Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 10 June 2026 [Last updated 18:45]
10 Jun 2026 · S7 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Public Trust in Scottish Politics
Before we begin the next item of business, I would like to say that the proceedings against Peter Murrell remain active until he has been sentenced. The sub judice rule is engaged, but the Presiding Officer has exercised his discretion to allow the motion and the related amendments to be debated. In their contributions, members should specifically avoid commenting on the matter of sentencing. The sub judice rules will also apply to other cases, and members should be mindful of them.
The next item of business is a debate on motion S7M-00294, in the name of Anas Sarwar, on an inquiry to restore public trust in Scottish politics. I invite members who wish to speak in the debate to press their request-to-speak button now.
References in this contribution
Motions, questions or amendments mentioned by their reference code.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Clare Adamson)
SNP
Before we begin the next item of business, I would like to say that the proceedings against Peter Murrell remain active until he has been sentenced. The sub ...
Anas Sarwar (Glasgow) (Lab)
Lab
The choice before us in this debate is simple. Do we believe in honesty, openness, transparency and the rule of law? Is this a Parliament that believes that ...
Ross Greer (West Scotland) (Green)
Green
I ask this quite sincerely: does Mr Sarwar genuinely believe what he just said—that this is the greatest political scandal in the history of devolution—when ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Clare Adamson)
SNP
I remind members that criminal cases remain active and that the sub judice rule is engaged.
Anas Sarwar
Lab
I say gently to Mr Greer that that is a shocking case that relates to individual behaviour, but today we are talking about a systematic culture of cover-up a...
Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green)
Green
Made a request to intervene.
Anas Sarwar
Lab
If I get the time back, I will happily take an intervention.
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Clare Adamson)
SNP
You can, Mr Sarwar.
Patrick Harvie
Green
I wonder whether Anas Sarwar applies the same principle—if people have nothing to hide, they have nothing to fear—to our argument that, if there is to be an ...
Anas Sarwar
Lab
I have sympathy for the argument that Patrick Harvie has made, and I have sympathy with the Green amendment. There should be greater transparency on party fi...
The Minister for Parliamentary Business and Veterans (Jamie Hepburn)
SNP
In the interests of transparency, I place on the record that my wife is presently employed by the Scottish National Party and has been since April 2023.I beg...
Stephen Kerr (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Con
I assert that what the minister has said is outrageous. He has called into question the very idea of why we have parliamentary committees and parliamentary i...
Jamie Hepburn
SNP
I am not convinced that that intervention was particularly worth hearing. We presumably all accept the objective fact that the issue in question is the forme...
Stephen Kerr
Con
You should be in favour of an inquiry.
Jamie Hepburn
SNP
If the member is suggesting that it is not the Scottish National Party that is the victim in this case, I do not know who he thinks the victim is.This picks ...
Michael Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
Will the minister give way?
Alex Cole-Hamilton (Edinburgh North Western) (LD)
LD
Will he give way?
Jamie Hepburn
SNP
Not at the moment.I believe that the Parliament has a proud and good record of constructive committee work. It is not always easy or straightforward. It is w...
Michael Marra
Lab
Will the minister give way?
Jamie Hepburn
SNP
Can I check, Presiding Officer: if I give way, will I get the time back?
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Clare Adamson)
SNP
Yes. The Presiding Officer has agreed that that should be the case for all debates if you take an intervention.
Michael Marra
Lab
I appreciate the minister giving way. Would he not recognise that there is a question of public money paid in Short money to the SNP? There are questions of ...
Jamie Hepburn
SNP
Any of those questions will be dealt with by the Electoral Commission. That issue has already been raised in Parliament. The question was asked of the First ...
Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab)
Lab
It was about HMRC.
Jamie Hepburn
SNP
I think that the question was about Short money, Ms Baillie, and it would be a matter for the Electoral Commission.
Alex Cole-Hamilton
LD
Will the minister give way?
Jamie Hepburn
SNP
I will give way one more time, to Mr Cole-Hamilton.
Alex Cole-Hamilton
LD
The minister suggests that it would be inappropriate for a committee of inquiry to investigate the issue, but we have the Standards, Procedures and Public Ap...
Jamie Hepburn
SNP
Government ministers are, quite correctly, accountable for their Government ministerial responsibilities, and they will be held to account by the Parliament....
Daniel Johnson (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab)
Lab
Will the minister give way?