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Chamber

Meeting of the Parliament 07 January 2025

07 Jan 2025 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Child Poverty
O'Kane, Paul Lab West Scotland Watch on SPTV

Deputy Presiding Officer, I take this opportunity to wish you and colleagues across the chamber a happy new year.

I begin, as I always do in such debates, by stating again that tackling child poverty should be a priority across the chamber and in all spheres of government and that we should take an approach to tackling child poverty that has consensus—[Interruption.]

I am being heckled from the Government front bench when I am trying to speak about consensus. It may help if the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture listens to the point, because consensus is important and it is also the spirit in which the First Minister began his speech.

Tackling child poverty is a vital mission, and many of us agree and expect that all children, no matter their background, should have security, stability and opportunity as they are growing up. Many of us in this Parliament aspire to that and want to find a renewed constructive partnership to work towards it. I welcome, as I have done previously, the continued new, constructive relationship between the UK and Scottish Governments and local government on the issue. It is important that we put that on the record and call for it to continue.

We may be at the start of a new year, but this is not a new challenge or a new debate.

In the same item of business

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing) SNP
The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-16003, in the name of John Swinney, on tackling child poverty and inequality through the Scottish budget....
The First Minister (John Swinney) SNP
When I became First Minister, I made it abundantly clear that the foremost priority of my Government would be the eradication of child poverty in Scotland. I...
Liz Smith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Con
Given the high cost of the benefits bill, how will that be paid for if the Scottish Government cannot produce the economic growth that we so desperately need?
The First Minister SNP
The Government has a fully costed budget, which is available for Parliament to scrutinise and to support in February and which provides for the cost that I a...
Stephen Kerr (Central Scotland) (Con) Con
In the First Minister’s opening remarks, he talked about the root issues, and one that he correctly identified is good jobs. Good jobs are fuelled by skills,...
The First Minister SNP
We must ensure that we are able to make the appropriate provision that is necessary for the size and scale of the population that requires to be educated in ...
Willie Rennie (North East Fife) (LD) LD
The First Minister is setting out what is in the draft budget, but he knows from today’s announcement that he will get that budget through. I am interested i...
The First Minister SNP
I take nothing for granted about the budget process. The discussions that have been constructively engaged in by the Liberal Democrats, the Greens, the Labou...
Russell Findlay (West Scotland) (Con) Con
Everyone here wants to reduce and, we hope, eradicate child poverty. What we are debating is how best to achieve that, which is where we differ. John Swinney...
Paul O’Kane (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab
Is Russell Findlay genuinely trying to get the rest of the chamber to agree that he, as an ardent supporter of Liz Truss, should be trusted on how to support...
Russell Findlay Con
Paul O’Kane should know better. Liz Truss was in power for 50 days. This lot have been in power for 18 years. The definition of insanity is doing the same th...
The First Minister SNP
Will Russell Findlay take an intervention?
Russell Findlay Con
I will—yes.
The First Minister SNP
If Mr Findlay will not address the Liz Truss issue, will he say whether he considers that the agenda of austerity that was pursued consistently from 2010 to ...
Russell Findlay Con
John Swinney has squandered countless millions, if not billions, of pounds through his absolute incompetence. That is why my party believes that a different ...
Paul O’Kane (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab
Deputy Presiding Officer, I take this opportunity to wish you and colleagues across the chamber a happy new year. I begin, as I always do in such debates, b...
The First Minister SNP
I am anxious to engage with Mr O’Kane on the question of agreement across the parliamentary spectrum. One of the points that I made in my speech is that Parl...
Paul O’Kane Lab
Of course it is the Parliament’s responsibility to hold the targets in our hands. It was agreed across the chamber—prior to my being here—that they should be...
The First Minister SNP
Will Mr O’Kane take an intervention?
Paul O’Kane Lab
If Mr Swinney allows me to make a little progress, I will allow him back in. The point that I was moving on to make is about the length of time that we have...
The First Minister SNP
I am grateful to Mr O’Kane for giving way for a second time. I point out to him that we will only have 20 years of an SNP Government if we win the 2026 elect...
Paul O’Kane Lab
First, I say to the First Minister that it feels longer—like 30 years, perhaps—that the SNP has been in power. Perhaps I should have paid more attention in t...
Stephen Kerr Con
Will the member give way?
Paul O’Kane Lab
I will, in a moment. I was coming on to speak about the down payments that have been made to tackle those issues at the UK level: the raising of the minimum...
The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP
Be brief, Mr Kerr, please.
Stephen Kerr Con
Does Paul O’Kane accept that many economists—in fact, the majority of economists—predict that, because of the national insurance increases that are being bro...
The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP
Mr O’Kane, please start to bring your remarks to a close.
Paul O’Kane Lab
I will, Presiding Officer. Given that, clearly, Russell Findlay has some kind of idea that we, on this side of the chamber, should all be listening to about...
Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green) Green
The Scottish Government’s motion describes child poverty as its “single greatest priority” and as a “national mission”. All political parties agree that it s...
Collette Stevenson (East Kilbride) (SNP) SNP
In relation to the policy decisions that have been made by Labour, I note the fact that a handful of Labour MSPs are in the chamber for this debate about era...