Meeting of the Parliament 26 February 2025
I do not have time.
The Scottish Greens say that they defend the planet, but we must sometimes ask which planet they are defending. Today’s motion begs that question, again.
We all know that international actors can be unpredictable, which is why Scotland, as part of the UK, must remain at the cutting edge of aerospace and defence manufacturing. Whether it is in renewables, defence or the automotive industry, the future of this world is engineered, and it is entirely legitimate to use our engineering capabilities to deliver what is needed to defend ourselves and our allies from the malignancy of nations such as Russia, or the evil of terrorist forces such as Hamas.
The Green MSPs wear badges saying that they stand with Ukraine, including on equipping it. However, what is President Zelenskyy asking for when he travels the world? Ukraine cannot defend itself with warm words alone: rather, it is asking the UK for the military equipment that is made by the very manufacturers that the Green Party is protesting against. Ukraine needs cutting-edge military capabilities: that is, weapons and munitions—Scottish-engineered ones, I hope. Green MSPs need to get into the real world or—I warn them—they will be living in a far more dangerous one.