Meeting of the Parliament 22 December 2022
The minister and I have had many conversations, over the past few weeks, about the timetabling of parliamentary business, which I have enjoyed very much. However, I have to say that the suggestion that, on the first day back in 2023, we should prioritise a debate on the SNP’s general election strategy on a de facto referendum is not going to be supported by me or by Labour.
I have consistently argued in the Parliamentary Bureau that we need to be responsive to the needs of our constituents and tackle the big issues that they are facing. Instead of discussing the Government’s business as suggested, we should be discussing the crisis that is affecting our national health service when we return in January. NHS workers could be on strike, and, frankly, that is what should be at the top of our agenda. It is an extremely serious situation.
If the strikes do come to pass, I believe that our constituents would be astonished at the idea that we would debate anything else. Not only that, but Anas Sarwar highlighted earlier today very serious and significant concerns that need urgent attention, such as accident and emergency waiting times, mental healthcare waiting times for our children, cancer treatment and many more. We want to put forward our proposals for improving the situation right here and right now, and also Labour’s long-term solutions to help to fix the NHS crisis, such as Labour’s plan to end non-domiciled tax status and to invest £3.2 billion in the NHS to drive the biggest expansion of medical training in the NHS’s history.
The first debate of 2023 should demonstrate what our priorities are for the year ahead. We believe that that priority and that debate should be on the NHS.
I move amendment S6M-07375.1, to leave out “People’s Right to Choose—Respecting Scotland’s Democratic Mandate” and insert:
“A New NHS Recovery Plan”.
Motions, questions or amendments mentioned by their reference code.