Chris Kane
MP for Stirling and Strathallan · Labour · United Kingdom
“A few miles along the road, the Cowie Rural Action Group has spent many years quietly improving village life. From the Wee Club, which brings older residents together each week, to community projects including the village skate park, the Cowie Rural Action Group has shown what can be achieved when local people work together.”
“At the top of the town of Stirling, Cowane’s Trust has been helping those in need since 1637. In Riverside, Action in Mind provides life-changing mental health support, and in Causewayhead, Recyke-a-bike gives unwanted bicycles a second life, while helping people to gain access to affordable transport.”
“Much has rightly been said about Sir David Amess’s enthusiasm for using this occasion to celebrate the people and organisations that make our communities stronger. Many Members will recognise that some of the communities facing the greatest challenges often have the biggest hearts.”
“I visited the charity last summer and was reminded of the extraordinary contribution that unpaid carers make every day. For more than 50 years, PKAVS has provided practical support, respite and, just as importantly, somewhere to listen. I want to recognise a campaign that shows why community action matters.”
“At the University of Stirling, volunteers organise a parkrun every Saturday morning, bringing hundreds of people together through exercise and encouragement. In Fintry, the community sports hub continues to transform village life, and local volunteers have opened a wonderful museum that celebrates the village’s history.”
“His mother wrote to me and said: “We are dependent on Changing Places toilets to give Quinns the same life experience as any other child his age.” Inspired by their own experiences, Quinns and his sister Anita have become proud advocates for more Changing Places toilets, and have helped other families by raising awareness of just how impo…”
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“In my constituency, residents of the rurally isolated community of Balquhidder did not wait for a major provider; they dug and laid 34 km of fibre optic cable themselves using the Government’s broadband voucher scheme to partner with a small business and deliver gigabit broadband—a remarkable achievement. That success is now at risk, however, because for well over a year the Government payment processes have been struggling to engage with the volunteer-led project. Will the Minister meet me to help resolve that, and will he join me on a visit to the beautiful Balquhidder glen to see at first hand what that resourceful and determined community have delivered?”
“Residents in Buchlyvie in my constituency are losing their only pub, which is being turned into holiday lets. This comes despite the objections of local residents and Stirling council’s planning panel refusing the change-of-use application. The Scottish Government’s planning reporter has stepped in and made what many local people think is a short-sighted decision. Does the Minister agree that local village pubs, like libraries and community centres, are vital to local wellbeing and cohesion and that we should do all we can to help them thrive as key parts of our local economies and social infrastructure?”
“Will the Leader of the House make time for a debate on the importance of archives and join me in wishing the parliamentary archivists well as they continue their big move and thanking them for all they do?”
“As you know, Mr Speaker, the parliamentary archives are moving from Victoria tower to the National Archives. I was fortunate to be part of the final tour yesterday led by archivist Mari Takayanagi. In my constituency, our archives hold treasures such as letters from Bonnie Prince Charlie and King James VI, and they are a well-used and well-loved resource led by archivist Pam McNicol and her team. The University of Stirling has a wonderful archive as well, full of political items and others relating to the university. I am also wearing the university’s tartan tie today. Archives and libraries connect us to our past and help shape our future.”
“Parkinson’s may be a tough diagnosis, but thanks to people like John, Anne, Kay, Craig and Kim, and the team at Parkinson’s UK and all the staff in our NHS, no one has to face it alone. Together, we can build a future in which everyone affected by Parkinson’s feels supported, empowered and heard.”
“While the challenges are real, so too is the determination of communities across the country to meet them. I pay tribute to Parkinson’s UK for the incredible work it does, not just in supporting people and raising awareness, but in campaigning for better services and leading research into a cure. I also thank all those working behind the scenes, such as the researchers striving for breakthroughs, the nurses delivering expert care and the many volunteers bringing energy, kindness and hope to their communities every day. I also want to recognise the thousands of individuals who raise money by undertaking personal challenges all around the country and internationally. My constituency Kim Somerville from Auchterarder has recently returned from an eight-day trek across Costa Rica, which has raised more than £3,000 for Parkinson’s UK.”
“In England, the Labour Government committed almost £26 billion to the NHS in the recent Budget, and that is already starting to make a difference. Since the election, there have been an additional 3 million appointments, with waiting lists falling by nearly 50,000 in deprived areas, which is helping people get back to work, back to their lives and back to health. In contrast, in Scotland, despite a record Budget settlement, one in six Scots is waiting for care and over 100,000 have waited for more than a year. These are not just numbers; they are our neighbours, friends and constituents who are left in limbo by a system that needs urgent attention. NHS staff across Scotland are doing their best, but they are being let down by a lack of strategic leadership and long-term planning by a poorly performing SNP Scottish Government.”
“I want to mention a remarkable local figure, my constituent Kay Mair. This year marks the 35th anniversary of Parkinson’s nurses, whose specialist knowledge and experience make a huge difference to patients and families. Kay is one of the longest-serving Parkinson’s nurse specialists in Scotland, having worked in the field since 1996. She is NHS Forth Valley’s lead nurse for Parkinson’s and a founding member of the Alliance of Scottish Parkinson’s Nurse Specialists. Last month, she was invited to St James’s Palace for tea with the Duchess of Gloucester in recognition of the incredible work she has done for nearly three decades. Kay is exactly the kind of specialist nurse we need more of, which is why investment matters for the treatment of Parkinson’s and for the NHS in general.”
“For those who prefer football to boxing, the Stirling Albion Foundation has just launched a new walking football session for people living with Parkinson’s. Held on Tuesday mornings, the sessions promote movement, co-ordination and connection. From what I hear, there is a lot of laughter, too. I want to thank the team at Stirling Albion not just for this new initiative, but for their wider work across the community. I also wish them a very happy 80th birthday in 2025. These activities—the boxing, the football, the local fundraising—are all examples of how communities are stepping up to support those living with Parkinson’s. It is uplifting to see such creativity and compassion at a local level, and I know that is replicated in communities right across the United Kingdom.”
“These groups provide everything from exercise and dance classes to singing and art sessions, helping people to stay active and feel part of a community that understands what they are going through. In Stirling and Strathallan, we have seen that community spirit in action. MXP Fitness, a local gym, runs boxing sessions designed specifically for people with Parkinson’s, with support from Parkinson’s UK’s physical activity grant programme. These sessions, led by former Stirling Albion player Craig Comrie, are all about building strength and mobility in a safe and supported way. As Craig put it to the Stirling Observer recently: “No-one is getting knocked out…no one is Tyson Fury!” However, the benefits are real, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.”
“Over the last decade, that shop has grown into a well-known charity business in Stirling city centre, raising thousands for Parkinson’s UK and Parkinson’s research. It’s called Something Old Something New, and I would encourage anyone visiting Stirling to drop by Murray Place and see the brilliant work John and Anne are doing. Parkinson’s is a condition that affects not just the body, but a person’s independence, confidence and ability to stay connected, so while treatment is crucial, having the right support networks in place matters just as much. Parkinson’s UK supports over 45 local groups across Scotland and works with more than 300 volunteers.”
“I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Dunfermline and Dollar (Graeme Downie) for securing this important debate. Parkinson’s UK tells me that there are about 230 people living with the condition in my constituency of Stirling and Strathallan. Across Scotland, almost one in six people with Parkinson’s are under 65 and one in three are over 80, which is a reminder that this condition affects people of all ages. One of those people is my constituent John Lange, who was diagnosed in 2006 at the age of just 43. In 2012, John co-founded the Forth Valley Young Parkinson’s group as a space for people of working age to share experiences and support one another. In 2014, John and his wife, Anne, opened a small fundraising shop in St Ninians.”
“Scotland produces world-class potatoes, which are supplied to our iconic fish and chip shops, such as the Real Food Café and the Green Welly Stop in Tyndrum, Vincenzo’s Fish and Chips in Stirling—its fish supper won an award last year—and Corrieri’s in Causewayhead; Robert and Peter Corrieri will retire this year after decades of service. Will the Minister recognise their value to our local economies, and assure me that more can be done to support the supply chains linking Scottish growers with these much-loved businesses?”
“T6. Given the recent decline in the number of international students coming to the UK, what measures is the Minister taking, along with colleagues from other Departments, to ensure that universities such as Stirling, which have long benefited from diverse international student populations, remain attractive and accessible to prospective students from abroad?”
“T8. The Minister may be aware that SSE is supporting more than 1,000 new homes in rural Scotland to aid energy infrastructure development. Does he agree that the SNP Scottish Government’s failure to get a grip on our rural housing crisis is a major barrier to infrastructure development, and will he urge SSE to expand the scheme into my constituency, where we have key projects around the communities of Killin, Lochearnhead, Tyndrum and Crianlarich?”
“Tomorrow marks 29 years since 16 children and their teacher were murdered at Dunblane primary school. In recent weeks, my constituents have raised with me the alarming fact that adverts offering handguns for sale are appearing on technology platforms such as Google and YouTube. Does the Prime Minister agree that technology companies have an obligation to all of us to do everything proactively possible to prevent such illegal advertising, and not to rely on a reactive, “We will remove it when it is reported,” approach, which is simply not good enough?”
“It is our responsibility to force innovation while safeguarding the rights of creators. We can build a future where AI enhances human creativity rather than undermining it, and where both well-paid data scientists and well-paid poets thrive in a digital age.”
“The world needs data scientists, and it also needs poets. Creative workers are right to be nervous about AI further eroding their ability to monetise their work. If we do not act carefully, we risk a future where technology exploits creativity rather than supports it. Data and technology drive progress, but progress must not come at the expense of those who create, innovate and inspire. AI has immense potential, but without proper safeguards on it and its data, it risks sweeping creative workers aside, or worse, replacing them all together. As we embrace the opportunities that AI and data-driven technologies present, we must ensure that progress does not come at the cost of our creative industries. Human expression cannot be reduced to mere data points. The livelihoods of those who enrich our economy and culture must be protected.”
“I was heartened to hear the Secretary of State’s positive comments to that end in today’s debate, and I welcome the Government’s separate consultation on the issue. There will be other opportunities to consider these points, but the concerns of the creative industries must be heard and acted upon. Copyright protections are not a barrier to AI innovation and competition, but a safeguard for the work of an industry worth £125 billion per year and employing more than 2 million people. We can enable a world where much of this value is transferred to a handful of big tech firms, or we can enable a win-win situation for the creative industries and AI developers, where they work together based on licensed relationships with remuneration and transparency at their heart. Technology does not care what or who it replaces, but we should.”
“At a recent Public Accounts Committee evidence session, we heard from academic experts who told us that once we hand over our data, whatever promises are made and whatever covenants are placed on it, we have lost control. If unchecked and unregulated—or regulated improperly—technology and the data it uses does not care whether it makes people’s lives better or worse. We are dealing today with the good and the bad consequences of decisions taken by tech companies and regulators in relation to social media and smartphones. Let us learn from our mistakes, not repeat them. The amendments proposed in the other place, particularly on copyright and transparency, resonate greatly with me and much of the creative community. I urge colleagues to give them due consideration in the next stage of the Bill’s passage through the House.”
“Back then, only 17 radio stations were available in Stirling. Today, my teenage son can stream thousands of stations, podcasts and songs from a device in his pocket. The march of technology is relentless; it can sweep people up or it can sweep people aside. In radio, I saw that march at first hand—first came digitisation, then networking and then automation—and, with each step, jobs disappeared. My last full-time broadcasting job was in 2008. I left because I saw too many friends chasing too few jobs that paid too little money. Now, we are at another turning point. AI is a powerful tool with huge potential, but it needs vast amounts of data, and that data has enormous value.”
“A novel is not just words, a song is not just notes and lyrics, and a painting is not just pixels or brush strokes. The poems of Robert Burns are not merely letters on a page; they come alive in our minds in a way that no dataset can fully capture. When we treat creative works as nothing more than data points, we risk undervaluing the talent, the skill and the human expression that make them meaningful. I started my working life as a broadcaster. At 15 years old, I secured a work placement at Central FM, which is still proudly broadcasting independently across the Forth valley. I went for a week and I stayed for 10 years. I presented the breakfast show, dragging myself out of bed at 4.30 in the morning. My parents were more impressed that their teenage son could get up that early than they were about my career choice.”
“It fair to say that if we do not work with data, we do not really think about it too much, but, when we do, we realise how much of it surrounds us in multiple forms. Every day in this place I walk past shelves groaning under the weight of volumes of Hansard : an institutional memory of all that has happened here. New technologies offer us an opportunity to take all that knowledge of what has come before and use it to help shape what we do next. Data is a powerful but often underappreciated and undervalued commodity. The Bill is to be welcomed. I have no doubt that it will help grow the economy, improve public services and make people’s lives easier. However, when it comes to the creative industries, we must recognise that creativity is more than just the sum of its data parts.”
“By valuing creators, compensating them fairly and safeguarding the space and framework in which they operate, we can ensure we have a creative sector that thrives, is valued and adds value to our lives and our economy. We should start from the principle that creative output is linked to its creator and ensure that our laws reflect that, because when creativity flourishes, so does society.”
“Yet many libraries today focus on surviving rather than thriving, and years of underfunding have left them struggling to provide their essential services. Not everybody has the space, the time, the skills or the hardware to engage with AI, but they will find all that help in the local library, provided by our wonderful librarians and library support staff. In my constituency, local people are organising against the proposed closure of Auchterarder library in the coming financial year, and in Stirling the music tuition service is facing sweeping cuts. It is difficult to measure inspiration and joy, but it is easy to undervalue them. If we lose music tuition from our schools and libraries from our communities, we will lose parts of our civic soul. The creators and the industry that supports them add colour and joy to our lives.”
“Before I conclude my remarks I want to highlight a place where we can all go to be creative—a place that can sometimes struggle to be high on our agenda when we are focused on the big, the exciting or the new. I am talking about the local library. Libraries are the NHS for the soul. They are funded by our taxes, and free at the point of delivery and point of need. Libraries offer more than books; they offer a helping hand and a supportive friend, often when people need it most. Libraries improve us, enrich us, and inspire us. A library can make the difference: to a child discovering their love of reading, to an adult learning new skills, or to someone finding the support that they need to change their life.”
“Exposure does not pay the bills. If someone would expect to be paid fairly for their work, they should extend the same respect to artists, artisans, writers and designers. AI offers exciting possibilities for productivity and innovation, much like the smartphone revolution, which is now in its 17th year. AI can help creators clean up poor audio recordings or automate repetitive tasks, allowing them to focus on what they do best. However, we have seen the unintended consequences of the smartphone era, for example on mental health and social development, and we must learn from that. AI is a tool, not a replacement for human creativity, and like any tool it needs oversight and ethical guidance. It needs an instruction manual, preferably not one written by the tool itself.”
“In our personal lives, if someone is a podcast listener, they should not always ignore the request for that proverbial cup of coffee or an upgrade to a monthly subscription. If someone sees an article they want to read in a newspaper, they should buy the newspaper, not try to find a pal who will take a picture of it and WhatsApp it to them. In my career I have seen creative contributions undervalued. Businesses often pay a high proportion of their budget for the technical process of building websites, but neglect the content—the very part that engages users. Too often creators hear, “I can do it myself”, when what is really needed is professional skill. We will struggle to find an artist or artisan who does not have multiple stories of offers of “exposure” or “experience” rather than money as payment for services.”
“Such behaviour is regrettable in individuals, but it is unforgivable in organisations. We can all do better. For example, if local authorities can pay millions annually for software licences, why not pay a fair rate, not the minimum rate, for creative content? Teachers using streaming services in classrooms, or pupils relying on Wikipedia, could be supported by institutional subscriptions or donations that go to the people or organisations providing the content. Let the public sector lead by example, change how we value and pay for creative content, and strengthen the relationship we have with the creative sector. We should set the example and introduce the legislation that we need AI software providers to follow.”
“I have worked in the creative industries all my working life, from helping my father to sell radios and televisions when I was a teenager, to presenting radio shows on stations across Scotland and supporting businesses by creating content for websites. Today, I want to address the disconnect between creativity and cost, and say why we must all support the creative industries with good reviews, warm wishes, and—most importantly—with money. How many of us use Wikipedia daily but ignore its annual appeals for donations? How many say that we value local journalism yet resent paywalls? In most areas we accept the principle of a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work, but the creative industries often face a double standard, as many who wouldn’t pocket a bookie’s pencil think nothing of using content without the necessary permissions.”
“Does the Minister agree that alongside the triple lock, the most important thing for women pensioners in Scotland is fixing our NHS, and that the SNP Government must act urgently to ensure that vulnerable Scots do not face what even the SNP Health Secretary has described as unacceptable waits for treatment?”
“Will she also make time for a debate on rural broadband provision and mobile telephone coverage so that we can explore how to bring the digital connection that many urban communities take for granted to more rural communities, such as Balquhidder, as quickly as possible?”
“I wish you a merry Christmas, Mr Speaker, and a happy Hogmanay when it comes. My constituency is home to the rural community of Balquhidder, where, since 2018, community volunteers have laid more than 36 km of fibre cable to provide the community with a high-speed internet connection years ahead of when a commercial operator would have reached the area. Balquhidder has achieved this hard work with financial support from the Government’s Building Digital vouchers. Will the Leader of the House join me in congratulating the volunteers of Balquhidder on all their work, and indeed volunteers in all our communities who are working hard over Christmas on all that they do?”
“Stirling and Strathallan has gone on to give much to Scotland, the United Kingdom and the world over the past 900 years, and there is much more to come. Stirling and Strathallan is proud of its past and ambitious for its future, and I am hugely honoured and privileged to represent my home here in this place.”
“Much of the modern sense of Scottish cultural identity originated in my constituency, from the battles of Wallace and Bruce at Stirling bridge and Bannockburn over 700 years ago to the reinvention of tartan at the mills of William Wilson—also in Bannockburn—in the 1800s. A much more subtle sense of my constituency is found here in this place and in the UK identity, because it was a Stirling resident, a weel-kent local face called King James VI, who united the kingdoms of England and Scotland in 1603. I have walked about this place wondering which of our traditions have their origins in the traditions of the court of King James at Stirling castle. Stirling is celebrating its 900th anniversary this year—900 years since King David granted a small settlement on the River Forth burgh status.”
“For those who like sport, Stirling was showcased to the world in 2023 with the time trials of the Union Cycliste Internationale’s cycling world championships. Scotland’s national swimming academy is at Stirling University and has produced Olympic medallists including Duncan Scott and Robbie Renwick. The UK’s national curling academy is also in Stirling, and I cannot mention sport without referencing Judy, Jamie and Andy Murray, whose success, resilience and mindset have forever linked tennis with the city of Dunblane. Stirling and Strathallan is not in the heart of Scotland: it is the heart of Scotland.”
“In Stirling, a £20 million investment has recently been announced to create a film and TV studio that will be the largest in Scotland. Stirling was the first gigabit internet city in the United Kingdom, and one of the first in the world to digitally map its city to create an augmented reality smartphone experience. We are a growing base for life sciences, manufacturing and, of course, tourism. My constituency offers some of the best outdoor activities in the country, from salmon fishing to hillwalking, with lots of family-friendly activities along the way. If history and heritage are your thing, we have castles, monuments, battlegrounds and the only working church other than Westminster Abbey to have hosted a coronation.”
“It was also a researcher from the institute of aquaculture who discovered in 2014 that the Forth oyster was still alive, with two of them growing in the river. When the railway arrived in my constituency in 1848, it brought with it an entrepreneurial spirit that saw Scotland’s first oil refinery open in Riverside in Stirling. Until the Forth bridge opened in 1890, the bridges at Stirling carried most of Scotland’s goods to and from the highlands. Scotland’s first heavier-than-air flight took place in Stirling when the Barnwell brothers built and flew an aircraft in the shadow of Stirling castle. That entrepreneurial spirit lives on in the likes of Highland Spring, a fantastic family business in Blackford that neighbours Gleneagles, one of the world’s premier hotels and golf courses.”
“Along with coal, the rivers and lochs of my constituency bring with them nutrients that are vital for farming. The flat floodplain of the Forth is 16 miles long and 4 miles wide, and is filled with farms that today produce everything from beef to dairy and from sheep to pumpkins. For many years, the River Forth was Europe’s premier oyster fishery. Over 30 million oysters were harvested each year in the early 19th century, but overfishing caused a collapse and the Forth oyster was declared extinct in 1957. Issues such as overfishing and sustainability are studied in great depth at the University of Stirling’s international centre for aquaculture, the largest of its kind in the world. It is leading the way in research to tackle the global problems of food security, hunger and sustainability through the world’s rivers and seas.”
“There is still much to do to deliver dignity and fair play, which is why I am proud that this Government are raising the national living wage and, through the Employment Rights Bill, will update the UK’s outdated employment laws and turn the page on an economy blighted by insecurity, poor productivity and low pay. I should say that 12-year-old Frank, my grandfather, became a grocer’s apprentice. He developed an entrepreneurial spark that took off when the BBC began broadcasting in Scotland in the 1920s. He opened Bannockburn’s Radio Music Store to supply radio sets and constantly recharge the large lead-acid batteries on which they depended. That business prospered under my parents, Bill and Diane, and my brother Michael runs the business today—shop local when you can.”
“We have the idea that one of the functions of the Government of this country is to see to it that there should be equality, equity, and fairplay between the parties, that the weak should be protected from any outrage by the strong…It is the business of the Government to see to it that there should be equity and fairplay between all conditions of people in the State.” —[ Official Report , 13 December 1922; Vol. 159, c. 3011.] Those are not my words, but those of my grandfather Frank’s uncle, Hugh Murnin, who was also a miner. They were spoken by Hugh in this place, in his maiden speech, after he became the MP for Stirling in 1922. Reading all of Mr Murnin’s speech, I was struck by how much has changed from his description of work, and how much has stayed the same.”
“He cares deeply for Scotland and has public service at his heart. I wish him well for the future and thank him for his service. The coalfields of central Scotland transformed the landscape of the southern end of my constituency over the past 150 years. My great-grandfather, William Kane, was a miner, and while working at the coalface in 1914, a large rock dislodged from the ceiling and crushed him. William died from his injuries. His son, my grandfather Frank, was 12 years old, and had to leave school to earn money—not to take the family out of poverty, but to keep them alive. Everything that troubles me about that story has been improved by the Labour party and the trade union movement, with their relentless focus on improving workplace conditions and workers’ rights over the past 100 years. “We feel that something should be done.”
“Politically, I follow in the footsteps of a daunting list of constituency representation that includes one Prime Minister, the father of a Prime Minister, two Secretaries of State for Scotland, a Secretary of State for War, a Father of the House of Commons and a Leader of the House of Lords. In my lifetime, we have had Harry Ewing, the godfather of devolution; Michael Forsyth, who brought the Stone of Destiny back to Scotland; and Dame Anne McGuire, who as Minister for disabled people signed the first human rights charter of the 21st century on behalf of the United Kingdom at the United Nations. Steven Paterson and Stephen Kerr bring us to my predecessor, Alyn Smith. Alyn represented Stirling in the previous Parliament, but prior to that, he represented Scotland with distinction as a Member of the European Parliament.”
“It is a great honour to be called to make my first contribution in this place as the Member of Parliament for the new constituency of Stirling and Strathallan. My constituency is the geographic heart of Scotland, and what a beautiful part of the world I am lucky enough to represent! At just under 2,500 sq km, it is predominantly a rural constituency—from its farming villages, including Drymen, Buchlyvie, Callander and Killin, to its former coalmining villages of Bannockburn, Fallin, Plean and Cowie; from the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond to the mountains of the Trossachs and the valleys carved by the rivers Forth, Endrick, Teith and Allan. It has the city of Stirling, with its majestic castle defending a royal burgh that became a royal city in 2002, and the city of Dunblane, with its magnificent medieval cathedral.”