Hansard

Jeane Freeman was a remarkable colleague, a woman of principle and a woman of courage. She was dedicated in all that she did, selfless in her actions and unfailingly compassionate. Scottish politics and public life in Scotland have lost an outstanding individual who leaves for us all an incredible legacy.

Working alongside her both here in the chamber and in Cabinet, I valued her counsel, her wisdom, her solidarity and her care. Jeane gave her counsel freely and openly to support the common good. She always offered wise thinking when we wrestled with difficult questions. Whenever I faced political challenges, Jeane would offer support. At moments of personal difficulty, Jeane would offer care and kindness.

For those outside of Government, Jeane will always be remembered, first and foremost, for the pivotal role that she played during the Covid pandemic. That was one of the greatest public health crises in history, one of the greatest challenges that our national health service has ever seen and one of the greatest challenges that our society has seen. There was no blueprint or precedent for us to draw on during that period. All of us—politicians, citizens and community leaders—were in uncharted waters. Jeane, as Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport, was one of the people who provided selfless leadership to help us to steer our way through it.

Thankfully, Jeane was the right person for the job. I remember well her leadership, her pragmatism and her determined commitment to evidence-based and, necessarily often, brave decision making. Every single day, with exceptional dedication, grace and selflessness, she threw herself into her work to keep people healthy and safe without a thought for her own health, and to support our health services, in which she took such pride and to which she gave such commitment.

She was the first to accept that she might not have got everything right, but Jeane made a terrific difference to and for us all. Although she will always be remembered for what she did then, it is only one highlight in a long and distinguished career that was built on social justice, care and service to others.

Jeane will always be remembered for the moral values that she brought to all that she did. She said that she learned those moral values from her parents. Her mother worked 12-hour shifts as a sister in a psychiatric hospital. Her father was a trade unionist and served in the Royal Air Force during world war two. He spoke to Jeane of the social contract between a Government and its people and of the inequality that he saw when he came home after the war ended. He taught her the need for fairness and compassion—that everyone in our society deserves equal opportunity.

Jeane took those lessons to heart. They were values that she practised in her politics, in her career and in her life: when she became the first woman to chair the National Union of Students in Scotland; when she trained and worked as a nurse; when she founded Apex Scotland; when she was a member of the Parole Board for Scotland; and when she was a member of the Scottish Police Services Authority board and the NHS national waiting times centre board. Jeane was living the lessons that she learned from her parents: a commitment to social justice and improving people’s lives.

In 1996, Jeane received an OBE for her service to the rehabilitation of people with experience of the criminal justice system. Jeane also worked as a senior civil servant and then as special adviser to the then First Minister, Jack McConnell. In that role, she was heavily involved in the purchase of the Golden Jubilee hospital in Clydebank. She could see the benefits of ensuring that that significant asset was better used for the benefit of all in Scotland.

Jeane’s political journey demonstrated a willingness to think afresh about the world around her. She was a founding member of Women for Independence and one of the faces of the yes Scotland campaign. She was a calm voice of authority to persuade others of the benefits of independence. In the 2016 election, Jeane was elected as MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley and became a tireless advocate for her constituency.

Her work as the first ever Minister for Social Security in Scotland was arguably one of the landmark achievements in her life. In that role, she managed the devolution of new powers and the creation of Social Security Scotland. Our social security system is built on dignity, fairness and respect, and that is because of Jeane. Those were her values. They were values that she embodied and put into her politics; they were values that were passed down from her parents; and they were values that were put into the law of Scotland.

I was fortunate enough to see those values practised up close. Jeane contributed so much to the Government, to this Parliament and to the lives of people across Scotland. For Jeane, that contribution was her life’s mission, which she carried from her childhood throughout her life and up to the very end, even volunteering to support members of the public at the Beatson cancer centre by assisting with the tea trolley.

Her death was a terrible shock, coming just weeks after her cancer diagnosis. On behalf of the Scottish Government and the people of Scotland, I express my deepest condolences to her partner Susan and her much-loved family, who join us today in the gallery.

I always welcomed Jeane’s wisdom, her considered opinions, her advice and her kindness. Like so many others across the chamber and across the country, I express my gratitude for all that Jeane did over the course of her life—for her service, her dedication, her compassion and her humanity. I am grateful for the example that Jeane set for us and the legacy that she leaves behind.

I pay tribute to Jeane Freeman, a woman of principle who lived out her values, shared them with us all and made Scotland a better country as a result. [Applause.]

I move,

That the Parliament expresses its shock and sadness following the death of Jeane Freeman; appreciates her long contribution to public life and politics, including as the MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Minister for Social Security, where she established Social Security Scotland, and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport during the COVID-19 pandemic; recognises the high esteem in which she was held by civic society and colleagues in all parties, and offers its deepest sympathy and condolences to her partner, family and many friends.

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