Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 10 December 2025
10 Dec 2025 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Parliamentary Bureau Motions
I remind members of my entry in the register of interests, which shows that I am a partner in a farming business and a member of NFU Scotland.
The SNP’s changes to greening support and removal of exemptions will, as an Orkney farmer told me, have one hell of an impact on our island farmers and crofters, putting additional costs and burdens on them. It is absolutely right that the Scottish Conservatives are voting against the SSI tonight, but does Tim Eagle agree that any MSP who represents island communities that are impacted by the changes should vote against the SSI this evening?
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Alison Johnstone)
NPA
The next item of business is consideration of Parliamentary Bureau motion S6M-20070, on approval of a Scottish statutory instrument. I ask Graeme Dey, on beh...
Tim Eagle (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
Tonight has shown the shocking state that the Government is in and the desperate need for change. Let me tell members a tale of grand ambitions and puffed-up...
Tim Eagle
Con
Members can sigh, but I will go on for a few minutes yet. In actual fact, the Government has delivered a policy so wet that it is turning our farms into bur...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
Let us hear Mr Eagle.
Tim Eagle
Con
We have umpteen pages of regulation just to get a slice of what used to be simple support.
Jamie Halcro Johnston (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
I remind members of my entry in the register of interests, which shows that I am a partner in a farming business and a member of NFU Scotland. The SNP’s cha...
Tim Eagle
Con
I say to Mr Halcro Johnston that anybody who votes for the SSI tonight is, in my opinion, mad, because, given that what the SNP Government said that it would...
Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green)
Green
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. It may have been my hearing, but I thought that I heard a mental health slur from a member who has just chastised oth...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
As we are having a fairly lively debate this evening, I ask all members to please, at all times, be courteous and respectful in your language and think about...
Tim Eagle
Con
I am happy to discuss that outside the chamber, perhaps. I am not quite sure what I did—Interruption.
The Presiding Officer
NPA
Let us hear the member.
Tim Eagle
Con
The measures might sound green and virtuous but, as NFU Scotland, which is at the heart of agriculture in Scotland, points out, cramming in more EFAs—ecologi...
The Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity (Jim Fairlie)
SNP
I point out to Mr Eagle that, if he does not want to be charged as performative, he should not be performative, because that is exactly what his contribution...
Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (LD)
LD
The minister will be aware of the relatively high take-up of agri-environment measures in Orkney. However, the fact that those cannot be counted as part of t...
Jim Fairlie
SNP
I will address Mr McArthur’s points as I go through my speaking notes. We know that agriculture in Scotland is diverse and that it faces significant challen...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
The question on the motion will be put at decision time. The next item of business is consideration of two Parliamentary Bureau motions. I ask Graeme Dey, o...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
The question on the motions will be put at decision time.