Meeting of the Parliament 20 March 2024
Indeed, and I think that Mr Fraser and others would need to answer for themselves.
In my view, it is important that democratic bodies such as local government reflect the values of the people who elect them. It is important that they are able to use their economic judgment not only in matters of global import but in other issues such as fair work, fair trade and the environment. It is only right that local government is able to exercise its economic judgment, using its procurement powers, to ensure that its procurement is falling in line with its value judgments. If what local authorities do is deemed to be unacceptable and to exceed their parameters, there is a mechanism for that; it is called an election. Local people can judge for themselves who they return to local government.
What does it say about the state of the Government’s foreign policy that it is so weak that it is undermined by the procurement positions of local government? That is a nonsense. What is worse is that the bill goes further and applies to bodies such as universities, which are supposed to be independent. I worry about what that will do to their independence and what further ramifications there might be. Universities guard their independence with great pride, and they are also very cautious about anything that would undermine it. It is useful and important to note that Universities Scotland has said unequivocally that it would want universities to be removed from the provisions of the bill.
Ultimately, it is a sign of a weak Government—a Government that would rather stoke culture wars because it struggles to deal with the consequences of its own economic decisions; and a Government that would rather seek division because it struggles to be relevant in the day-to-day issues that people face. It is no wonder, because this is a Government that is seeking to avoid an election because it fears the consequences and what the people’s judgment will be when the general election comes along.
17:16