Hansard

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing) SNP

The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-19895, in the name of Craig Hoy, on growing Scotland’s economy. I invite those members who wish to speak ...

Craig Hoy (South Scotland) (Con) Con

Today, the chickens came home to roost for the Chancellor of the Exchequer. In what has been described as “shambolic” and “a fiscal fandango”, Rachel Reeves ...

Michael Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab

Will the member take an intervention?

Craig Hoy Con

I will not give way at this point in time. Markets have heard the mood music and have responded in kind—

Michael Marra Lab

The pound is up, borrowing is down.

Craig Hoy Con

—with the savage cost of servicing our long-term debt.

Michael Marra Lab

Pound is up, borrowing is down.

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

Mr Marra, please let the member speak.

Craig Hoy Con

If Mr Marra were to look at what we are paying on the gilt market relative to our competitors, he would realise that the markets have no confidence in this G...

Michael Marra Lab

It is cheaper than this morning.

Craig Hoy Con

Mr Marra says that it is cheaper than this morning—it was extremely bad this morning. I will leave Mr Marra to make his own case for this disastrous budget. ...

The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic (Kate Forbes) SNP

Will the member take an intervention?

Craig Hoy Con

If I can get the time back, Deputy Presiding Officer.

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

There is not a lot of time, but we will see how we go.

Kate Forbes SNP

Could the member remind us which party introduced the EPL? That is all that I want to know. Interruption.

Craig Hoy Con

The Deputy First Minister should have been here earlier. I believe that she asked for it. Which party brought in the presumption against the issuing of furth...

The Minister for Public Finance (Ivan McKee) SNP

There are many reasons to be optimistic about Scotland’s economic performance and potential. We have a fundamentally strong and resilient economy. Since 2007...

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Con

Will the minister take an intervention?

Ivan McKee SNP

I do not think that I have time.

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

There is no time in hand—it is up to the member.

Ivan McKee SNP

Be very quick.

Murdo Fraser Con

If what the minister says is correct, why did Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli make the point in his report that was published just two weeks ago that, had the...

Ivan McKee SNP

If we look back at the data for the most recent full year—that is, 2024—we will see that the Scottish economy grew faster than the UK economy as a whole. The...

Fergus Ewing (Inverness and Nairn) (Ind) Ind

rose—

Ivan McKee SNP

I am afraid that I do not have any time left in the short time that is available. It remains deeply disappointing that energy bills are £500 higher than the...

Michael Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab

Today’s budget from the Labour UK Government is a budget for the good of ordinary people across our country, and Labour values run right through it. It will ...

Craig Hoy Con

Will the member take an intervention?

Michael Marra Lab

No, thank you, sir. My thanks end there. The Tory motion is an exercise in brass-necked gaslighting of our country. It was the Tories who crashed the econom...

Stuart McMillan (Greenock and Inverclyde) (SNP) SNP

Made a request to intervene.

Michael Marra Lab

I am happy to give way to Mr McMillan.