Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 24 February 2026 [Draft]
24 Feb 2026 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Scottish Parliament (Recall of Members) Bill
The bill began life as a Scottish Conservative pledge. We proposed a Mackay’s law as long ago as 2021. The intention was to give people the ability to remove an absentee MSP: an elected representative who, without legitimate reason, simply withdrew from Parliament and ceased to do their job. There was a clear requirement for such a bill. Derek Mackay, the former finance secretary, did not attend Parliament or engage with it in any way after he was forced to resign in disgrace, yet he was paid about £100,000 during that period. Public anger and common sense demanded a Mackay’s law. The bill will not be that law, but that law is still very much required.
Our original proposal was to recall MSPs for non-attendance, either in person or remotely, that exceeded 180 days, with appropriate exemptions and safeguards. However, that simple provision is not part of the bill. The bill does not contain what we pledged and it is not Mackay’s law. It is not what this Parliament badly needs. I am bitterly disappointed that my amendments at stage 3 were not agreed to this afternoon. They would have left us with a still imperfect yet workable bill.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing)
SNP
The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-20904, in the name of Graham Simpson, on the Scottish Parliament (Recall of Members) Bill at stage 3. I i...
Graham Simpson (Central Scotland) (Reform)
Reform
It is customary to thank a number of people when we reach this stage in a member’s bill, so I will start with some thanks. First, I thank the non-Government ...
Kevin Stewart (Aberdeen Central) (SNP)
SNP
I recognise the hard work that Graham Simpson has put in and the fact that he has been co-operative with other members. However, the lack of the Agnew review...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing)
SNP
Thank you, Mr Stewart. Mr Simpson, I will give you the time back, as that was quite a long intervention.
Graham Simpson
Reform
I am extremely grateful. Kevin Stewart has made a good point. We need to get legislation right, and he knows that I take that very seriously. However, I assu...
Martin Whitfield (South Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
Made a request to intervene.
Graham Simpson
Reform
I am happy to take an intervention from Martin Whitfield, if I can. I have almost finished.
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing)
SNP
Be very brief, Mr Whitfield—briefer than Mr Stewart was, please.
Martin Whitfield
Lab
I will be brief. It may assist people to understand from Graham Simpson when he envisages that the bill will, in fact, take effect and influence the career p...
Graham Simpson
Reform
There is no commencement date. I guess that the point that I am making is that we can afford to wait. The fact that there is no commencement date is the resu...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing)
SNP
I call Graeme Dey to open on behalf of the Scottish Government.17:35
The Minister for Parliamentary Business and Veterans (Graeme Dey)
SNP
All in this chamber care about democratic accountability—I think that that is a given. For many, the ultimate exercise in democratic accountability awaits in...
Sue Webber (Lothian) (Con)
Con
The bill began life as a Scottish Conservative pledge. We proposed a Mackay’s law as long ago as 2021. The intention was to give people the ability to remove...
Kevin Stewart
SNP
Ms Webber must realise that, if her amendments had been agreed to this afternoon, they would have wrecked the bill completely and utterly and would have set ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing)
SNP
Mr Stewart, that was a very lengthy intervention again. Ms Webber, I will give you the time back.
Sue Webber
Con
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I sought to deliver what the public expected of me—what was in the Scottish Conservatives’ manifesto. The bill is not th...
Richard Leonard (Central Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
We all agree with the intent of this bill: that every other part of the United Kingdom has a system of recall, and so should we—that there should be accounta...
Christine Grahame (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP)
SNP
rose—
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing)
SNP
The member is concluding.
Richard Leonard
Lab
It is experience that is converted into determination, and articulated in the inspiring words of Angela Davis, who famously declared:“I am no longer acceptin...
Lorna Slater (Lothian) (Green)
Green
Although the Scottish Greens were uncomfortable with the implementation of the bill as drafted at stage 1, we abstained at that point in order to give the me...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing)
SNP
I call Alex Cole-Hamilton to open on behalf of the Scottish Liberal Democrats.17:53
Alex Cole-Hamilton (Edinburgh Western) (LD)
LD
I congratulate the member in charge of the bill—and his staff—on getting us to this point.It has been more than 10 years since commensurate legislation was p...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing)
SNP
We move to the open debate.17:57
Rona Mackay (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP)
SNP
I want to make it clear, as the minister has done, that the Scottish Government and the Scottish National Party support the introduction of a fair and indepe...
Graham Simpson
Reform
Will the member take an intervention?
Rona Mackay
SNP
I am sorry—I have only a wee bit more to say and I am running out of time.We must ensure that the processes work smoothly and are sufficiently clear to comma...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing)
SNP
I call Christine Grahame. You have up to four minutes.18:01
Christine Grahame (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP)
SNP
Thank you for taking my late request to speak, Presiding Officer.There are two reasons why I will not support the bill. First, the review of by the Standards...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing)
SNP
We move to closing speeches.18:02