Meeting of the Parliament 24 March 2026 [Draft]
The first time that I spoke to Brian Whittle was when he first came into the Parliament. We were having one of those team photographs on the garden lobby stairs. I approached him and said, “You know, Mr Whittle, my father is currently turning in his grave because one of his sporting heroes is a Tory.” However, I felt duty bound to speak in this debate because Brian Whittle has spoken in many of our debates on sport, and I thank him for bringing this debate to the chamber.
Sport can change lives in so many ways. When I was growing up in Paisley, sport was not always about elite pathways or podiums—it was about belonging. I have always known that I am not good enough to play centre-half for St Mirren, although I got a better call-up to represent our town here in the Parliament as Paisley’s MSP. However, sport is where people find their pals and, as James Dornan said, where they find their confidence. For many people, it is where they find themselves. It builds resilience, because people lose more often than they win—let us be honest: as a St Mirren fan, I learned that lesson a long time ago.
Sport also builds character and teaches discipline. It gives young people a sense of purpose and direction, and that matters now more than ever. Sometimes, sport can save people. It creates healthy lifestyles. It is not always about elite sport; it is also about friends playing five-a-side once a week, thinking that they are Maradona or Messi. In communities across Paisley, local clubs and volunteers are doing extraordinary work every day. They do not always get the headlines, but they deserve our support.
I want to talk about Brian Whittle directly. As a wee boy, I did not know him as a politician; I knew him as an athlete. I watched him compete for Scotland with real pride—pride that I knew came from him. He was an outstanding Scottish Olympian, and he can still get from the chamber to the canteen more quickly than I can. I might not agree with him politically—he is a Tory, after all—but I recognise and respect his contribution to sport in this country.
That is the point of the debate. Sport cuts across divides, breaks down barriers of class, colour, religion and background, and it brings people together in a shared passion. In a world that often feels divided, that really matters. If we are serious about improving health, strengthening our communities and building a fairer Scotland, investing in sport is not optional but essential, because sport does not only change lives; it can transform them.