:00:00. > :00:10.suspended till further notice. OK. I believe that is a fair position
:00:11. > :00:15.for everybody, because it gives the people the decision on the EU
:00:16. > :00:22.membership as well as on the issue of independence. But for the record,
:00:23. > :00:27.presiding officer, and I can't help but say this, particularly after Mr
:00:28. > :00:34.Harvey's intervention, when it comes to the referendum on EU membership,
:00:35. > :00:40.I find myself in a position where I found nor more appetising for, that
:00:41. > :00:45.I would for it to be ruled by Mrs May, austerity from London and
:00:46. > :00:49.austerity from Brussels, in my view, are equally damaging not just to
:00:50. > :00:55.Scotland, but to the rest of the UK and indeed to the rest of Europe
:00:56. > :01:00.There are big decisions to be made presiding officer. I believe if we
:01:01. > :01:05.follow the three fundamentally democratic principles, we will be
:01:06. > :01:13.living up to the vision and aspirations of this Parliament, and
:01:14. > :01:19.we will earn the respect, we will all earn the respect of the Scottish
:01:20. > :01:32.people if we conduct ourselves in a fair, transparent and democratic
:01:33. > :01:39.manner. Thank you. . Thank you. As we set off on day two, I want to
:01:40. > :01:46.start at the core. The fundmental difference between these benches and
:01:47. > :01:52.the Government, our politics will seek to unite not separate people.
:01:53. > :02:00.To heal, to pool sovereignty individually and collectively. The
:02:01. > :02:12.SNP will look to separate this country and divide this nation.
:02:13. > :02:19.I heard the Cabinet secretary talk of Brexit. Of course she is right.
:02:20. > :02:32.Brexit is causing division, uncertainty. Anxiety and economic
:02:33. > :02:39.damage. The solution is further uncertainty and greater economic
:02:40. > :02:43.damage, is all the SNP's. The First Minister found her demands on a
:02:44. > :02:46.manifesto commitment. That argument might carry some force if SNP
:02:47. > :02:55.manifestos had not had the quality of letters in the sand. Fleetingly
:02:56. > :03:00.glimpsed and washed away by the tide of its expend yen sip. Remember
:03:01. > :03:05.establish student debt. Maintain teacher number, build the Glasgow
:03:06. > :03:12.airport rail link and establish the council tax. All cast iron
:03:13. > :03:19.commitments, and all is as disposal as well, disposal as a Scottish
:03:20. > :03:24.Green Party election promise. No more and no more convincing, no more
:03:25. > :03:30.convincing from this First Minister is her solemn plea that the
:03:31. > :03:37.Parliament be respected. She herself has refused to do that cynically and
:03:38. > :03:43.systemically. She had no answer yesterday when confronted with her
:03:44. > :03:47.own contempt for Parliament, on frack, Health Services or education.
:03:48. > :03:51.And when it came to the First Minister's argument for another
:03:52. > :03:56.referendum, she announced it not here, but in her residence. She
:03:57. > :04:03.elaborated it to her party conference, and she defended it in
:04:04. > :04:09.any TV studio she could find before she ersaw fit to bring it here, to
:04:10. > :04:17.this Parliament. Nor has she had the grace to acknowledge that she has
:04:18. > :04:21.failed this Parliament. Last year, we mandated her, the First Minister,
:04:22. > :04:25.with negotiating a way in which Scotland could maintain as many of
:04:26. > :04:31.the advantages of the EU as possible, within the United Kingdom.
:04:32. > :04:39.Now I accept that the Prime Minister has been utterly inept in her
:04:40. > :04:45.response. But isn't the truth that whatever careful quiet negotiation
:04:46. > :04:50.the ever concern you'll Mike Russell has, has been drown out by the First
:04:51. > :04:55.Minister Easdalely megaphone diplomacy of indie ref two threats.
:04:56. > :05:01.Nicola Sturgeon's referendum demand is an admission she has been found
:05:02. > :05:06.wanting, the task this Parliament gave her last year, or worse it has
:05:07. > :05:12.been a confession that the will of Parliament to find that compromise
:05:13. > :05:18.was never more than a useful fig leaf in her indiref quest. Mr Grey's
:05:19. > :05:28.acknowledged that Theresa May's inept. What's Labour Party's
:05:29. > :05:33.response to that? The problem, the problem that we have, the conundrum
:05:34. > :05:41.we must answer is not the Labour's, it is the Scottish people's. Because
:05:42. > :05:44.it St the Scottish people who are caught between two intransigent
:05:45. > :05:48.belligerent and inept Governments, they are not listening to each
:05:49. > :05:55.other, and they are certainly not listening to the people. Those are
:05:56. > :05:59.the people... I am grateful to Mr Grey for giving away. Mr Whiteman
:06:00. > :06:03.asked a question about what the Labour Party's answer was, to that
:06:04. > :06:09.conundrum, can we hear it please? Iain Gray, please. Please. Our
:06:10. > :06:14.position is clearly that it is possible to create, it is possible
:06:15. > :06:18.to create a much more federal United Kingdom which far better meets the
:06:19. > :06:24.needs of the people across this nation. I said, said the two
:06:25. > :06:28.Governments we are are not listening to each other, Mr Swinney makes it
:06:29. > :06:32.clear take, are not listening to anybody else either. The First
:06:33. > :06:37.Minister told the Scottish people that her defining Mags, her top
:06:38. > :06:42.priority, her sacred responsibility was education. But our defining
:06:43. > :06:50.mission is, was and always shall be independence. In 2007, independence
:06:51. > :06:54.was our mission, we had a national conversation, a White Paper paper on
:06:55. > :06:59.independence and another White Paper on an independent referendum. In
:07:00. > :07:02.2011, independence was their mission, we had negotiations on an
:07:03. > :07:08.independence referendum, and agreement on an independence
:07:09. > :07:12.referendum, a section 30 order on an independence referendum, an
:07:13. > :07:15.independence referendum franchise act, an independence White Paper and
:07:16. > :07:21.the referendum itself. And this Parliament is not a year old, and we
:07:22. > :07:24.have had national survey on independence, a draft independence
:07:25. > :07:29.Referendum Bill, an independence growth commission, and now a section
:07:30. > :07:38.30 demand. Presiding officer, this is not a two day debate, it has
:07:39. > :07:43.raged and ravaged this country, for the three-and-a-half thousand days
:07:44. > :07:47.of ten long years. And in that time, our schools have haemorrhaged
:07:48. > :07:52.teacher, child provety -- poverty has soared. Literacy and numeracy
:07:53. > :07:57.has plummeted. The NHS has reached breaking point, the economy has
:07:58. > :08:03.stalled. And yet after ten year, there are still no answers, on the
:08:04. > :08:08.big questions of currency, the EU trade terms, borders and the cuts
:08:09. > :08:13.independence would require. The First Minister say, the people's
:08:14. > :08:18.voice must be heard. She has conversed with them, consulted them
:08:19. > :08:25.and asked them a once in a lifetime question, they gave their answer and
:08:26. > :08:32.it was no. Now the people are saying enough is enough. Time to stop the
:08:33. > :08:37.campaign, not restart it. To heel the wounds, not re-open them. Listen
:08:38. > :08:51.to them First Minister. For the love of Scotland, listen to them. Thank
:08:52. > :08:56.you very much. Much has been made in the earlier debate across both days
:08:57. > :09:00.of who holds a mandate, given our nation has been dragged out of the
:09:01. > :09:03.European Union against our will. Who holds the constitutional mandate if
:09:04. > :09:07.Scotland faces a hard Brexit we did not choose with all the ensues risk
:09:08. > :09:13.and damages that will bring. For clarity, let us be clear, the 2006
:09:14. > :09:16.election manifesto stated we believe the Scottish Parliament should have
:09:17. > :09:20.the right to hold another fund if will is a significant change in
:09:21. > :09:25.circumstances that prevailed in 2014, such as Scotland been taken
:09:26. > :09:30.out of the EU against our will. The SNP won that election with 46.5% of
:09:31. > :09:34.the popular vote and there has been a significant and material change in
:09:35. > :09:40.circumstances, the Scotland have been dragged out testify EU against
:09:41. > :09:46.our will with 62% expressing a wish to remain in Europe. That is the
:09:47. > :09:50.context of this debate. Contrast that 46.5 of the popular vote and
:09:51. > :09:54.reference to a future independence referendum, with the votes polled by
:09:55. > :09:58.the second and third parties in the Scottish Parliament, they polled
:09:59. > :10:02.little more than 22% of the vote each, combined, that is still less
:10:03. > :10:09.than the Scottish share of the popular vote for this place. Yet
:10:10. > :10:15.over both days we had opposition MSP after opposition MSP lecturing and
:10:16. > :10:20.condemning the Scottish Government for applied a mandate. Not a mandate
:10:21. > :10:25.for independence but rather a mandate to ensure the people of
:10:26. > :10:31.Scotland, I would be delighted to. Can he tell us if any poll since
:10:32. > :10:36.last year has shown a majority of Scottish people in favour of a
:10:37. > :10:41.second independence referendum? But even clearer answer is the ballot
:10:42. > :10:47.box Mr Kelly, OK O I have to say to Mr Kelly, what an of front to
:10:48. > :10:50.democracy has been demonstrated by opposition parties here. Let us
:10:51. > :10:54.compare the clear manifesto commitment and the sett evident
:10:55. > :11:02.mandate of the Scottish Government with 46.5% of the Scottish vote with
:11:03. > :11:09.previous UK governance. I don't recall a 2001 mandate under Tony
:11:10. > :11:12.Blair. They got 43% of the Scottish vote, or 1987, a Tory mandate to
:11:13. > :11:17.govern Scotland with 24% of the vote. Yet, the savage our
:11:18. > :11:22.communities with the poll tax. How about more recently in 2010? With a
:11:23. > :11:26.paltry 16.7%, the Tories got in Scotland and they brought the
:11:27. > :11:30.despised bedroom tax and austerity to our country, presiding officer,
:11:31. > :11:36.where is the mandate there? Answer that question. Opposition parties,
:11:37. > :11:40.they do not have it. So let us take no lessons from
:11:41. > :11:44.opposition parties and mandate, our Scottish Government simply asks to
:11:45. > :11:50.afford the Scottish people the right to make an informed choice between a
:11:51. > :11:53.hard Brexit Britain or a modern independent, sorry I don't have
:11:54. > :11:58.time, my apology, that is all the choice they are asking for, I can
:11:59. > :12:03.think of nothing more divisive in Scotland than for Labour, and the
:12:04. > :12:06.Conservatives to tell the people of Scotland, irspecktive of whether a
:12:07. > :12:11.person supporting independence o ordown you that Labour and Tory know
:12:12. > :12:16.best, they are so convinced they won't allow the people of Scotland
:12:17. > :12:21.to have their say. The most divisive thing that the political classes can
:12:22. > :12:24.do, in any democracy, is to deny the people a vote in their own self
:12:25. > :12:28.determination, that is precisely what the UK Tory Government is
:12:29. > :12:33.seeking to do to Scotland. I believe one of the most stiff can't aspects
:12:34. > :12:38.of the debate over the mandate to hold an independence referendum is
:12:39. > :12:41.the first, is in the first place, is the growing really says noer what
:12:42. > :12:46.what Scotland's Parliament decides, any Scottish Government of any given
:12:47. > :12:49.party colour, we need to go cap in handtor, a right-wing UK Tory
:12:50. > :12:52.Government, to ask for permission in the first place, presiding officer,
:12:53. > :12:59.that might be the legal position, but it is is a democratic outrage.
:13:00. > :13:04.I want, sorry apologise, no, I want to comment briefly on the remerging
:13:05. > :13:08.project between the Conservatives and the Labour Party. In particular
:13:09. > :13:12.with the reference to my local area, let me tell you about 2 Project Fear
:13:13. > :13:16.alliance meant in my constituency of Maryhill, in the Labour Party should
:13:17. > :13:22.really listen to this. It meant that three different worried individuals
:13:23. > :13:25.turning up at the yes hub, in Glasgow, in my constituency,
:13:26. > :13:31.complaining the Labour Party were targeting the doors of pensioners in
:13:32. > :13:34.the area. Telling them that their pensions would stop not after
:13:35. > :13:40.independence but the day after a yes vote itself. The lies, the fears and
:13:41. > :13:42.the smears should have no place in any future Scottish referendum
:13:43. > :13:48.campaign. APPLAUSE
:13:49. > :13:51.I was delighted my constituency voted 57% for Scottish independence.
:13:52. > :13:56.I want to place on record my thanks to the hundreds of volunteers who
:13:57. > :13:59.are such an inspiration and positive yes Scotland preference, I want to
:14:00. > :14:04.return finally to the theme of division, and in doing so I want to
:14:05. > :14:10.repeat some of the comment I made in the Scottish Parliament debate on
:14:11. > :14:13.24th September 2014. I spoke of the Friday morning after the referendum
:14:14. > :14:17.result had become clear. I received a text from my sister, that I wanted
:14:18. > :14:23.to share with the Parliament on that afternoon. For context Emily my
:14:24. > :14:27.niece was nine and my sister's older daughter Beth was 14.
:14:28. > :14:32.Here is what I said. Amelie just woke up.
:14:33. > :14:39.Her first two Wordsworth, Emily, independence? No, darling. Is it
:14:40. > :14:43.not? That was the reply. I did not realise that was a matter for
:14:44. > :14:49.laughing, but I think the people of Scotland judge you on that. I just
:14:50. > :14:52.found out my oldest daughter joined the SNP and plays ?2 for the
:14:53. > :14:55.privilege. Well done Glasgow and West Dunbartonshire. View all worked
:14:56. > :15:03.extremely hard. That was my hometown. My sister went on, even my
:15:04. > :15:07.mum voted, and she is very frail. In his slippers, I was very proud of
:15:08. > :15:11.her. We are all very proud in this household. My mum has since passed
:15:12. > :15:18.away. I was proud of what she did that day. It made me criteria is of
:15:19. > :15:22.pride. Not tears of despair. My nieces, my sister, my frail mother,
:15:23. > :15:25.who has now sadly passed away, they were not driven by conflict and
:15:26. > :15:30.division. They simply wanted a better future for their family. For
:15:31. > :15:33.their community, and their country. So how dare Ian Grey come to this
:15:34. > :15:40.place and talk about sowing the seeds of division? And how der
:15:41. > :15:43.people talk about Nazi nationalism? The vast majority of people on both
:15:44. > :15:49.sides of the constitutional debate -- nasty nationalism. People on both
:15:50. > :15:54.sides of the constitutional debate won the best for their country.
:15:55. > :15:57.Presiding Officer, let me finish by saying, I want an independent
:15:58. > :16:04.Scotland. I should not tell people they should not have a vote. Let the
:16:05. > :16:10.people decide. Please close. Please sit down. I notice the last two
:16:11. > :16:15.speakers have gone well over. Can I ask people to stick to six minutes,
:16:16. > :16:19.and may I also request those in the public gallery to please refrain
:16:20. > :16:20.from clapping or otherwise in relation to any of the speeches.
:16:21. > :16:37.Thank you. Joan McAlpine. Rise to keep my president to the
:16:38. > :16:40.residents who sent me here. This debate is about holding another
:16:41. > :16:44.referendum, but it serves as a proxy and has many times for the wider
:16:45. > :16:47.discussion about our continuing place in the United Kingdom. These
:16:48. > :16:52.islands run through May, from the Greater London Newtown my birth to
:16:53. > :16:57.the hilltops of Wales where we scattered my grandfather. I will not
:16:58. > :17:01.give way. No such courtesy was afforded to me yesterday and I will
:17:02. > :17:06.not do it this time. I will not take an intervention. I have no time. My
:17:07. > :17:11.children, born here in Edinburgh to a Scottish mother and to the distant
:17:12. > :17:15.memories of my family origins in Enniskillen, these islands run
:17:16. > :17:18.through me. I could not act to see the dissolution of their unity by
:17:19. > :17:25.referendum any more than my colleagues could act to see a
:17:26. > :17:27.referendum on EU withdrawal. In five years of coalition government, I see
:17:28. > :17:31.no inconsistency in that position. There has been much talk of mandate
:17:32. > :17:35.in this debate. I have my mandate. I stood for election on a commitment
:17:36. > :17:40.to oppose a second referendum in exactly these circumstances. I have
:17:41. > :17:45.my instructions. I have said I will not take an intervention. We live in
:17:46. > :17:51.a time of political chaos, and the wheel has turned in ways we never
:17:52. > :17:54.even thought possible, and yet we still have revolutions to come. At
:17:55. > :17:58.times like this, I can only hold onto what I feel in my heart. To my
:17:59. > :18:02.bones, I am an internationalist. I feel the political union of nations
:18:03. > :18:08.does today lead the integrity or independence, or the strength, the
:18:09. > :18:13.member states that form part of it. Any more than an orchestra
:18:14. > :18:17.diminishes the violin. Because such unions forced a platform from which
:18:18. > :18:24.solidarity, shared endeavour and prosperity can flourish. We have
:18:25. > :18:29.heard many times in this debate the rancour and division of the past,
:18:30. > :18:35.and I would put that behind us. But we have so much in this union to be
:18:36. > :18:42.grateful for. I am a European Union... Passionate European, and I
:18:43. > :18:47.am bitterly devastated by Brexit, but I realise that I may have to
:18:48. > :18:51.campaign for the rest of my life to see closer integration to the eye to
:18:52. > :18:55.kingdom... The chamber should remain in
:18:56. > :18:59.lockdown. I think as most colleagues will realise, a number of Right
:19:00. > :19:03.honourable and honourable members are also in other parts of the
:19:04. > :19:07.estate, and for obvious reasons, are unable to be present for business.
:19:08. > :19:14.There have been conversations through the usual channels. I hope
:19:15. > :19:17.the house would agree that in the current circumstances, it would not
:19:18. > :19:24.be right to continue with today's business. Discussions between the
:19:25. > :19:28.usual channels will take place to ensure that the business that has
:19:29. > :19:35.been interrupted can be rescheduled for another mutually convenient
:19:36. > :19:38.date, and I know, Mr Deputy Speaker, that you will want to keep the
:19:39. > :19:44.house, although we remain locked down here, informed about any news
:19:45. > :19:48.that comes through from the security authorities, but in view of what I
:19:49. > :19:51.sense to be removed of the house and the situation in which we find
:19:52. > :19:54.ourselves, I beg to move that the house do now adjourn.
:19:55. > :20:02.The question is, this has now adjourn. As many agree, say I? The
:20:03. > :20:09.ayes have it. I will say, as soon as I get any information, I will share
:20:10. > :20:13.it. We will keep you informed, so please, let's just make the best we
:20:14. > :20:16.can have this horrible situation. But I will reassure you as soon as I
:20:17. > :20:19.get something, I will come back to you. We can't go anywhere for the
:20:20. > :20:29.moment, so for the moment, let's see what we can do.
:20:30. > :20:39.The Empire has created a brutal, at times difficult period for us to go
:20:40. > :20:40.forward in. Will the member taken intervention?
:20:41. > :20:52.I will. What does the member see as the
:20:53. > :20:57.future of the Liberal Democrats within the relationship with Europe,
:20:58. > :21:08.and how does the members see Scotland prospering as part of our
:21:09. > :21:14.friendship and gathering together? Alex Cole-Hamilton. I appreciate the
:21:15. > :21:17.intervention. Our history together as a united family of nations is
:21:18. > :21:35.incredibly important to the way in which this world reflects that
:21:36. > :21:40.this... No, no, no, it is fine. I know, I know.
:21:41. > :21:49.You are in your last minute, Mr Cole-Hamilton. So, these islands run
:21:50. > :21:54.through me. Their history inspires me but also haunts me, and I
:21:55. > :21:59.recognise that there are times in a parliamentarian's career that he
:22:00. > :22:01.makes speeches he wishes he had not tried to learn off pat and had
:22:02. > :22:09.actually brought with him into the chamber. But I reflect on this union
:22:10. > :22:14.of nations, and that might ancestor, Arthur Cole-Hamilton, first of my
:22:15. > :22:17.name, who was MP for Tyrone at the time of Wilberforce, so great things
:22:18. > :22:28.happen in terms of the awakening of an entire nation. ... So I believe
:22:29. > :22:32.we have so much to fight for in terms of this United Kingdom, and I
:22:33. > :22:34.absolutely feel that I should discharge my mandate and vote
:22:35. > :22:42.against this referendum. Thank you very much.
:22:43. > :22:46.Before you begin, Miss McAlpine, there is something I would like to
:22:47. > :22:50.say to members. Some members may already be aware, but I want to make
:22:51. > :22:55.sure that all members are informed, so I wish to inform you that there
:22:56. > :23:01.are reports of an incident at Westminster. Details are still
:23:02. > :23:02.emerging, and the parliamentary authorities are currently liaising
:23:03. > :23:09.with Police Scotland and keeping security under review at Holyrood.
:23:10. > :23:18.We will update members once we have a clearer picture. Can I have Joan
:23:19. > :23:22.McAlpine? Thank you, Presiding Officer. I am sure the thoughts of
:23:23. > :23:27.everyone here are with anyone affected by that incident at
:23:28. > :23:31.Westminster. It is bittersweet that in the week celebrating the Treaty
:23:32. > :23:33.of Rome, we stand here debating Scotland's future as a European
:23:34. > :23:39.nation. It is right we should praise the common values we share with our
:23:40. > :23:42.European neighbours, solidarity, cooperation and multilateral as, and
:23:43. > :23:46.as we speak about trying to preserve what we have, Europe is having a
:23:47. > :23:48.conversation about the future, about how to tackle the big issues from
:23:49. > :23:54.climate change and the environment to the challenges created Trump and
:23:55. > :23:58.the West and Putin in the east. To paraphrase Donald Tusk, residents of
:23:59. > :24:00.the European council, never has it been so clear that by working
:24:01. > :24:08.together with our European allies can we be fully independent. But no
:24:09. > :24:14.matter how important this is, this is about to Moxey. In a successful
:24:15. > :24:19.union, one partner does not ride roughshod over the other's wishes.
:24:20. > :24:22.-- about democracy. The great kingdom of Great Britain and
:24:23. > :24:26.Northern Ireland has never been made of one nation. It is a set of unions
:24:27. > :24:29.between nations based in theory upon common interest and outlook. This
:24:30. > :24:35.theory is now being tested and I would argue it is being found
:24:36. > :24:39.wanting. The EU referendum result was challenging, but it is the
:24:40. > :24:44.aftermath that is more revealing. The differences of opinion within
:24:45. > :24:46.the UK should have been accommodated, but when compromise
:24:47. > :24:50.and collaboration was needed, only one side stepped up to the plate.
:24:51. > :24:54.The government of Scotland has not only spoken for those who voted
:24:55. > :24:56.remain-macro, but has also put forward a constructor plan to
:24:57. > :25:03.represent all of Scotland including those who voted to leave the EU, but
:25:04. > :25:06.crucially, not the single market. Scotland's place in Europe is a
:25:07. > :25:11.serious and credible compromise, and the paper was built upon the
:25:12. > :25:13.expertise of a standing council, which was made up of independent
:25:14. > :25:19.experts and a range of political views. Remember, the aim of
:25:20. > :25:23.producing some form of bespoke solution was supported by more than
:25:24. > :25:27.just the SNP. Support for a bespoke proposal came from a majority of the
:25:28. > :25:31.culture, tourism and external relations committee of this
:25:32. > :25:35.Parliament. Perhaps more importantly even than that was that irrespective
:25:36. > :25:41.of the detail of the proposal, that committee agreed that the UK must
:25:42. > :25:44.consider the ideas contained within Scotland's place in Europe and
:25:45. > :25:48.respond. To be clear, and answer should not be delivered via the
:25:49. > :25:52.media, nor a speech to the public, but by a direct response to the
:25:53. > :25:56.Scottish Government. So far, this has not been delivered. In fact, the
:25:57. > :26:00.UK Government's most important statement to date has been their
:26:01. > :26:04.announcement for the EU to leave the single market, which was made two
:26:05. > :26:08.days before the GMC had the chance to consider Scotland's place in
:26:09. > :26:13.Europe, and its first proposal that the whole of the UK should remain in
:26:14. > :26:17.the single market. Although it has now been publicly announced that the
:26:18. > :26:21.article 50 letter will be submitted on March 29, the Scottish Government
:26:22. > :26:24.received no indication of what is in that letter. The shortcomings of the
:26:25. > :26:36.GMC are obvious to all. The it has even failed to meet the
:26:37. > :26:45.terms, its own terms of reference, which are to seek to agree a UK
:26:46. > :26:47.approach to the Article 15 negotiations.
:26:48. > :26:51.The reluctance to engage is even more office rating since there is
:26:52. > :26:53.clearly a will in Europe to address this issue.
:26:54. > :26:56.The Constitutional affairs committee of the European Parliament has noted
:26:57. > :27:01.that the EU should prepare to address the questions raised in the
:27:02. > :27:06.Scottish Government's compromise proposal. However, the UK represents
:27:07. > :27:10.cars in the EU and must deliver for Scotland by putting forward such a
:27:11. > :27:14.request. If the UK refuses to put Scotland's case to the EU in that
:27:15. > :27:17.letter and subsequent negotiations, then we are powerless. Do we just
:27:18. > :27:23.sit back and see what is coming or do we prepare to make a choice? The
:27:24. > :27:27.article 50 letter should include a demand to negotiate a differentiated
:27:28. > :27:30.settlement for Scotland. One that will allow Scotland to continue the
:27:31. > :27:35.benefits of the European single market, in addition to, not instead
:27:36. > :27:40.of, free trade across the UK. This could be done, but I am not holding
:27:41. > :27:43.my breath. We are here today because the people of Scotland should begin
:27:44. > :27:47.any choice. This Parliament has a clear mandate to deliver that to
:27:48. > :27:52.them through a referendum that will allow them to choose what kind of
:27:53. > :27:55.society they want to live in. The bottom line is simple: Scotland's
:27:56. > :28:02.future should be in Scotland's hands, and nobody should seek to
:28:03. > :28:04.prevent that. Thank you. Can I have Annie Wells, to be followed by
:28:05. > :28:09.George Adam. Thank you. I would just like to
:28:10. > :28:15.reiterate the sentiments of Joan McAlpine. I'm sure our thoughts are
:28:16. > :28:21.with everyone down in Westminster today. Here we are less than three
:28:22. > :28:25.years from the once in a generation referendum vote, and once again, I
:28:26. > :28:29.will defend my nation with my heart and soul, as I did in the last vote
:28:30. > :28:32.in 2014. It was during the referendum that my political fire
:28:33. > :28:34.was lit. I know there are many people like me who thought, it is
:28:35. > :28:43.OK, someone else will fight this battle. We needed more, and they
:28:44. > :28:46.battle it was. I did not expect that only 917 days since we last voted, I
:28:47. > :28:52.would be standing in this Parliament, representing the
:28:53. > :28:57.2,001,926 people who voted No. I am a Democrat, and I believe that we
:28:58. > :29:01.should respect the vote of the Scottish and British public. That is
:29:02. > :29:08.why, although I campaigned and voted to remain in the EU, I absolutely
:29:09. > :29:14.respect the votes of the 17 million people who voted to leave. I will
:29:15. > :29:18.not be taking an intervention. I know we have heard from the SNP
:29:19. > :29:22.benches during this debate that Scotland has been dragged, Paul,
:29:23. > :29:26.forced to leave the EU against our well. Well, we are the Scottish
:29:27. > :29:27.people who voted no in 2014, and we are very much aware there was going
:29:28. > :29:37.to be a referendum It was in the White Paper on the
:29:38. > :29:46.consequences of voting no, no, I won't, thank you. Alsos a astound me
:29:47. > :29:53.that we heard not once but twice from the film of Scotland, once in
:29:54. > :29:57.her conference speech in 2015 and during her Scottish Parliament
:29:58. > :30:00.election campaign there should be no second referendum until to 2021
:30:01. > :30:07.unless there is evidence people want it. Even Job Swinney said it would
:30:08. > :30:11.have been strong an consistent evidence that voters support
:30:12. > :30:16.independence, and Stewart Hosie said a second round would have to be
:30:17. > :30:20.until polling showed an overwhelming majority in support of holding
:30:21. > :30:22.another referendum for three year, Deputy Presiding Officer, we know
:30:23. > :30:28.that is not the case. With poll after poll showing no shift in
:30:29. > :30:32.momentum for Scotland to leave the United Kingdom, presiding officer,
:30:33. > :30:35.this isn't Scotland's choice, so ironically titled by the Scottish
:30:36. > :30:41.Government, this is Nicola's choice. I have been on the doors and I have
:30:42. > :30:45.spoken to voters in Glasgow, I won't be taking any interventionion, I
:30:46. > :30:49.will do what the minister who is responsibility it is for to secure
:30:50. > :30:54.Scotland's place in leaving Europe and won't take any today, thank you.
:30:55. > :30:57.I was at the door in the East End of Glasgow only a month ago. I remember
:30:58. > :31:02.saying to someone on my team, I was at that door last year and the guy
:31:03. > :31:06.was SNP, but as you do, you just go and you do it any way. When the
:31:07. > :31:10.gentleman opened the door he said, I remember you from last year Scottish
:31:11. > :31:14.Parliament elections when you were here, I told you I was SNP. So I
:31:15. > :31:20.asked what about now? He said well I will be voting for you guys this
:31:21. > :31:26.time. And only Ruth Davidson and the Scottish Conservatives can sort this
:31:27. > :31:30.mess out. Not my words but a words of a Scottish constituent of mine.
:31:31. > :31:36.People are starting to get tired with the SNP. How many times have we
:31:37. > :31:41.heard it uttered that the SNP led Scottish Government needs to return
:31:42. > :31:45.to its day job. How many times have people brought up the need to
:31:46. > :31:51.concentrate on the issues affecting peep's every day lives just as
:31:52. > :31:58.health, education. Do you know what, berate us all you like but public
:31:59. > :32:05.polls are for us, a survey this week showed Scotland put's Theresa May's
:32:06. > :32:09.approval rating 6% higher than Scotland's First Minister. So how
:32:10. > :32:14.can the Scottish Government speak so confidently about having theman date
:32:15. > :32:19.of the Scottish people. It doesn't. Presiding officer I would also make
:32:20. > :32:21.a comment with regards to the Scottish Green Party's manifesto.
:32:22. > :32:24.Regarding a second independence referendum. Which Scotland's First
:32:25. > :32:26.Minister. So how can the Scottish Government speak so confidently
:32:27. > :32:28.about having theman date of the Scottish people. It doesn't.
:32:29. > :32:30.Presiding officer I would also make a comment with regards to the
:32:31. > :32:32.Scottish Green Party's manifesto. Regarding a second independence
:32:33. > :32:35.referendum. Which states and I quote "An assessing is public appetite for
:32:36. > :32:37.second referendum would respect, a call for referendum, signed up to
:32:38. > :32:43.buy a million people. Deputy presighing is officer myself and my
:32:44. > :32:47.colleague have found no evidence of such a list, the retort that 62% of
:32:48. > :32:51.Scottish people voted to stay in the UK does not equate by default, to
:32:52. > :32:57.62% of Scotland's people wanting to leave the UK.
:32:58. > :33:06.I am, no I won't. I am in this 62% for a start. As are a number of of
:33:07. > :33:15.Scots who when push comes to shof would choose the UK every time. Does
:33:16. > :33:19.his argument have any ten built when the Scottish Government can't make a
:33:20. > :33:24.plan for leaving the UK? I would like to remind him of his TV
:33:25. > :33:29.comment, the comments on 10th October 2015. That the public be
:33:30. > :33:34.responsible for calling a second referendum, not political party,
:33:35. > :33:38.carving a deal behind closed doors, so will the greens keep their
:33:39. > :33:43.promiso is this door firmly shut on them and the SNP? To finish today I
:33:44. > :33:49.would like to ask the SNP if they plans to debate two days of
:33:50. > :33:54.Parliament time to tackle the crisis in lick service, there there be two
:33:55. > :34:01.days to tackle failing education standards which Nicola Sturgeon says
:34:02. > :34:07.is he top -- priority. Or waiting times in hospital, will there be two
:34:08. > :34:11.days of time trying to find solutions to the problems... The
:34:12. > :34:22.time for a second independence referendum is not now.
:34:23. > :34:31.Please sit down. Point of order. Murdo Fraser. I think members are
:34:32. > :34:34.distracted by the news that has come from Westminster of the violent
:34:35. > :34:38.attack that appears to occurred there. Has in light of these
:34:39. > :34:41.circumstances the presiding officer and the business managers considered
:34:42. > :34:46.whether it might be more appropriate for this debate to be suspended
:34:47. > :34:50.until the picture became clear and alallow members to concentrate on
:34:51. > :34:53.the business in hand. That as been considered, and it has
:34:54. > :34:57.been decided to carry on with business as usual.
:34:58. > :35:03.Thank you. Now, I am confused. George Adam, to
:35:04. > :35:07.be followed by Jackie Baillie. Thank you presiding officer I am
:35:08. > :35:11.delighted to speak in this debate today, as this is not just a debate
:35:12. > :35:14.about what is best for Scotland moving forward but a debate about
:35:15. > :35:18.the democratic rights of our people. We haven willed to the same
:35:19. > :35:21.arguments time and time again from the opposition benches so I feel it
:35:22. > :35:25.is important to stress that the main point at the very heart of this
:35:26. > :35:30.debate, is the right of the Scottish people to choose their future. This
:35:31. > :35:34.debate is not about our personal or political view, this is about the
:35:35. > :35:38.public and the rights of our nation. Today I am not here to be a staunch
:35:39. > :35:44.advocate for independence, no matter how much I may want to be, today I
:35:45. > :35:47.stand before you as an advocate for choice, as Parliamentarians elected
:35:48. > :35:51.to represent the people of our constituencies and give every day
:35:52. > :35:54.public a voice we must be advocates for that choice, despite our
:35:55. > :35:58.differing opinions about how we wish to see Scotland move forward we must
:35:59. > :36:04.allow the people to decide and give them the power to enact the changes
:36:05. > :36:09.they wish to see. 2014 many people voted no because they felt hesitant
:36:10. > :36:12.at the idea of change. That is an understandable position. Now we are
:36:13. > :36:16.in a vastly different situation, change is inevitable. It should be
:36:17. > :36:20.up to the people of Scotland to decide what that change will be.
:36:21. > :36:24.Once the terms of Brexit are known. The ramification of the decisions we
:36:25. > :36:27.make today, tomorrow, and in the years to come, will have a lasting
:36:28. > :36:31.effect on the lives and opportunity of our children, grandchildren,
:36:32. > :36:36.future generations in Scotland. We therefore must allow our people to
:36:37. > :36:39.make these decisions. These decisions should not be made by
:36:40. > :36:42.Westminster Parliament, at the moment we have a Prime Minister and
:36:43. > :36:48.party at the helm who have never thought of Scotland as their equal.
:36:49. > :36:52.Take what happened in Monday as an example. Our Government only found
:36:53. > :36:56.that Article 50 will be triggered next Wednesday after watching the
:36:57. > :37:00.news, if they can't pick up a phone to inform us, how can we trust them
:37:01. > :37:05.to look for Scotland's interests in a post-Brexit world? The very real
:37:06. > :37:09.concern for me and many Scots is the prospects of a right-wing Tory
:37:10. > :37:13.Government until at least 2030 and being dragged out testify EU and a
:37:14. > :37:17.single market against our will. Why would we seek to deny the public the
:37:18. > :37:23.ability to choose a different option. We cannot and must no bury
:37:24. > :37:27.our heads in the sand. Is Scotland must be offered a choice between a
:37:28. > :37:31.hard Brexit and a more progressive future. I trust the people of
:37:32. > :37:35.Scotland to make that choice. I believe the detailed arrangement for
:37:36. > :37:39.a detail, should be for the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish
:37:40. > :37:44.Parliament alone. The Prime Minister's blatant disregard of
:37:45. > :37:48.Scotland during the negotiations and a flippant now is not the time only
:37:49. > :37:53.demonstrates our voice and interests can be ignored at any time. The
:37:54. > :37:57.Prime Minister's response to the first minister's announcement o now
:37:58. > :38:03.is not the time shows she does not listen to Scotland but she is happy
:38:04. > :38:06.to admonish us like unruly children. We have a choice between a hard
:38:07. > :38:10.Brexit or take the opportunity to choose our own path, when the terms
:38:11. > :38:13.of Brexit are known, while there is an opportunity to change that
:38:14. > :38:18.course, the Prime Minister has been clear that in the Prime Minister's
:38:19. > :38:22.concern of the timing, within reason she is happy to have that
:38:23. > :38:26.discussion. Time and again the Scottish Government have been
:38:27. > :38:29.willing to discuss alternative options and offered a compromise
:38:30. > :38:34.which would mean Scotland leaving the EU if we could say in the single
:38:35. > :38:39.market. But unfortunately, the UK Government has refused to listen to
:38:40. > :38:44.this compromise. 2014, the people of Scotland were promised a vote, no,
:38:45. > :38:49.would secure their EU membership and in 2016, 62% of Scots voted Remain.
:38:50. > :38:52.This is why we will not allow a hard Brexit to be forced on Scotland
:38:53. > :38:57.against our will. The only way to avoid this is to give our people a
:38:58. > :39:05.choice. In the cold light of day the harsh truth is the cost and
:39:06. > :39:08.effective of a hard Brexit will be immense, we could hose 80,000 jobs
:39:09. > :39:14.as a result. Let us think about that number for a minute. 80,000 jobs
:39:15. > :39:19.across the country could be lost as a result of Westminster's desire for
:39:20. > :39:25.a hard Brexit. That is over 1,000 jobs in my constituency alone. I
:39:26. > :39:28.don't know about you but the thought of 1,000 hard-working Paisley
:39:29. > :39:33.buddies losing their job is not the future I want for Scotland. Now is
:39:34. > :39:37.the time to offer our nation a chance to escape a hard Brexit, and
:39:38. > :39:46.unending Tory austerity. No is the time to give the people of
:39:47. > :39:52.Scotland an alternative. No problem. Job losses and austerity, but what
:39:53. > :39:57.would the cost be of closing the ?15 billion deficit and what would the
:39:58. > :40:02.cost be of harden, trading with our trading partner with four times the
:40:03. > :40:07.rest of Europe. The member is obviously not listening to the
:40:08. > :40:10.actual point of my speech which is effectively saying we are asking the
:40:11. > :40:14.people of Scotland to make that choice, these are 80,000 jobs that
:40:15. > :40:18.will be taken away from Scotland. This is about us making the choice
:40:19. > :40:22.and moving forward. The member needs to take that in mind. It is not
:40:23. > :40:25.about our personality, politics, it is about Scotland's future and
:40:26. > :40:30.Scotland's choices, so presiding officer, now is the time to give the
:40:31. > :40:34.people of Scotland an alternative but above all, above political and
:40:35. > :40:38.personal views now is the time to be advocates for democracy and choice,
:40:39. > :40:41.and allow the people of Scotland to decide for themselves what is sort
:40:42. > :40:44.of country they want to be in and what kind of future they want.
:40:45. > :40:52.APPLAUSE I call Jackie Baillie to be followed
:40:53. > :40:57.by Alexander Burnett. Thank you, as has been said by many members, it
:40:58. > :41:00.is, has only been two-and-a-half years since the last independence
:41:01. > :41:04.referendum. At that time, we were prom itsed it was a once in a
:41:05. > :41:08.generation event, and clearly for the First Minister, a generation is
:41:09. > :41:12.barely five minutes. So that is a promise broken. Can I observer
:41:13. > :41:16.having shadowed Nicola Sturgeon for a period of time when she was Health
:41:17. > :41:21.Minister, I can tell the chamber what she means when she talks about
:41:22. > :41:27.compromise. Compromise isn't meeting in the middle. It isn't listening to
:41:28. > :41:31.each other's point of view and it isn't even about trying to find
:41:32. > :41:36.common ground, and believe me I tried. In the First Minister's world
:41:37. > :41:41.come pro-Mize means you just need to completely agree with her. So when
:41:42. > :41:45.the First Minister talks about compromise, you understand that what
:41:46. > :41:53.she really means is it is my way or no way at all.
:41:54. > :41:56.A lot has been said -- absolutely. Would the member appreciate that the
:41:57. > :42:00.proposals in Scotland's place if Europe was for single market
:42:01. > :42:05.membership, which many people on the Leave side thought was correct, and
:42:06. > :42:10.this Parliament voted for in a consensual debate which took the
:42:11. > :42:16.Labour Party with it. I understand exactly how the First Minister
:42:17. > :42:19.operates, and day after day, we have had demand after demand, position
:42:20. > :42:26.changed after position changed. That is no way to engage in a negotiation
:42:27. > :42:31.to be frank. A lot has been said about a cast Ironman date. But don't
:42:32. > :42:36.reason to listen to what I have to say about it. In the words of Jim
:42:37. > :42:40.sill her today's SNP Government did not win a majority, nor has it a
:42:41. > :42:47.mandate because it did not ask for one, no amount ofs of Ching changes
:42:48. > :42:54.the political weakness of the 2016 election result. He is so right. It
:42:55. > :42:59.was in part tied to the EU, the reality is Scotland will be outside
:43:00. > :43:03.the EU whether or not it votes for independence.
:43:04. > :43:09.The SNP's ambition is to be a long way short of EU membership, if they
:43:10. > :43:14.were being honest, they would tell you that they don't actually want
:43:15. > :43:20.full membership of the EU. Just look at the changes to their position in
:43:21. > :43:25.the last week alone, I remember the EU referendum well, in my local area
:43:26. > :43:31.the SNP were notable by their absence, nowhere to be seen on the
:43:32. > :43:35.streets or campaigning as one member told me they didn't want Brussels
:43:36. > :43:40.rule, just as they didn't want London rule so they didn't care
:43:41. > :43:45.less, members will know I hang on Nicola Sturgeon evesry word. But she
:43:46. > :43:49.was very clear, there would be a triple lock against independence, it
:43:50. > :43:52.neat needed to be in the manifesto and people had to vote for the
:43:53. > :43:58.manifesto for getting a vote on independence. But the majority of
:43:59. > :44:05.people in Scotland didn't do so. They didn't back the SNP
:44:06. > :44:11., and with the majority of people in Scotland saying they don't want a
:44:12. > :44:14.referendum any time soon, the First Minister is in danger of doing a
:44:15. > :44:19.David Cameron, leading the country into another referendum it does not
:44:20. > :44:26.want, simply to satisfy the party activists. So I will vote against a
:44:27. > :44:29.second referendum today, and there is much made of respecting the will
:44:30. > :44:33.of Parliament, but only when it suits the SNP. They just ignore
:44:34. > :44:37.votes on the Vale of leave and maternity unit, the Inverclyde
:44:38. > :44:42.maternity unit, the children's ward at the Royal Islands and the
:44:43. > :44:46.hospital, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, The Scottish Funding
:44:47. > :44:49.Council, their abysmal record in education, the offensive behaviour
:44:50. > :44:53.in football act, and the list goes on. Democracy only happens when it
:44:54. > :44:56.is convenient for the SNP. I now want to focus on the economy,
:44:57. > :45:02.because I think that is the biggest single challenge facing the country.
:45:03. > :45:05.Of course, there are economic consequences from Brexit, hard or
:45:06. > :45:11.soft. But they absolutely pale into comparison with the economic
:45:12. > :45:16.consequences of independence. Indeed, there are economic
:45:17. > :45:21.consequences of simply having a referendum. The Scottish economy is
:45:22. > :45:24.fragile. Growth is down and revised downward still. Employment is down,
:45:25. > :45:30.and the numbers of people economic week in active and growing. Against
:45:31. > :45:34.virtually every economic measure, we underperformed the rest of the UK.
:45:35. > :45:38.We must clearly do better in domestic policy in any event, but
:45:39. > :45:46.before the referendum, the price of oil per barrel was $113. Now, it is
:45:47. > :45:49.around $50 a barrel. Central to the SNP's independence white paper, it
:45:50. > :45:53.was then only considered by the SNP to be a bonus. But we know just how
:45:54. > :45:58.central it is to the Scottish economy, never mind the economy of
:45:59. > :46:02.the north-east. Now, the SNP talk about how important the EU is as an
:46:03. > :46:06.export market for Scotland, and yes, it is. But they neglected to tell
:46:07. > :46:12.you that Scotland exports four times that amount to the rest of the UK.
:46:13. > :46:16.Our biggest single market, our biggest trading partner, that we
:46:17. > :46:21.would be cut off from in the event of independence. I am running out of
:46:22. > :46:25.time. Just think what that would also do for key sectors of our
:46:26. > :46:31.economy, and if you needed any further convincing, you only need to
:46:32. > :46:36.look this morning at the economic commentary. The backdrop is that
:46:37. > :46:40.economic growth has been slow. GDP is only 2% higher in the last
:46:41. > :46:44.decade, and incomes of many households remain worse off. And
:46:45. > :46:47.Brexit and a second independence referendum, they say, and I quote,
:46:48. > :46:53.the current level of uncertainty is unprecedented. It is also different
:46:54. > :46:59.from normal in that debates around Brexit and a possible further
:47:00. > :47:02.independence referendum can serve the fundamental basis on which the
:47:03. > :47:07.Scottish economy has grown and developed over the last 40 years.
:47:08. > :47:12.Are we seriously wanting to tear apart for two years of progress?
:47:13. > :47:16.Residing officer, a second independence referendum does cause
:47:17. > :47:21.huge uncertainty, businesses tell us so, economists tell us so, investors
:47:22. > :47:25.tell us so. It would be economic vandalism on a huge scale, and I
:47:26. > :47:31.implore the government, please stop posturing. Get on with your day job.
:47:32. > :47:37.I call Alexandra Burn it, to be followed by Kate Forbes. --
:47:38. > :47:42.Alexander Burnett. Thank you. Today, we could be debating our
:47:43. > :47:45.crippling NHS service, our failing NHS system, or our lining Scottish
:47:46. > :47:51.economy, or any of the other achievements of a decade of SNP
:47:52. > :47:55.rule. This morning, I was contacted by parents concerned with the
:47:56. > :47:58.closure of their nursery. But here we are again, debating a
:47:59. > :48:05.constitutional question we have already answered. But times have
:48:06. > :48:10.changed, cry the SNP. We didn't know about the EU vote in 2014, they say.
:48:11. > :48:17.And so we come to the first of many uncomfortable truths the SNP face.
:48:18. > :48:20.On page 279 of their white paper, it says Scotland faces the possibility
:48:21. > :48:26.of leaving the EU, because of Westminster's planned in/out
:48:27. > :48:32.referendum. So despite their protestations, they did know about
:48:33. > :48:35.the possibility of Brexit. Now, the supposed material changes that we
:48:36. > :48:40.have left the European Union, but if that is the case, then it is only
:48:41. > :48:45.thanks to the SNP. Not only did they spend less money campaigning and
:48:46. > :48:47.Brexit than their Glenrothes by-election, but hundreds of
:48:48. > :48:53.thousands of their own supporters voted to leave. And this is the
:48:54. > :48:58.second unfortunate truth of the SNP, as they try to appeal to Remain
:48:59. > :49:01.voters. They are more Eurosceptic than anyone in our Scottish
:49:02. > :49:10.Conservative Party, both north and south of the border. Opposition
:49:11. > :49:16.parties call us the League party, but Labour would the largest Leave
:49:17. > :49:20.party in Scotland. The Conservative Party has done nothing more than
:49:21. > :49:27.facilitate Labour and SNP support of their democratic right, and we will
:49:28. > :49:32.respect their wish to leave Europe. I thank the member for giving way.
:49:33. > :49:34.Would he at least except the timing of the Brexit referendum was wrong?
:49:35. > :49:39.Because it was immediately after this Parliament's elections and
:49:40. > :49:42.others, and that prevented all of us in all of the parties really getting
:49:43. > :49:49.involved. I don't agree with that point, I'm
:49:50. > :49:51.afraid. But back to 2014. My electoral region, Aberdeenshire,
:49:52. > :49:58.voted overwhelmingly to stay in the UK. Also by a majority of the 60%.
:49:59. > :50:01.So is their vote somehow considered different to when Scotland voted on
:50:02. > :50:06.Brexit? Will the First Minister guarantee that in her referendum,
:50:07. > :50:09.Aberdeenshire and 27 other regions will not be taken out of the UK
:50:10. > :50:18.against their will by Glasgow and Dundee U macro -- Dundee?
:50:19. > :50:27.Thank you very much. Mr Burnett, Alex Bernard stood at the 2015
:50:28. > :50:31.general election on a manifesto that included safeguarding British
:50:32. > :50:34.interest in the single market, we say Yes to the single market, we
:50:35. > :50:38.benefit from the single market, and want to preserve the integrity of
:50:39. > :50:44.the single market, we even want to expand the single market. How is it
:50:45. > :50:54.going? I'm very optimistic it will go as well as it will. Since then,
:50:55. > :50:56.we have had a referendum, and the people have spoken, and now the
:50:57. > :51:02.government of Westminster have two deliberate. But what about another
:51:03. > :51:06.uncomfortable truth, the value of our oil? In 2013, we were told it
:51:07. > :51:13.would fund the SNP's obsession, with Alex Salmond predicting $150 a
:51:14. > :51:18.barrel. Now he says Scotland only needs oil prices to be at 60, yet
:51:19. > :51:22.today, it sits at 51, a price decided by a group of countries in
:51:23. > :51:27.the Middle East. Is this what the SNP mean by taking back control? The
:51:28. > :51:32.fact is that the economic argument was lost with even $100 a barrel.
:51:33. > :51:36.The subsequent collapse in revenues would have been disastrous for an
:51:37. > :51:40.independent Scotland had we voted Yes in 2014. And the SNP should
:51:41. > :51:43.realise that this relentless talk of another referendum will only lead to
:51:44. > :51:50.more job cuts and threaten investment in the North Sea. Not my
:51:51. > :51:55.words, but those of respected global energy analyst would McKenzie last
:51:56. > :52:00.Friday. So would the SNP give up the broad shoulders of the UK, that
:52:01. > :52:05.supports our industry with a city deal, ?2.3 billion of fiscal reform,
:52:06. > :52:08.and the highest tax cuts ever seen? The SNP would like us to believe
:52:09. > :52:14.that this is an unpleasant and unneeded union. They say, stop the
:52:15. > :52:18.world, Scotland wants to get on. But I say to them, we are already on,
:52:19. > :52:23.and that what we have achieved together, ending slavery, fascism,
:52:24. > :52:28.dictatorships. They forget that Britain was called the workshop of
:52:29. > :52:31.the world, from the Industrial Revolution to the internet, and
:52:32. > :52:35.everything in between. Our shared inventiveness has changed the world
:52:36. > :52:40.over and over again for the better. Claire Adamson. I hear what the
:52:41. > :52:46.member is saying, but given that we are living under austerity, people
:52:47. > :52:52.are being left destitute by the Tory government, viewers broad shoulders
:52:53. > :52:57.not seem just a little bit slow P? -- do those broad shoulders not seem
:52:58. > :53:01.just a little bit sloping? I note the comment. I think it's the people
:53:02. > :53:08.of and they have wanted, if they have wanted ten years of austerity,
:53:09. > :53:12.then austerity Max is what they will get with another referendum. So why
:53:13. > :53:15.let the facts get in the way of a good grievance? Or if one
:53:16. > :53:18.commentator put it, if the SNP won the lottery, they would moan about
:53:19. > :53:23.the price of a ticket. However, it is not up to the SNP when we have
:53:24. > :53:26.referendums. They are not Scotland, they have no majority and no
:53:27. > :53:37.mandate. The only reason they will get this to Parliament tonight is
:53:38. > :53:38.down to the Greens, party which collectively. Leicester constituency
:53:39. > :53:41.votes than I did in Aberdeenshire West. Another party with no mandate
:53:42. > :53:44.for a referendum that will blindly follow the SNP were directed. So
:53:45. > :53:47.will they be happy to see the end of renewable energy subsidies, funded
:53:48. > :53:51.by consumers across the UK? Come to a close, please. Will John
:53:52. > :53:54.Finnie be happy to see the end of CFTs for the islands and their
:53:55. > :53:59.wings? Will Allison Johnson be happy to see
:54:00. > :54:01.the end of the Barnett Formula? Will Andy Wightman be happy to give up on
:54:02. > :54:05.localism? You must come to a close, please.
:54:06. > :54:10.Joining the euro when sending control of our economy to Brussels.
:54:11. > :54:15.You must come to a close, please. Will ever gain their voters' trust
:54:16. > :54:19.again, or are they still an million miles from credibility? Thank you.
:54:20. > :54:23.Can I say, when members go far over there speaking times, it
:54:24. > :54:27.disadvantages other members. Kate Forbes, to be followed by
:54:28. > :54:30.Johann Lamont, please. Thank you. My comments this
:54:31. > :54:33.afternoon are drawn from conversations with family members,
:54:34. > :54:39.friends, neighbours, and even if you taxi drivers. Why? Well, in the
:54:40. > :54:45.words of the former president of the Czech Republic, genuine politics,
:54:46. > :54:51.politics worthy of the name, and the only politics I am willing to devote
:54:52. > :54:59.myself to is simply a matter of serving those around us. Serving the
:55:00. > :55:03.community and serving those who come after us. The deepest roots are
:55:04. > :55:06.moral, because it is a moral responsibility. And residing
:55:07. > :55:11.officer, this responsibility weighs heavily on me, and I know that it
:55:12. > :55:17.weighs heavily on my colleagues on all sides of this chamber, and yet,
:55:18. > :55:21.despite what I believe is our common purpose to serve, there are
:55:22. > :55:29.differences of opinion in this chamber and beyond this chamber. It
:55:30. > :55:33.is a privilege to engage... Sorry to interrupt, I gather you have just
:55:34. > :55:37.started, but members will be aware, and members of the public too will
:55:38. > :55:40.also be aware from social media and other news reports that they are
:55:41. > :55:43.following on their phones that there has been a serious incident at
:55:44. > :55:46.Westminster, and Westminster itself has been locked down because of
:55:47. > :55:52.security concerns. Now, there is no reason, and I have
:55:53. > :55:56.no wish to cause undue alarm here, and security has been increased
:55:57. > :56:02.here, but I am also aware, and we have discussed, that the fact that
:56:03. > :56:05.our sister Parliament has had a serious incident is affecting this
:56:06. > :56:08.particular debate, and is affecting the contribution of members, and so
:56:09. > :56:12.it is for that reason we are deciding to suspend the sitting. We
:56:13. > :56:20.will find time to resume this debate and have... Thank you. We will
:56:21. > :56:25.resume this debate and we will be able to do so in a full and frank
:56:26. > :56:28.manner, but I think to continue at the moment would not allow members
:56:29. > :56:32.to make their contributions in the manner they wish to, so on that
:56:33. > :56:35.note, I am going to suspend debate, and we will circulate information to
:56:36. > :56:36.members about when chamber and business will be resumed. Thank you
:56:37. > :57:27.very much. Good afternoon. It is a pleasure to
:57:28. > :57:39.have you here. I will ask the first question. First of all, welcome to
:57:40. > :57:41.your new job. You bring extensive experience from the Foreign Office,
:57:42. > :57:42.but you