grady) on securing this debate. I take the opportunity to highlight one of Scotland’s economic successes, which is now unfortunately a huge economic challenge—the town of East Kilbride. It was Scotland’s first new town and I would argue its most successful, but it was a success as a result of an interventionist industrial strategy. It brought together incentives and investment from the local development corporation and central Government, which resulted in inward investment and technological manufacturing that led to the Motorola plan, the Rolls-Royce plan and many more. A strategic approach by Government to locate and disperse several service jobs means that His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office remain in the town today.”
“There is no contradiction between a politics that is realistic and a politics that is hopeful. Indeed, we have all had enough—too much—false hope in the last few years. I believe in what the Australian leader Ben Chifley called the shining city on a hill, but I also believe that we need a clear plan for how to get there and to be honest about how long it might take. Responsible and effective government does not undermine real hope in our communities; it underpins it. So, to the people and the communities of East Kilbride and Strathaven, I say thank you once again for placing your hope and trust in me.”
“Other things struck me and were emphasised by the civil disorder that we saw over the summer. We share serious concerns across the House about the rise of hate, whether that be antisemitism, Islamophobia or misogyny, which has infected far too much of our public discourse in recent years, particularly on social media. I intend to dedicate much of my time here to working cross-party to address the alarming upsurge in racism and bigotry online, particularly in my work as chair of the all-party parliamentary group against antisemitism. Inspired by the Rolls-Royce workers decades ago, we can come together and say, “Nae pasaran”—they shall not pass. To push back and defeat hate, we must have hope, but that hope must be real and based on realism rather than idealism or indeed miracles.”
“If Kilbride is a name with Gaelic origins, Strathaven is even older, with Brythonic roots. Today, it exemplifies the deep-rooted sense of shared history that that goes through my constituency and Scotland as a whole. It reminds us that we must do all that we can to support our rural communities to overcome the many challenges they also face. During the election campaign, when I was out knocking doors on the doorsteps of East Kilbride and Strathaven, nobody ever asked me for a miracle that only St Brigid could deliver. It is not miracles that people seek; it is just the basics: public services that work, jobs that pay, a safe and warm home, and maybe even just enough cash at the end of the week to get a takeaway. Those conversations have stayed with me since and will continue to be at the forefront of my mind while I serve in this place.”
“There was no violence, no hatred; just the power of working people standing together. Only a few weeks ago, one of the engineers who led that action, Bob Fulton, died at the age of 101, and I take this opportunity to pay tribute to him and his legacy, which will live on. Strathaven was also home to another Scottish revolutionary: James “Purlie” Wilson, who was a prominent figure in the radical movement seeking electoral reform. Although East Kilbride is home to 80% of my constituents, it only accounts for 20% of its land mass. The rural communities of Stonehouse, Glassford, Chapelton, Sandford and Auldhouse all have distinctive features and a unique community spirit. Strathaven, with its historic market town charm, offers a different yet equally essential contribution to the character of my constituency.”
“East Kilbride quickly became a symbol of progress and a place where working families could find not just homes, but communities, opportunity and a future. Its modern architecture, parks and green spaces have made it a model of post-war urban planning. East Kilbride may have delivered a new start for many Glaswegians, but folk there did not leave behind the city’s famous humanity and defiance of injustice when they quit those tenements. One of the most powerful statements of solidarity that this country has ever seen was made by a group of engineers from East Kilbride’s Rolls-Royce factory. Ordinary people risked their livelihoods to defy the Chilean dictatorship in 1974 by refusing to repair the engines that had been used to destroy the country’s democratic Government.”
“The unprecedented growth of women’s football has brought me great delight in recent years, but surely the catalyst for that was “Gregory’s Girl”, a trailblazing film about women’s football, which starred the East Kilbride born-and-bred actress Dee Hepburn. East Kilbride is believed to take its name from a woman: the patron saint of Ireland, Brigid of Kildare, who is believed to have performed healing miracles. There is nothing to suggest that Brigid ever visited Scotland, but in East Kilbride, we can say that she visited us, and we have paid her a pretty good tribute through the town we have built. East Kilbride is Scotland’s first new town built in the post-war era to accommodate the overspill from Glasgow, offering an escape from dire overcrowding and squalid conditions in Glasgow’s infamous tenements.”
“Without her political tenacity, vision and ability to bring people together, we would never have delivered the 2012 Olympic games, which was the greatest sporting event this country had seen in a generation. Tessa recognised the power that sport can have in inspiring and uniting people, communities and countries. My constituency is home to a thriving sporting sector, both professional and grassroots, including Scotland’s only professional basketball team, the Caledonian Gladiators and, my personal favourite, the Claremont Colts, a disability football team for young adults which provides dignity, a sense of belonging and good old-fashioned fun.”
“The people are the masters of our fate, and all of us have a duty of trust and a responsibility to work hard, and I am determined to repay the trust placed in me by representing my constituents to the very best of my ability. In that spirit, I pay tribute to my predecessor Dr Lisa Cameron. Building on her long-standing career as an NHS psychologist, she did much good work in this place to improve the lives of her constituents. I wish to also pay tribute to the hard work and dedication of my two Labour predecessors: Michael McCann and in particular Adam Ingram, who served my constituency for 23 years. I have been fortunate enough to have had many sources of inspiration and support throughout my career, the very first of whom was the late, great Tessa Jowell.”