Meeting of the Parliament 20 February 2024
I will start with what I thought was the best contribution—Gillian Mackay’s. It was thoughtful and considered and she rose to the occasion. I have sat through many of these contributions over the years and I have always found it genuinely sad that politicians are unable to rise to the occasion, no matter what the occasion is. This is an important day, particularly for those who are entering Government for the first time. For literally five minutes, all that members had to do was rise to the occasion, but Craig Hoy singularly failed to do that. No wonder we heard cries to bring back Jackson—I fully endorse those cries. I get that Craig Hoy has no hope of ministerial office unless he donates to the Tory party, when he might well become a lord and then be brought back into the Scotland Office. Who knows? That might well happen to him.
On Jackie Baillie’s contribution, I tend to believe that it is better to let the Scottish people give their verdict on whether we have done a good job. That is why we were elected in 2007, re-elected in 2011, re-elected in 2016 and re-elected in 2021. Jackie Baillie shouts that we are on our way out, that her time has come and that the die is cast. The one thing that I say to her is that she is short of policy ideas, and any constructive ideas, but she is full of hubris. People will see through that time and again. It is a unique Scottish Labour trait to take the people of this country for granted. Jackie Baillie asks whether it is worth it to have an SNP Government. I suggest asking the 93,000 children who are no longer in poverty because of the action that we have taken whether it is worth it. What about the record number of young people from areas of deprivation who are now going to university? Was it worth it? What about the under-22s with free bus travel and so on?
I can see the Presiding Officer indicating that my time is up. I will end exactly where I started. I hope that the Parliament will agree to the changes that I have made. In particular, I welcome Jim Fairlie and Kaukab Stewart to the Government. I have no doubt that they will serve the Government and the country well.