16:22
Before we turn to the next item of business, I hope that members do not mind if I say a few words. I would like to say specifically what an honour it has been for me to serve in the Scottish Parliament, which, of course, was reconvened by my late mother, Winnie Ewing, in 1999. As the MSP for Cowdenbeath, I have met so many inspiring people across my constituency, and I have tried my best, along with my hard-working staff, to fight their corner and to stand up for them.
It has also been an honour to serve for the past five years as Deputy Presiding Officer. The role demands three things in particular: treating every member equally, without fear or favour; protecting the right to freedom of expression in our chamber; and gently, may I say, encouraging members to be the best parliamentarians they can be. I hope that members feel that I have discharged my duty. I thank you for having given me the opportunity to be your Deputy Presiding Officer, along with Mr McArthur, and I wish each of you all the very best. [Applause.]
The next item of business is consideration of motion S6M-21180, in the name of the First Minister, John Swinney, which is a motion of thanks. I call the First Minister to speak to and move the motion.
16:23
As this sixth session of the Scottish Parliament comes to a close, I extend my thanks to the Presiding Officer and the Deputy Presiding Officers for the service that each of them has given to the Parliament over the past five years.
The Presiding Officers have always managed their roles with principle, professionalism, pragmatism and, importantly—the Deputy Presiding Officer has just mentioned this—impartiality. It has been a demanding parliamentary session with a significant legislative workload, in which major issues have required scrutiny, and the Presiding Officers have undertaken so much impressive work in promoting all that work to the communities of Scotland. In all those roles, the Presiding Officers have acted effectively in undertaking their responsibilities.
While Liam McArthur is seeking re-election to Parliament, the Presiding Officer and you, Deputy Presiding Officer, are two of the 42 MSPs who have chosen not to stand for re-election. So, on behalf of all members of Parliament and the people of Scotland, I express my warmest thanks to the Presiding Officer and to the Deputy Presiding Officers for the outstanding service that you have given to Scotland in the sixth session of the Scottish Parliament.
Among the many members who are standing down at this election, some are long-standing members and some have been here for a shorter period, but I know that all have sought to serve their constituents well, and I thank all those who have dedicated themselves to public service.
We say farewell to people who have served in the Government, at my side, for many years, and I pay particular tribute to those who have served Scotland so well: former First Ministers Nicola Sturgeon and Humza Yousaf; my Deputy First Minister, Kate Forbes; current cabinet secretaries Shona Robison, Fiona Hyslop and Mairi Gougeon; current ministers Graeme Dey, Natalie Don-Innes and Richard Lochhead; and former ministers Joe FitzPatrick, Michael Matheson, Kevin Stewart and Elena Whitham. I also make mention of Christina McKelvie, who, before her sad death last year, had announced her intention to stand down at the forthcoming election. It has been my enormous privilege to work alongside each and every one of my colleagues, and I thank all of them for their service.
Eight of the members who are stepping down were first elected in 1999. I pay tribute to Sarah Boyack, who also served as a minister as part of her long-standing service; to Rhoda Grant; and to the incredibly formidable mother of the Parliament, Christine Grahame. At the weekend, my mother-in-law asked me what would happen to her collection of visible brooches on parliamentary occasions, and I told her that I thought they would be safe in Christine Grahame’s hands forever.
We also acknowledge that two former party leaders—Richard Leonard and Douglas Ross—are stepping down at this election.
Personally, I will miss enormously my fellow local representatives in the Mid Scotland and Fife area, Liz Smith and Alex Rowley.
To all those stepping down, I express my warmest wishes for all that lies ahead.
Although we thank those people for their service as members of the Scottish Parliament, we are all conscious that we carry out our responsibilities with the support of our staff teams, who assist us in every way. I take this opportunity to express a very personal and sincere thank you to my private office and the wider staff in the Scottish Government who support ministers so well, to my team of special advisers and to my constituency staff, without whom I could not undertake my responsibilities as First Minister. All members are aware of the tremendous service that is given by those who support us in our constituencies, who address the needs and priorities of the members of the public we serve. I express today, on behalf of Parliament, our thanks to all those who support us in our constituency work.
In drawing my remarks to a close, I would like to express my thanks, and the thanks of my party and the Government, to the supportive members of staff in the Scottish Parliament, no matter where they work, because we could not operate as members of Parliament without their assistance. I thank those in security who greet us when we arrive, the clerks, the official report, the Scottish Parliament information centre, the broadcasting service, the British Sign Language service and the business information technology staff, who are, frankly, run off their feet attending to members who consistently cannot access the mobile voting app—without them, we would not be able to carry out our democratic functions. I thank the cleaning team, who keep the Parliament looking at its best; the catering staff, who keep us fed and watered; and the communications team, the participation and communities team and the public engagement team, who support Parliament’s engagement with members of the public. I also thank the chief executive, David McGill, and his team for the stewardship of our parliamentary business. We could not and would not be here without their support. For that, I am truly thankful, and I know that members of Parliament will echo those words. [Applause.]
As we embark on the election campaign, to all who are not returning I express my warmest wishes for the future. To those who are engaged in the election campaign—of whom I shall, no doubt, be seeing quite a lot in the next few weeks—I say that I look forward to engagement in the democratic process and returning to serve the people of Scotland in the years to come.
First Minister, could I possibly ask you to move the motion? [Laughter.]
I move,
That the Parliament expresses its thanks to its Presiding Officer, Alison Johnstone, for her dedicated service to the Parliament; thanks her Deputy Presiding Officers, and pays tribute to all of those Members who are standing down at the end of this session.
I call Russell Findlay.
16:30
Thank you, Presiding Officers, in the plural. Unlike at First Minister’s question time today, all you will hear from me just now are warm words in a soothing tone.
I begin by thanking you, Presiding Officer, and your colleagues Annabelle Ewing and Liam McArthur. Your job is difficult—indeed, thankless—but essential. When temperatures rise, you are here to cool everyone down.
I also thank all the staff who work at Holyrood: my team, security, catering, cleaning, information technology, research and everyone else. I will single out Stephen Imrie and his colleagues on the Criminal Justice Committee, on which I served for three years. The clerking teams make this place run smoothly.
I thank all MSPs who are standing down. Whatever your party, you stepped up, put your name on the ballot paper and put your head above the parapet.
I will single out a trio of MSPs—not Messrs Simpson, Balfour and Greene, but three female opponents, who are all Scottish National Party members, although maybe not for long after being praised by the Tory leader. I will start with Kate Forbes, who is a true conservative. [Laughter.] I regret that that is with a small C, not a capital C—at least, for now.
Then there is Audrey Nicoll, who, like me, joined the Parliament five years ago. Audrey was good cop to my bad cop on the Criminal Justice Committee.
Michelle Thomson was brave enough to stand up to her own party. I worked with Michelle on amendments to the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill—the gender self-identification bill—to protect victims of sex crimes.
Of my many wonderful Conservative colleagues, six are standing down. Douglas Ross will be missed by everyone at Holyrood, with the possible exception of the Presiding Officer. [Laughter.] Douglas knows how hard this job is, and I have appreciated his support.
Liz Smith has been here since 2007 and is widely respected for her wisdom and decency. She got her Schools (Residential Outdoor Education) (Scotland) Bill passed and has been a ferocious advocate for the victims of a rogue surgeon.
Then there is Maurice Golden, who is also known as the dog’s best friend. Like Liz, Maurice has managed to get a member’s bill passed.
Tess White has been our superlative voice on equalities. She has been at the forefront of defending women’s rights when those have come under threat.
Edward Mountain has been a forensically effective committee convener. As a former military man, Edward is a strong supporter of our veterans.
That leaves Oliver Mundell. Modest, decent and unassuming, Oliver is a quietly effective and astute parliamentarian who serves his constituents with dedication.
I thank all of them, and all other departing MSPs, for their contribution and service.
16:33
I will start by not only supporting the motion in the First Minister’s name but echoing all his comments.
Presiding Officer, I thank you for your dedication over the past five years and for your dedication over 15 years to your constituents and to the great people of Scotland.
To the Deputy Presiding Officers, I say thank you for how you have managed our sessions fairly and tried to manage each and every one of us fairly, particularly when we have attempted to misbehave. Annabelle Ewing, I wish you all the very best in your retirement. Liam McArthur, I wish you all the very best in the election.
I also pay tribute to all MSPs, across the parties, who are either pursuing new challenges or planning to enjoy what I hope will be long and happy retirements. To those who are retiring, I say that every retired politician I meet always looks 10 years younger.
I say a particular thank you to my colleagues Sarah Boyack, Rhoda Grant, Richard Leonard, Alex Rowley and Mercedes Villalba, who are stepping down from the Parliament. Each and every one of you has made a significant contribution to the Parliament and to public life in Scotland. You have represented the very best of the Scottish Labour Party and, more importantly, the very best of Scotland.
One of our retirees, Rhoda Grant, is from the Parliament’s original intake in 1999. Sarah Boyack served in Donald Dewar’s first ever Cabinet. Alex Rowley is a former deputy leader of Scottish Labour, as well as a former general secretary. Richard Leonard was one of my predecessors as party leader from 2017 to 2021. My thanks go to all of them and to the many members from other parties who are stepping down.
One third of MSPs are moving on. Although that means that there are too many to mention individually, I thank each and every one of them for their invaluable public service. Among the most notable departures are two former First Ministers; the current Deputy First Minister; other cabinet secretaries; and, of course, the former leader of the Conservatives, whom I know many people will look forward to continuing to encourage enthusiastically from the football stands.
I pay tribute to my fellow Glasgow MSPs. In particular, I pay tribute to Nicola Sturgeon, who served as the Parliament’s first-ever female First Minister for almost a decade. I am sure that both of us are relieved that we will no longer be sparring partners in the south side of Glasgow, as we have been for almost 30 years. I also pay tribute to her successor, Humza Yousaf, who led the way by becoming the first—I hope that he will not be the last—First Minister from an ethnic minority background. I am sure that both of them are looking forward to new challenges, but they must also be looking forward to being free of the personal burden that I know high office places on them as individuals and on their wider families. I am sure that their families are looking forward to having a lot more of their time and, of course, their headspace.
My thanks go to the Parliament’s chief executive and all the parliamentary staff who have looked after us so well during the past five years. Whenever I am in this place, I make a point of speaking to as many of the people who are responsible for the smooth running of the Parliament as I can. To those working in reception, security, maintenance and catering, and all their other colleagues, thank you for your immense efforts. Most of all, enjoy the six-week break from each and every one of us.
My thanks again to you, Presiding Officer. I hope that you enjoy spending those extra hours with Alan and your daughter.
When we all return after the election on 7 May, there will be lots of work to do, and I hope that we will do it by representing the very best of Scotland.
16:37
This has been a hugely challenging session, so I want to be a wee bit more light hearted before turning to thanks for the Presiding Officer. I thank parliamentary and MSP staff, as others have done, for their work this session. We would not be able to do our jobs without them.
I acknowledge some of the members who are standing down. There are too many of you to mention but, on behalf of the Scottish Greens, I thank you for your work and hope that you enjoy whatever comes next.
I will certainly miss Richard Leonard in my Central Scotland region. I have always appreciated his sage analysis. Sometimes he gives it with a smile and sometimes with a near-audible eye roll.
One half of the Parliament’s resident Waldorf and Statler duo, in the form of Gordon MacDonald, is stepping down. Once he finds his way back to the right constituency, I hope that he has a wonderful retirement. However, before he does, we need to settle on who has to take responsibility for George Adam. [Laughter.]
A raft of fantastic women are also standing down. They have been hugely supportive not only to me but to many other younger MSPs from around the chamber. I thank Liz Smith, Fiona Hyslop, Rona Mackay and Shona Robison for their support and kindness. The chamber will be worse off without them.
When talking about those who have offered support, I cannot not mention the wonderful Christina McKelvie. Not having her light and laugh in the chamber has undoubtedly made it a poorer place for us all.
It is unprecedented to have two former First Ministers standing down at the same time. Nicola, thank you for bringing us into government, for giving your backing to safe access zones and for your contribution to politics.
Humza—good luck. [Laughter.] I am, of course, just kidding. Despite the ending, we did some powerful things together in government, and Humza’s commitment to humanitarian causes, particularly the people of Palestine, has shone through in his work. I hope that whatever comes next, he will get to continue with that work. At the moment, it has never been more important to have such strong advocates for peace.
Also unprecedented, Presiding Officer, is the amount of poor behaviour that you have had to put up with in this parliamentary session. I have seen the toll that some of that behaviour has taken on you and the grace with which you have handled it.
You have been unlucky with some of the things that you have had to deal with. I know that, at times, it has felt relentless; there have been too many firsts in one parliamentary session. Don’t cry—you will start me off. The way in which you have dealt with us is just an extension of the Alison I have always known: a diligent campaigner, a fierce advocate and a brilliant MSP. She has been a councillor, health spokesperson, animal rights champion and advocate for physical activity and access to green spaces.
In the time that I have, it is hard to sum up everything that Alison has done. She has achieved more in 15 years than many achieve in much longer. She has been central to my political journey and has inspired many others. Those in here who really know her will know of her fantastic sense of humour and infectious laugh. Regrettably, I have only once nearly made her laugh in the chair. As we would all acknowledge, the chamber very often runs on hope and caffeine. I am not immune to that but, as I do not like tea or coffee, the odd energy drink is usually my go-to. When I asked the Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health about restricting sales of energy drinks to under-16s, not only did I get the look; it nearly broke into a laugh.
There have been several light-hearted moments in the past 12 years, including an emergency stitching up of a hem before a hustings and leaving halfway through her own house move to campaign, but some of the most impressive things that I have seen the Presiding Officer do were during Covid. Her First Minister’s questions had real impact, holding the Government to account while making sure that her contributions genuinely helped our collective efforts during the pandemic.
The way in which the Presiding Officer has handled the chamber and protected this institution should also be commended. Unbelievably, there is a possibility that the behaviour in the chamber could be worse next parliamentary session, and I am sure that whoever has to keep us all on task will appreciate her advice.
Presiding Officer, I sincerely hope that you get a good break and far more time with the family, and that you are never a stranger in here. Green politics would not be where it is without you—I would not be where I am without you. Never doubt the contribution that you have made to public life and to individuals across the country. I am so proud of you. [Applause.]
I again thank parliamentary staff and the chief executive for everything they do, and I look forward to seeing you all on the campaign trail.
16:42
I start by paying tribute to both Deputy Presiding Officers, and I echo the words that have been said about you. In particular, I say to Annabelle Ewing, what a loss you will be to the chamber—I wish you well with whatever comes next.
There is a poignancy about today. I think about the giants of Scottish politics lost to us not just from this parliamentary session but from parliamentary sessions that have gone before, whether that is Jeane Freeman or our beloved Jim Wallace, but I particularly echo the remarks that have been made about Christina McKelvie, who was always a good friend to me and a wonderful centre of light and warmth at the heart of our chamber. They will all be missed.
There are too many outgoing MSPs to mention by name, but I will mention Beatrice Wishart, my chum from the northern isles, who has been a passionate advocate for Shetland and has kept me right on a thing or two.
I thank all those who are leaving Parliament and their staff. Let us remember that our careers as parliamentarians are built on the backs of staffers who have bigger brains but smaller pay packets than we do. We owe so much to them for our success, so I thank them.
I also thank the Parliament staff. There are too many branches and directorates to mention, but I thank the cooks, the caterers, the posties, the porters, business information technology, payroll and pensions, human resources and all the clerks for all that they do.
My thanks go in particular to broadcasting. I thank especially—he has given me permission to do this—my lovely younger brother, Nick Cole-Hamilton, who is in the booth today. Nick has, in effect, held the broadcasting sword of Damocles over me for much of my parliamentary career, with the power to mute my microphone, and I love him all the more that he has never exercised that power—
Members: Do it now! [Laughter.]
Each member of our staff in this institution exhibits professionalism every day, and none more so than when circumstance and situation command it of them. When the Parliament needs to be in full sail in the eyes of the world, they have it thrumming like an America’s cup yacht.
I think about the state opening of Parliament, which was conducted while we were still in Covid restrictions, and the staff managed to make that work. I think of the quiet bedrock of support with which they have provided each of us in those late late-night sittings, while we have considered some very controversial and difficult issues that our constituents sent us here to discuss. Then, of course, there was operation unicorn, when, in the most sombre circumstances—the passing of Her Majesty the Queen—they showed this Parliament and this country at their very best, in particular by working through the night, as I know that so many of them did.
It was in those days around the passing of the late Queen, Presiding Officer, that I think I got to know you the most, as you were a constant source of advice on protocol and things like that. It would be wrong—entirely wrong—to describe you as a matriarch in the Parliament; I think of you more as a big sister and, like a big sister, you have been there to offer support. When it was difficult for the Liberal Democrats to come in when we were not officially a group, you met me, as their leader, every month to keep me up to speed with what was going on in the Parliamentary Bureau.
I wish that I had always taken your advice. There was one occasion—I think that it was actually the funeral of the late Queen—when you suggested that I might consider using the facilities in Westminster abbey before we sat down. Four and a half hours later, I really wish that I had done, and I had to barge past Emmanuel Macron to use the bathroom.
Presiding Officer, that support and advice has, I know, been extended to everyone in the chamber. You have had to deal with difficult behaviour—some histrionics have been on display, that is for sure—but I thank you for everything that you have done for us, and I wish you well with whatever is still to come.
The final thing that I will say is this. I reflect on the words of Jamie Greene, who I know is not done with Scottish politics, and Scottish politics is not done with him. He said—rightly, I think—at First Minister’s question time that the promise of this new Parliament, the Parliament to come, is there for the taking. It is a blank canvas—we can put aside a lot of the enmity that has held us back in this Parliament and reach for the better nature of the people who send us to this place. I hope that we grasp that with both hands.
That concludes the debate on the motion of thanks.
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