Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 17 March 2015
17 Mar 2015 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Scotland’s Place in Europe
I am pleased to be opening this debate for Labour. This is my first opening speech in this area of my portfolio. Previously, as a lead on rural affairs, food and the environment, I have often spoken about the importance of Europe to the delivery of policy in those areas. They are good examples of Scotland’s positive relationship with Europe, and I will return to them later in my opening comments.
The first election that I voted in was for the European Parliament. Unfortunately I was—and continue to be—part of the minority of the electorate who takes part in those elections. Just over 33 per cent of the electorate took part in May 2014, and that was in a year when interest in elections in Scotland was high. Across Europe, the picture was not much better. Although turnout was higher than a third, which was our figure, it was still the lowest recorded turnout.
In many ways, Europe is high on the political agenda for the political classes, but it remains low for voters.
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Tricia Marwick)
NPA
The next item of business is a debate on motion S4M-12670, in the name of Humza Yousaf, on Scotland’s place in Europe. 14:21
The Minister for Europe and International Development (Humza Yousaf)
SNP
Scotland has been a progressive and integral part of the European Union for the past 40 years. Engagement with the EU and its institutions is a core priority...
Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (LD)
LD
The minister will be aware of the importance of structural funding to the region that I partly represent. At the back end of last year, there was some concer...
Humza Yousaf
SNP
That is an issue that the member has raised previously, and I know that he has had reassurances from this Government. We share his concerns, and I am happy t...
John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP)
SNP
On the issue of TTIP, would the minister accept that we probably have more common ground with some of our European neighbours than we do with the London Gove...
Humza Yousaf
SNP
I am doing my best to be as consensual as I can in the debate. The UK Government knows our position and that we are asking for a black-and-white exemption fo...
Dennis Robertson (Aberdeenshire West) (SNP)
SNP
Does the minister agree that there is still more to be done within the domestic market to encourage small and medium-sized businesses to look at the potentia...
Humza Yousaf
SNP
I agree entirely. Internationalisation is one of the four priorities of Scotland’s economic strategy, which the First Minister and Deputy First Minister laun...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (John Scott)
Con
Will you draw to a close, please?
Humza Yousaf
SNP
I will end on this point. We believe that there should be a double-majority system for that referendum. We believe that Scotland and indeed other parts of th...
Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab)
Lab
I am pleased to be opening this debate for Labour. This is my first opening speech in this area of my portfolio. Previously, as a lead on rural affairs, food...
Stewart Stevenson (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP)
SNP
Will the member take a brief intervention?
Claire Baker
Lab
I ask the member to be brief as I am quite short of time.
Stewart Stevenson
SNP
Does the member recall that, when the UK entered the European Union in 1973, most of the major broadcasting and print media organisations had correspondents ...
Claire Baker
Lab
I am pleased to say that I do not have much recall of 1973, but the member makes a fair point. It is not just down to politicians. It is also down to our soc...
Humza Yousaf
SNP
Will the member take an intervention?
Claire Baker
Lab
I am in my final minute. Labour does not support a referendum as we know that it will cause uncertainty for business. A referendum is not in the interests o...
Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
I welcome the debate as it gives me the chance to dispel the myths and scaremongering that are coming from members on the Government benches about Scotland’s...
Christian Allard (North East Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
Will the member take an intervention?
Jamie McGrigor
Con
I have only six minutes, so I want to make progress. The SNP asserts that Scotland has no appetite for a referendum on EU membership, despite the fact that ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Con
Please draw to a close.
Jamie McGrigor
Con
I am just going to close. For all those reasons and many more, the need for a referendum on EU membership will become more apparent in the next two years, d...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Con
We move to the open debate, with speeches of six minutes or thereby. 14:53
Christina McKelvie (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (SNP)
SNP
In the past four years, as convener of the European and External Relations Committee, I have learned a lot about Europe, including a lot about its strengths....
Anne McTaggart (Glasgow) (Lab)
Lab
I am pleased to contribute to this debate and to speak in support of Claire Baker’s amendment. At a time when countries are fighting for their right to be p...
Christian Allard (North East Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
I start my contribution to this timely and important debate with a 1736 quote that is to be found in the diaries of a French minister, René de Voyer, who was...
Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (LD)
LD
I welcome the debate and I thank Humza Yousaf—or, as I like to call him, the minister—for allowing Parliament this opportunity. The motion and the amendment...
Christian Allard
SNP
Will Liam McArthur take an intervention?
Liam McArthur
LD
No, thank you. It is too easy to link the SNP’s calls for a retreat from the UK to UKIP’s and the Tories’ calls for a retreat from Europe. There is a remark...
Stewart Maxwell (West Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
Scotland is often described as being on the periphery of Europe. Although that may be true in a geographic sense, our strong cultural, historical and politic...