Meeting of the Parliament 04 March 2026 [Draft]
With your forbearance, Presiding Officer, I would like to take what may be the last opportunity for me to pay tribute to the contribution that Richard Leonard has made to the Parliament. He is a local competitor, but never an adversary, and I am very grateful for the advocacy and service that he has given on behalf of the trade union movement in particular, and also on behalf of our shared constituents. I am very grateful to him for that, and I wish him well for the future.
On the points that Richard Leonard has made, I have to correct him on the matter of any perception of delay. That was not the case: there was no confirmation as to the roll-out of the working week as described. I recognise that there was some upset when I took the decision to ensure that the final hour was done at once, rather than in two stages, but I have set out clearly and plainly why I took that decision, and I have subjected myself to the scrutiny of trade union colleagues. I am confident, off the back of the assurances that I have received, with my chairs and chief executives, that this is non-negotiable, and that we will achieve that roll-out on 1 April.