Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) 04 November 2020
I very much welcome the opportunity to speak in this important debate. It is right that responding to the Covid-19 pandemic has been at the forefront of our minds and has dominated proceedings in the chamber. Now that we are in the midst of a destructive second wave and heading into the winter months, that will become even more crucial as we look to protect our national health service and to save lives.
Having said that, I am afraid that this debate can wait no longer. It is right that the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party is leading on this today. Not only has this extraordinary affair made a mockery of the Parliament and shamed the SNP, it has been a slap in the face of the people of Scotland.
Along with the discredited hate crime bill, the conduct of the Scottish Government throughout this affair is rapidly forming part of a larger pattern, in which it thinks that it can simply cast aside the concerns of members in the chamber and do what it likes. We will not stand by and let that happen.
With the legal battle having cost the taxpayer over £0.5 million—an eye-watering amount and a complete waste of public funds considering the severe economic harm of the coronavirus pandemic—the people of Scotland deserve answers as to why that money was spent in the first place. My party and members across the chamber are therefore determined to get to the bottom of this fiasco and force the SNP to come clean.
With its contemptuous attitude towards the special committee, the SNP continues to withhold essential information from the Parliament in the form of legal advice relating to the Alex Salmond inquiry. It is vital that that advice is released immediately. The SNP claims that it cannot publish legal advice, but that is hypocritical to say the least. From air strikes in Syria to the European Union withdrawal agreement, the SNP has urged the UK Government to publish legal advice on a range of issues in the past. The legal advice with regard to Mr Salmond’s judicial review is crucial evidence. What is it that the SNP has to fear? It is information that could allow us, as parliamentarians, to properly scrutinise and establish exactly what went wrong in this whole doomed affair.
Like many others, I am sick and tired of this Government treating the Parliament and the Scottish people with contempt. The SNP’s attitude is simply staggering and stinks of sheer arrogance. In many people’s eyes, it has lost all credibility as a result of this affair. That is why I have repeatedly urged the chamber and MSPs of all political persuasions to stand up and speak with one voice to call on the SNP to immediately release the key documents.
So far, the extent of cross-party support that has been generated from members across the chamber has been extremely welcome and refreshing to see. That kind of unity from members further signals that the Government is clearly in the wrong. Our ability to act with purpose and to collectively endeavour to get answers for Scotland will be crucial in the next few months as the committee continues with its inquiry. Simply put, in the face of SNP contempt, the reputation of the Parliament is on the line. It is high time that we stand up and be counted.
15:43