Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) 23 March 2021
23 Mar 2021 · S5 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
European Charter of Local Self-Government (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill
I now call Liam McArthur to open for the Liberal Democrats.
We do not have Mr McArthur at the moment, so I call on Patrick Harvie to open for the Green Party.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Christine Grahame)
SNP
The next item of business is a debate on motion S5M-24238, in the name of Andy Wightman, on the European Charter of Local Self-Government (Incorporation) (Sc...
Andy Wightman (Lothian) (Ind)
Ind
I am delighted to open the stage 3 debate on the European Charter of Local Self-Government (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill. First, I thank all those who have...
The Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government (Aileen Campbell)
SNP
It is a great privilege to speak on behalf of the Government in the concluding moments of the process that I hope will see us pass this important bill. Thi...
Annie Wells (Glasgow) (Con)
Con
I wish Aileen Campbell all the best in her future endeavours. We have definitely had a good relationship in the Parliament, particularly when we have seen ey...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
I do not want to interrupt members’ speeches, but everybody is going over their time, and we cannot have that. I ask members to keep to their time from now o...
Pauline McNeill (Glasgow) (Lab)
Lab
I congratulate Andy Wightman on his member’s bill reaching stage 3. It is a good bill to end the parliamentary session with. Andy Wightman has made a dry sub...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
I now call Liam McArthur to open for the Liberal Democrats. We do not have Mr McArthur at the moment, so I call on Patrick Harvie to open for the Green Party.
Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green)
Green
Presiding Officer, I had not requested to speak in this debate and was not expecting to.
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
That is breaking news. You are relieved of that, Mr Harvie. Do we now have Mr McArthur? 17:08
Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (LD)
LD
Thank you, Presiding Officer.
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
Are you supposed to be speaking?
Liam McArthur
LD
I certainly am.
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
That is good. That is breaking good news. Off you go, Mr McArthur.
Liam McArthur
LD
I start by wishing Aileen Campbell all the very best. We both came into Parliament in 2007 and she has been good company and an effective minister since then...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
We move to the open debate, with three minute speeches. Keith Brown is to be followed by Tom Mason, although the three minutes does not apply to Mr Mason. He...
Keith Brown (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP)
SNP
Andy Wightman introduced the bill to Parliament less than a year ago and I, too, congratulate him on bringing it to this important and historic stage. Howeve...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
I now call Tom Mason, to be followed by James Dornan. This is Mr Mason’s final speech in the Parliament. 17:16
Tom Mason (North East Scotland) (Con)
Con
I remind colleagues for the last time that I am a councillor of Aberdeen City. Before re-entering active politics in 2016, I spent many years lecturing on ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
I do not know what to say about the three little pigs, but there we are. 17:22
James Dornan (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP)
SNP
I wish—Inaudible—for the future, and hope that the three pigs story was not about something that he saw somewhere up in the north of Scotland. Before I start—
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
Just a wee minute, Mr Dornan. Can you get a wee bit closer to your microphone, so that we can hear your dulcet tones?
James Dornan
SNP
I cannot believe that you would want to miss them, Presiding Officer. Can you hear me all right?
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
That is better—thank you.
James Dornan
SNP
I wished Tom Mason all the best, and I do the same for the cabinet secretary. Aileen Campbell and I go back to the good old days of the SNP Glasgow regional ...
Alex Rowley (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab)
Lab
First, I acknowledge and congratulate Andy Wightman on introducing this member’s bill and getting it to this stage. I hope that it will be passed today. I al...
Alexander Stewart (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Con
I am delighted to close the debate on the European Charter of Local Self-Government (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill for the Conservatives. Local democracy i...
Aileen Campbell
SNP
This is not my final speech in Parliament, but I really appreciate the messages that I have had from members during the course of the debate. I have a member...
Andy Wightman
Ind
I thank all members who have spoken in the debate. I echo the cabinet secretary’s thanks to COSLA, which, as I said in my opening remarks, has been championi...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
We have been warned, Mr Wightman. That concludes the debate on the European Charter of Local Self-Government (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill. It is time to m...