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Eighty years ago, the world exhaled when the guns across Europe fell silent, because VE day marked not just victory but our survival—a freedom reclaimed and a future made possible.

This day always brings me back to my grandfather—my Pa—who fought in the war. When I was a wee girl, he would tell me stories of his time as a soldier, although I realise now that the stories were very heavily filtered for my young mind. He was a great storyteller, and it seemed to me that war was his great adventure—racing from exploding bridges, laughing with his soldier pals and falling in love with my gran through letters passed across their worlds.

For my young mind, he made it all into a Hollywood movie version. There is one particular story that he told that has stuck with me, and I have grown to understand and find deeper meaning in it. He told me that, when the soldiers were lined up for religious observance, names were called out of particular religions—Catholic, Baptist, Church of England—but my Pa would be left standing, so he would be asked, “Well, what religion are you?” He would straighten his shoulders, with his chin up, and proudly exclaim, “Church of Scotland, sir”. That always made us giggle as a family when I was little, but as I have grown up, I can see that there was more to it than just a wee funny story. In that moment, he was telling us about a deep sense of identity—a sense of belonging—that mattered very much to him. He was there proudly fighting for his country and for his people back home in Scotland.

When he was stationed in Italy, my gran was serving here at home as a firewoman, and their love story spanned war zones. I still have the love letters that they exchanged, which are filled with words of longing and hope and with plenty of the word “darling”. They dreamed of being reunited and of their future together, and thanks to VE day, they got that chance.

My dad and I are compiling those stories so that we do not lose them to time, but when I recall them now, with my adult mind, I can see the parts that my grandfather had omitted—the fear, the horror and those soldier pals who did not make it home. That is a reality that he chose to shield me from.

We must mark VE day not just as a celebration but as a solemn reminder. We are here today because our relatives survived, but many never came home. From Scotland alone, 57,000 armed forces personnel lost their lives, and millions more lives were lost across the world. They sacrificed not just their lives but their future posterity.

As we honour the efforts of Royal British Legion Scotland and Poppyscotland, which have beautifully marked this 80th anniversary with Scotland’s salute to VE day, it is important that we also acknowledge the deeper meaning behind those tributes. The concerts, the gatherings and the red poppies are not just about looking back with pride but about carrying forward a warning. Remembrance is not passive. It is a deep responsibility that rests on the shoulders of posterity, of those who survived.

At a time when war once again rages in parts of Europe, when hatred is on the rise and democracy and peace feel very fragile, we must learn from the past. Those people fought for a world for us to build, not to destroy. We must remember how we got into that war in the first place and what it cost, but we must also remember how we came back from it.

VE day should never have to be repeated. We should let it remain a celebration of hard-won peace and protect that with everything that we have. For the futures that ended too soon, and for those who never got to be, let us mark this 80th anniversary not only with words but with purpose, and let it be a thank you, but also a promise.

Can the cabinet secretary outline how the programme for government that the First Minister announced this week will support children and young people with ASN as they navigate an ever-changing school environment?

In light of this being deaf awareness week, what is the Scottish Government doing to support deaf people in Scotland?

I welcome the expansion of specialist regional centres in order to deliver 150,000 additional appointments and procedures, which will reduce waiting times and waiting lists. I also welcome the 100,000 extra appointments in GP surgeries, which are focused on addressing the root causes of ill health.

How will the programme for government build on the recent progress that we have seen and ensure that more people can see their GP and get the care that they need in their community?

I welcome the fact that this year’s Scottish budget provides an increase of more than 7 per cent in funding for Aberdeenshire Council. Will the minister outline how that additional funding should help to alleviate financial pressures for the local authority and provide additional opportunities so that it can improve our communities as a result?

It is hard to talk about fishing and the industry as a whole without talking about Brexit, so I found it quite insulting that, at the beginning of the debate, it was said that SNP members might raise Brexit. Let me tell members: £100 million was lost in the first month of Brexit, people lost their livelihoods, families lost their incomes and coastal communities are struggling. All that such comments do is to invalidate that. Let us talk about the issues and find a solution, but let us stop the politicising.

I represent one of Scotland’s most iconic fishing communities, so I know only too well the frustrations there. I talk to fishers, too. I represent Fraserburgh, Peterhead, Macduff and Buckie, and it is not just about economic activity.

I will tell you what they say—you are welcome to join me in the discussions.

Can the member tell us how Brexit has remedied the situation through our coming out of the CFP?

I will, although I have a lot to get through.

This is another example of successive London-based Governments snubbing Scotland. The Acorn project at St Fergus in my constituency, which was delayed again and again, was key to Grangemouth, and now that project is in jeopardy. That is a disgrace. While billions of pounds are found for projects in England, Scotland is left behind. Does the cabinet secretary agree that, given the implications for industry and the just transition for both Grangemouth and the north-east, Acorn must be an immediate priority?