Hansard

On behalf of the entire Scottish Labour Party, I put on record our deepest condolences on the passing of Christina McKelvie. Christina’s death will be keenly felt by her family, particularly her sons, Lewis and Jack, and, of course, her partner of many years, Keith Brown. For her friends and SNP colleagues, the hurt will be all too present.

Christina’s passing has been a cause of grief and sorrow for many people: those across the chamber; those in her community of Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse; and all who had the pleasure of working with her, including, of course, her constituency and parliamentary staff. She was a woman who dedicated her life to public service and worked to improve the lives of her fellow Scots.

I first met Christina many years ago, long before she entered front-line politics here at Holyrood, and she was fierce then, believe me. She was already dedicating her time to causes that she believed in. She worked in supported employment in the east end of Glasgow and was an active trade unionist in Unison, which is when I first met her. Standing up for working people and demanding fairness and justice for her colleagues, she was an absolute force of nature.

It was no surprise that, when Christina was elected to the Parliament in 2007, she championed progressive causes. As convener of the Equal Opportunities Committee, many of her early interventions in the chamber reflected her passion for equalities, and she often reflected on her earlier career and real-life experiences of supporting vulnerable young people into adulthood. As Christina’s skills became apparent to the Government, she rightly was rewarded with ministerial roles that reflected her commitment to social justice—first, as Minister for Equalities and Older People and, latterly, as Minister for Drugs and Alcohol Policy.

Despite our very occasional differences of opinion, Christina was always open for debate and discussion, and she put outcomes for the people of Scotland before narrow party considerations. I respected her enormously for that.

Back in 2020, when Christina was sadly diagnosed with breast cancer, she responded in characteristic fashion by continuing to raise awareness, having always supported, as we have heard, Breast Cancer Now’s wear it pink campaign, and encouraging women to regularly check their breasts and attend screening appointments. As ever, she did all that with her characteristic good humour—she was always smiling, always warm and, I found, always up for mischief.

The passing of Christina McKelvie leaves a void in our Parliament, a void in our public life and a void in the hearts of many who knew her. As we reflect on Christina’s life, it is impossible to conclude that it was anything but a life well lived. It was a life that was dedicated to the service of others, a life full of love for her friends and family, and a life that has touched so many others and enriched our days. [Applause.]