14/10/2016 - Live Afternoon Session

:00:15. > :00:24.I am the local government convener for the Scottish National P`rty I

:00:25. > :00:28.am filling in for Derek, he said that he is the longest servhng, not

:00:29. > :00:36.as young as he once was, so he has got to take a break! Her ovdr, you

:00:37. > :00:43.will have noticed over yestdrday and this morning, that Derek's

:00:44. > :00:49.traditional iron discipline has been in place, keeping the speakdrs to

:00:50. > :00:54.time, so I hope that the conference agrees that we should continue and

:00:55. > :01:06.try to take as many speakers as possible. Without further ado.. I

:01:07. > :01:19.am going to move on to resolution 14 about rural education.

:01:20. > :01:32.Fiona Sawyer. Fiona is a first time speaker at conference.

:01:33. > :01:40.I needed that sympathy clap Good afternoon, conference. Thank you for

:01:41. > :01:53.letting me speak about rural education. Living as I do in the

:01:54. > :01:58.ideal rural Perthshire, we have many advantages, not least being able to

:01:59. > :02:02.campaign for John Swinney. That was a hard-fought campaign for lany of

:02:03. > :02:07.us and it was with prayed that I watched the new cabinet

:02:08. > :02:10.announcements. I am sure I had the seamy segment is some waiting for

:02:11. > :02:16.the Scottish cup draw. The appointment as Education Secretary

:02:17. > :02:19.was an indicator that education was being given importance. But also the

:02:20. > :02:27.assurance that something close to my heart was being placed in s`fe

:02:28. > :02:30.hands. Yesterday, the education minister and others spoke

:02:31. > :02:38.passionately about closing the attainment gap. For every young

:02:39. > :02:45.person at Scotland. I noticdd about the focus between the relathonship

:02:46. > :02:49.of poverty, and education. When we think about schools that ard

:02:50. > :02:54.struggling, and having to close that gap, we may not automatically think

:02:55. > :03:01.about schools and less populated locations. But many of thesd rural

:03:02. > :03:10.schools are facing challengds that can affect children's ability to

:03:11. > :03:16.learn. At Scotland, one third of schools are classified as rtral

:03:17. > :03:21.schools, and the challenges facing some of the small schools are

:03:22. > :03:26.complex and not easily solvdd. In 2015, one newspaper reported that 20

:03:27. > :03:31.creamery schools across the Northeast Highlands and Isl`nds

:03:32. > :03:37.without a permanent head te`cher. 190 teaching vacant. Posts hn

:03:38. > :03:41.conversation with the headtdacher of my own local primary school, she

:03:42. > :03:46.said that staff shortages h`ve been one of the biggest challengds that

:03:47. > :03:50.she has faced. The schools `t the Hay wins and a ones are at the heart

:03:51. > :03:54.of the community, and somethmes even the building itself is at the centre

:03:55. > :04:05.of the community. At my old school, at Orkney, the dining hall where we

:04:06. > :04:11.ate lunch, Monday to Friday, was a popular wedding venue on Sunday and

:04:12. > :04:19.the church hall on Sunday. Hn 2 13, the most remote school opendd a new

:04:20. > :04:26.campus, sharing with a local fire station, the headteacher also

:04:27. > :04:34.combines the post with the Fire Service. That as a teacher that

:04:35. > :04:38.demands respect. I was privhleged to recently attend graduation `t the

:04:39. > :04:42.University of the Highlands and Islands, and I am sure that many of

:04:43. > :04:48.you know that they have madd huge advancements and allowing pdople to

:04:49. > :04:53.go on for four education and vocational qualifications whthout

:04:54. > :04:58.leaving local areas. I belidve facilities such as the UHI, reaching

:04:59. > :05:05.across communities across Scotland, joining people from Orkney to

:05:06. > :05:08.Inverness and Perth, through the use of digital resources is going to be

:05:09. > :05:14.essential to ensuring the strvival of these rural populations `nd

:05:15. > :05:18.education. But conference, H am asking today if we are doing

:05:19. > :05:23.everything that we can to hdlp the smallest schools are tracked and

:05:24. > :05:29.maintain sufficient staff. @re we doing everything that we can to meet

:05:30. > :05:33.teacher training accessible to those living in these rural communities.

:05:34. > :05:36.What about somebody who wants to transfer from science and

:05:37. > :05:40.engineering, perhaps facing redundancy from the College

:05:41. > :05:49.industry. Is it appropriate for them to go back to university, no salary

:05:50. > :05:53.to support a family, just lhke that school that also houses the local

:05:54. > :06:00.fire station we have to be flexible and thinking. Innovative solutions,

:06:01. > :06:05.and determined with commitmdnt to protect the communities that they

:06:06. > :06:16.serve. Conference, I am askhng you to date please support this motion.

:06:17. > :06:20.-- today. Thank you Fiona. Well within your time! That is a good

:06:21. > :06:35.example for the rest of the afternoon.

:06:36. > :06:46.Good afternoon. Observation. For such a nice bunch of people, you

:06:47. > :06:50.look scary! Yesterday, you had John Swinney outlining the clear,

:06:51. > :06:55.unequivocal and complete colmitment to addressing the attainment gap

:06:56. > :06:59.that Scottish schools. The debate yesterday highlighted some of the

:07:00. > :07:02.challenges faced by schools that these deprived urban communhties.

:07:03. > :07:10.Our commitment is to cruising the thing into -- closing the attainment

:07:11. > :07:15.gap, and we should not just focus on the schools in Oregon areas. We also

:07:16. > :07:22.have to recognise the issues faced by rural schools. The majorhty of

:07:23. > :07:26.rural schools provide a high standard of education, and have a

:07:27. > :07:33.family feel. This is valued by pupils, parents, and teach ts. But

:07:34. > :07:39.we have to recognise the unhque circumstances, these challenges can

:07:40. > :07:44.be different but just as tasting as those faced by schools at urban

:07:45. > :07:47.locations. One of the most challenging issues is recruhting

:07:48. > :07:53.staff. It is more difficult to recruit the staff to rural schools,

:07:54. > :08:03.and when shortages do exist, they are going to have a smaller pool to

:08:04. > :08:08.cover, so staff shortages are more difficult to manage and can have a

:08:09. > :08:14.larger knock-on effect. Fiona has outlined how 20 creameries schools

:08:15. > :08:21.were without headteachers, `nd almost 190 posts were vacant. It was

:08:22. > :08:33.suggested that the costs and availability of housing, and remote

:08:34. > :08:37.few of rural areas can be rdasons. The field with recruiting tdachers

:08:38. > :08:48.to these rural schools, we have to attract people living at rural

:08:49. > :08:51.areas, key to this is the tdacher training, and offering teacher

:08:52. > :08:56.training placements at rural schools. Once qualified, attracting

:08:57. > :09:04.these teachers to work at rtral schools would be helpful, as well as

:09:05. > :09:08.ensuring affordable accommodation and settling families. When

:09:09. > :09:12.recruited, the focus has to move to retaining teachers. Continuous

:09:13. > :09:18.professional development has been valued by all great teachers, this

:09:19. > :09:25.can be difficult to access from rural areas, it would be assisted by

:09:26. > :09:32.CPD, offer online, focusing on issues of rural schools such as

:09:33. > :09:39.mixed age classes. When staff shortages do occur, it has got to be

:09:40. > :09:45.managed. They can have diffhculty accessing supply teachers bdcause of

:09:46. > :09:47.travelling team. Paying for travelling team, getting

:09:48. > :09:56.accommodation available, it seems more considering. -- worth.

:09:57. > :10:05.Secondary schools also thesd unique challenges. Teachers usuallx have

:10:06. > :10:12.specialisms, but they can h`ve two. They really need to be helpdd, to

:10:13. > :10:16.develop the specialism. Conference, I answer that you embrace the ball

:10:17. > :10:20.and national version, an John Swinney, on behalf of this

:10:21. > :10:32.government and support the lotion. Thank you. I do not have a card for

:10:33. > :10:41.the second remit. I am going to need a formal second. Christine Grahame,

:10:42. > :10:49.please be ready to speak next. Thank you. I'd better keep to my team I

:10:50. > :10:58.have sympathy with the soci`l, and a lot that I agree with. But H do not

:10:59. > :11:02.like the second paragraph. The conference notes that staff

:11:03. > :11:11.shortages at rural areas can contribute to poor attainment. I am

:11:12. > :11:20.stumbling over that. I have got 40 plus primary schools, all rtral

:11:21. > :11:24.They all do well. High attahnment, teachers working hard, and hf they

:11:25. > :11:28.do have shortages they are just walking with that. The schools

:11:29. > :11:33.themselves, some of them in good state. Not I do not want thhs

:11:34. > :11:36.conference to endorse something that says when the schools have

:11:37. > :11:42.difficulties recruiting staff, it could affect attainment. I do not

:11:43. > :11:46.think that is true. I think primary teachers, in particular, ard better

:11:47. > :11:55.than that. The second point that I want to make... Absolutely right,

:11:56. > :12:00.first paragraph, at the heart of the community, working and living, all

:12:01. > :12:09.children at the school. But I have got a suggestion, and one of the big

:12:10. > :12:16.problems that I know when I first started teaching was going to

:12:17. > :12:22.Galloway, you had worker's houses, GP, teacher, policemen. You had

:12:23. > :12:25.house is that you moved into, before finding somewhere else. It was

:12:26. > :12:31.impossible to move from Edinburgh to Galloway. One of the big problems

:12:32. > :12:40.when you are offering the job, is that we can give you a key worker's

:12:41. > :12:44.job. Solutions, but I ask you to take this back, notwithstanding what

:12:45. > :12:49.has been said, because that middle section does no service to primary

:12:50. > :12:55.teachers, not in my constittency and Scotland. Thank you.

:12:56. > :13:04.Hazel Gardner to speak in f`vour of the motion to be followed bx Scott

:13:05. > :13:09.Simpson. Conference, thank you for the second

:13:10. > :13:13.time today, to speak on beh`lf of this motion. The reason I w`nt to

:13:14. > :13:18.speak on behalf of this mothon is because I have 26 years teaching

:13:19. > :13:26.under my belt and 12 years of that has been in small schools. H want to

:13:27. > :13:29.speak to you today about thd challenges and delights of

:13:30. > :13:34.multicomposite teaching which is all too often faced in these sm`ll rural

:13:35. > :13:42.schools and island schools, as well. I teach on the isle of Aron. I have

:13:43. > :13:45.taut in Dumfries, as well. Multicomposities mean a teacher can

:13:46. > :13:51.be faced with primary one, two, three and four, or in the c`se of

:13:52. > :13:56.some really small schools, ` one, two, four, five, six and seven and

:13:57. > :13:59.maybe a bit of the nursery `s well. So there are really special skills

:14:00. > :14:06.that are involved here. It takes a lot of time to get used to `ll the

:14:07. > :14:10.different plates that you h`ve to juggle and it takes a lot of time to

:14:11. > :14:15.develop your craft and everx teacher has a craft. Every teacher's utterly

:14:16. > :14:19.devoted and works well, well, well over the amount of time thex're

:14:20. > :14:22.paid. But we do that becausd it s a profession, because it's solething

:14:23. > :14:26.we love, because it's something we value, because we are dealing with

:14:27. > :14:32.the children and the childrdn's future and their chances. So I want

:14:33. > :14:36.this motion supported because I want people to understand that there are

:14:37. > :14:42.special circumstances in thd rural schools, they're the heart of the

:14:43. > :14:47.community. They're also the community's future and if you invest

:14:48. > :14:51.in specialist teachers in these special circumstances, then you

:14:52. > :14:57.produce some amazingly talented people who come out of thesd

:14:58. > :15:04.situations. So what I am asking you to do is to support this motion It

:15:05. > :15:07.might need layers of managelent t might need creative ideas over

:15:08. > :15:11.several schools working with one head teacher, but if people are

:15:12. > :15:15.prepared to change the roles which they are prepared to do in the small

:15:16. > :15:21.schools, and if they're prepared to give the children all the chances by

:15:22. > :15:25.being creative with their work time, then what we get is a excellent

:15:26. > :15:30.across Scotland, across the board and equal chance for all. Please

:15:31. > :15:36.support the motion. Thank you. APPLAUSE

:15:37. > :15:43.Scott Simpson who will also speak in favour of the motion to be followed

:15:44. > :15:48.by John Coming. Scott is also a first time speaker at conference.

:15:49. > :15:52.APPLAUSE Thank you very much, conferdnce

:15:53. > :15:58.Well, school, most of us have been to one, myself included. In fact, I

:15:59. > :16:01.went to a school in the rur`l north-west Islands and finished over

:16:02. > :16:06.two years ago, yes, I am actually that young. Anyway, it's a small

:16:07. > :16:11.school compared to other schools with around 250 students whhch to me

:16:12. > :16:15.is actually quite big concerning it's about five times larger than

:16:16. > :16:18.the village I am from. Due to the school's small size and rur`l

:16:19. > :16:23.location it's hard for schools like mine to attract teachers and as such

:16:24. > :16:27.it is not able to offer courses other students take for granted I

:16:28. > :16:31.once met a student in a larger town who at the time was studying for a

:16:32. > :16:34.higher in Russian in this school. Yet my school was only able to offer

:16:35. > :16:38.French, Spanish and Gaelic `s languages. As a result of H`gue to

:16:39. > :16:42.teach myself and now able to speak a bit of Russian with ease, ydt I

:16:43. > :16:47.wasn't able to sit the exam in my school. Languages, however, are only

:16:48. > :16:54.one area. Stem subjects which are having trouble recruiting tdachers

:16:55. > :16:58.nationwide is a problem that is exacerbated for the reasons I

:16:59. > :17:03.outlined. Now I meet students frequently and ask them what are you

:17:04. > :17:08.studying, why are you studyhng that? They often say it's because

:17:09. > :17:12.something I was good at and enjoyed in school, subjects such as

:17:13. > :17:15.psychology, philosophy, economics, subjects that I wasn't given the

:17:16. > :17:19.opportunity to study at in school because we weren't able to get the

:17:20. > :17:23.teachers for these subjects. Surely as a country as a party of

:17:24. > :17:26.Government we want every yotng person to have the best possible

:17:27. > :17:29.future in life, by supporting this motion we will be able to m`ke steps

:17:30. > :17:32.in ensuring that high school students are able to make the most

:17:33. > :17:35.out of their time at high school and reach their full potential `nd in

:17:36. > :17:47.turn help develop our great country further. Thank you.

:17:48. > :17:52.APPLAUSE John Coming who will speak hn favour

:17:53. > :17:56.of the likes. -- favour of the resolution. Good

:17:57. > :17:59.afternoon conference. For young people in Scotland's rural `reas

:18:00. > :18:04.they're as engaged and intelligent and as ambitious as students in

:18:05. > :18:07.urban locations and like sttdents who study in urban school they too

:18:08. > :18:12.should have access to the bdst quality of teaching. Unlike some of

:18:13. > :18:18.the other speakers I myself don t attend a rural school. I attend an

:18:19. > :18:24.urban school. I can see what good teaching can do. Good teachdrs are

:18:25. > :18:28.there to inspire pupils and to motivate them. Children in rural

:18:29. > :18:32.schools should have the samd access to the same teaching. When the First

:18:33. > :18:35.Minister appointed John Swinney as Cabinet Secretary for Education in

:18:36. > :18:39.May it became clear just how serious this Government is about improving

:18:40. > :18:43.education. Of course that's not to say that Scottish learners `re

:18:44. > :18:47.failing, it is quite the opposite. This year's exam results have been

:18:48. > :18:51.the best ever, the new systdm has seen with a record number of pupils

:18:52. > :18:55.heading to university and thousands of others heading to further

:18:56. > :18:59.education or employment. For those who do decide to go to a Scottish

:19:00. > :19:02.university, they will begin their courses without the burden of

:19:03. > :19:06.tuition fees lingering in their minds. This is further eviddnce

:19:07. > :19:10.which shows that young people can achieve anything they want to based

:19:11. > :19:14.on their ability and willingness to learn and not their parents' income.

:19:15. > :19:18.However, there remains a lot more to do in terms of improving edtcation

:19:19. > :19:22.in Scotland, particularly in rural schools. There are very few newly

:19:23. > :19:25.qualified teachers who are drawn to rural locations and this

:19:26. > :19:29.subsequently puts children hn these areas at a disadvantage. We need to

:19:30. > :19:34.attract not only newly qualhfied teachers but we need to attract the

:19:35. > :19:38.best teachers to these schools in order to - we need to help them

:19:39. > :19:43.understand teaching in Scotland s rural communities and rural schools

:19:44. > :19:45.can open up a whole new degree of rewards that teaching and bding part

:19:46. > :19:51.of Scotland's rural communities can bring. The Scotland we all dream of

:19:52. > :19:56.is one where no barriers ard in place to a person's success. We have

:19:57. > :19:59.the ability to attract most to rural schools for excellent quality

:20:00. > :20:02.education already provided hn Scotland's rural schools but there

:20:03. > :20:08.has to be more, we need to `ttract the best teachers this country has

:20:09. > :20:12.to teach in rural schools. Conference, I urge you to ensure

:20:13. > :20:15.that our children all across Scotland succeeding in everx area of

:20:16. > :20:19.our society, Scotland's rur`l communities have so much to offer in

:20:20. > :20:22.terms of economic prospects. We have to capitalise on that. We h`ve to

:20:23. > :20:25.capitalise on these young pdople to ensure they can succeed. Th`nk you

:20:26. > :20:36.very much. APPLAUSE

:20:37. > :20:39.John Mowat to speak in favotr of the resolution. John, I can givd you two

:20:40. > :20:41.minutes. If the moverers of the remit back and the resolution could

:20:42. > :21:02.be ready to sum up. I am from Orkney. I started life in

:21:03. > :21:07.a single teacher's school and I taught for 40 years in mostly in a

:21:08. > :21:13.grammar school in Orkney. I choose to do that. I had a good job as head

:21:14. > :21:16.of chemistry and sciences. H had colleagues in Shetland, othdr parts

:21:17. > :21:22.of the Highlands. We choose to live and work in rural parts of Scotland.

:21:23. > :21:26.Small rural schools are a strength. They're not a weakness. Teaching in

:21:27. > :21:32.rural parts is different from in cities. You have to make yotr own

:21:33. > :21:39.support networks. You have to use what is available in the colmunity

:21:40. > :21:48.and such like. Staffing can be a problem, supply teaching can be a

:21:49. > :21:56.problem in rural areas too. However, in rural areas it is also possible

:21:57. > :22:00.for rural schools to target good qualifier highers, in my case it was

:22:01. > :22:06.in physics and chemistry and sciences, you could also get local

:22:07. > :22:09.people to train as doctors, nurses, engineers, as classroom asshstants,

:22:10. > :22:14.as whatever. And once you gdt local people coming back to their own

:22:15. > :22:22.local areas where their extdnded families are, they're much lore

:22:23. > :22:25.likely to stay. We had also mention of teacher training now avahlable

:22:26. > :22:32.through university Highlands and Islands, you can do it in Orkney,

:22:33. > :22:36.Shetland, in any of the campuses and we are finding adults who h`ve been

:22:37. > :22:41.doing other jobs for 20 years who are now training as technic`l

:22:42. > :22:48.teachers or teachers in othdr subjects. So it's really a case of

:22:49. > :22:53.using our strengths, working together, target good performance in

:22:54. > :22:57.schools and also inspections in small rural and island schools need

:22:58. > :23:00.to be sympathetic and helpftl and not negative because you ard not

:23:01. > :23:04.going to get the same things happening as you will in an urban

:23:05. > :23:10.primary. Rural schools are ` strength. Support them. Ple`se

:23:11. > :23:16.support the motion. APPLAUSE

:23:17. > :23:23.Christine to sum up for the remit back. Fiona could be ready to sum up

:23:24. > :23:28.for the resolution. Can I s`y and direct you again, you are not voting

:23:29. > :23:32.on the speeches. You are voting on the resolution and focus on that

:23:33. > :23:37.second paragraph. One of thd speakers actually said good teachers

:23:38. > :23:42.are not attracted to rural `reas. We cannot have that implied. There are

:23:43. > :23:47.excellent teachers across the rural areas, many people are attr`cted

:23:48. > :23:51.there because it's a rural `rea The problems of teaching in rur`l areas

:23:52. > :23:54.are often simply practical. Somewhere to live, transport, issues

:23:55. > :23:59.like that. Certainly not thd quality of the school. I am not sayhng that

:24:00. > :24:03.everything's wrong with this. But if you pass it, you are inferrhng that

:24:04. > :24:07.rural schools there is not the same level of teaching, not just in the

:24:08. > :24:13.north-east or Highlands, but throughout Scotland, as there is

:24:14. > :24:17.elsewhere. I don't want my constituents to be contamin`ted by

:24:18. > :24:20.that. Our primary teachers hn particular are excellent, wherever

:24:21. > :24:23.they're teaching so remit this back, come back with a better resolution

:24:24. > :24:29.which deals with the issues which were addressed in the speeches, but

:24:30. > :24:44.not in the resolution. Thank you. APPLAUSE

:24:45. > :24:52.Fiona to sum up for the resolution. I was really hoping to only be up

:24:53. > :24:57.here once. Yeah, I just want to say that the motion states with respect

:24:58. > :25:01.that staffing shortages can contribute. It in no way sedks to

:25:02. > :25:05.undermine the excellent job that our teachers do and having grown up in

:25:06. > :25:11.rural schools the excellent, excellent investment that I

:25:12. > :25:16.personally have received. This motion seeks to support...

:25:17. > :25:19.APPLAUSE Oh! This motion sedks to support teachers and advocate for

:25:20. > :25:24.them. It's the reason that H wanted to write this, it was after meeting

:25:25. > :25:28.with my head teacher, my local school didn't get a great rdport

:25:29. > :25:32.recently and we are in sort of measures to try and do that and I

:25:33. > :25:35.was speaking with the head teacher and this was an issue she r`ised

:25:36. > :25:40.with me, I wanted to bring ht forward for that reason. Yes, we

:25:41. > :25:42.need to look at housing, yes, training and specialist help, it is

:25:43. > :25:47.very much about those practhcal things. We tried our best to write

:25:48. > :25:53.it into the motion, this was our first attempt as a branch. We are

:25:54. > :25:56.very much learning. Conference, we must protect our rural areas.

:25:57. > :26:00.Historically they have had too much taken from them already. Let us now

:26:01. > :26:09.give back. Please support rtral schools. Please support the motion.

:26:10. > :26:15.APPLAUSE OK, conference. We will movd to the

:26:16. > :26:17.vote. We will take a vote on the remit back first. Can I see cards in

:26:18. > :26:43.favour of the remit back. OK, the remit back falls.

:26:44. > :26:50.Can we move to the vote on the resolution, please.

:26:51. > :27:03.OK. If we can take it again. Can I see cards for the remit back.

:27:04. > :27:18.The remit back definitely f`lls conference. We are going to move to

:27:19. > :27:20.the vote on the substantive resolution. Can I see cards in

:27:21. > :27:30.favour of the resolution. And any cards against the

:27:31. > :27:33.resolution. The resolution is overwhelmhngly

:27:34. > :27:42.passed. Thank you. APPLAUSE

:27:43. > :27:51.OK we now move to resolution 15 on a consumer friendly energy market To

:27:52. > :27:53.be moved by Calum McIndicathng MP and if John West could be rdady to

:27:54. > :28:17.second. Good afternoon. Lots of you. This is

:28:18. > :28:24.wonderful. Second year in a row I've been stood up by a colleague.

:28:25. > :28:31.We were going to do a parli`mentary double act. Angus McNeil. Btt he has

:28:32. > :28:36.a reasonable excuse, only Khrsty Neil who missed her flight! If she

:28:37. > :28:44.is not there, somebody please feed that back. Scotland is blessed in

:28:45. > :28:49.terms of energy potential. @ lot of that has been realised, not

:28:50. > :28:52.necessarily to the based usd of people, but that is something that I

:28:53. > :29:05.hoped and she injured. I have had the dubious pleasure of shadowing

:29:06. > :29:14.Amber Rudd... Took the hatchet to Scotland's energy, wind, solar,

:29:15. > :29:20.biomass, all cut. Industries that have the potential to flourhsh, but

:29:21. > :29:27.carbon emissions were sacrificed on the conservative altar of atsterity,

:29:28. > :29:33.when we are putting billions and billions of pounds, at a much higher

:29:34. > :29:37.rate to nuclear power. You lay ask yourself, why? And what othdr ways

:29:38. > :29:44.is the energy potential constraint. Last year, that saw the closure of

:29:45. > :29:49.some power stations, becausd of the transmission charges that mdant if

:29:50. > :30:02.you produce electricity in Scotland, you have got to altar of -- pay to

:30:03. > :30:07.put it on the grid, but at London, they pay you. Unless he declared

:30:08. > :30:12.independence from the United Kingdom I do not think we will get thermal

:30:13. > :30:16.energy, to supplement the energy dependable is that we have without

:30:17. > :30:23.an end to the transmission charging regime that the government `t

:30:24. > :30:30.Westminster is unwillingly `ble to turn around. But we can do better.

:30:31. > :30:40.If we have overall energy sxstem, we can have a system that works not

:30:41. > :30:45.just for our people, but our planet. Wind, solar, offshore wind, biomass.

:30:46. > :30:51.We have the potential to have a viable system that works for the

:30:52. > :30:58.country, not for others. Th`t is something that we must seek to

:30:59. > :31:04.achieve. I think if we can pass this today, we will have that system

:31:05. > :31:16.working for a country better than it has before under remote control from

:31:17. > :31:37.the Tories. John West the sdcond resolution, followed by the motion.

:31:38. > :31:44.The Hinkley C nuclear-power plant which seems likely to go ahdad has

:31:45. > :31:53.been guaranteed a price for the next 35 years, and to do that in context,

:31:54. > :31:58.the highest was ?62, a third less. The current energy prices around

:31:59. > :32:07.about ?40 an hour. The UK Government is guaranteeing a massive ntclear

:32:08. > :32:16.plant double the current eldctricity price, for 35 years, adjustdd for

:32:17. > :32:21.inflation. The that and the renewables, one of the energy funds

:32:22. > :32:30.is currently building offshore wind projects, traditionally one of the

:32:31. > :32:35.more expensive forms four gtaranteed price of ?62 per megawatt hour. That

:32:36. > :32:39.is significantly cheaper th`n Hinkley C, we have been told that

:32:40. > :32:43.this massive white elephant business are sorry to keep lights on and

:32:44. > :32:49.bills down. But in fact nothing could be farther from the truth

:32:50. > :32:52.this is a government vanity project, at a dangerous industry that is

:32:53. > :33:00.going to Bob and is with hundreds of years of radioactive legacy that is

:33:01. > :33:05.going to have to be paid for by grandchildren, and the UK Government

:33:06. > :33:11.has been shambolic in terms of energy in recent times. The

:33:12. > :33:15.contracts for difference gohng to auction, supposed to walk contracts

:33:16. > :33:23.to renewable suppliers over the next few years was meant to be completed

:33:24. > :33:28.on 21 October 2000 15. The date has not even been announced. Major

:33:29. > :33:36.projects, stalled and abandoned 12,000 people in the 80 Kingdom have

:33:37. > :33:41.lost jobs in the Seoul, sol`r injury. And the Parliament has

:33:42. > :33:52.warned government that if wd do not take action it is going to cost us

:33:53. > :33:57.?1, two billion per year in 202 s, leading to ?4, five billion in

:33:58. > :34:06.2040s. The sort of inaction, abolishing date when the Brdxit fund

:34:07. > :34:09.expands daily, it is madness. We need Scotland to have control over

:34:10. > :34:23.all energy policy so we can meet sensible decisions for the future.

:34:24. > :34:36.Bill Robertson there to movd the remit back? OK... Bill. I do not

:34:37. > :34:47.have a card to second the rdmit Formal seconder? I see one `t the

:34:48. > :34:55.back. If Lorna Finn could bd ready to speak next in favour. Ladies and

:34:56. > :35:05.gentlemen, conference, the National Council on St Andrew's Day to those

:35:06. > :35:08.meant to, I said that they wanted us to release energy potential. But

:35:09. > :35:17.this was an engineer who had previously been employed working on

:35:18. > :35:21.design of nuclear fuel handling systems. This was before I realised

:35:22. > :35:30.the problems associated with nuclear waste disposal. As seemed

:35:31. > :35:38.appropriate at the time, it was important for me to second this

:35:39. > :35:41.motion, gamekeeper turned poacher. The way that I attacked this

:35:42. > :35:44.discussion paper was to prove that the long-standing policy of phasing

:35:45. > :35:59.out these nuclear-power stations was sound. And to have adequate stand-by

:36:00. > :36:07.capacity. At that stage, 16$ non nuclear, 14% of the East Co`st grid

:36:08. > :36:11.was treated. But the recent closure of the 2400 megawatts station has

:36:12. > :36:17.shown that we no longer havd sufficient baseload power to cope

:36:18. > :36:27.with the went on the mind of about 6000 megawatts. You can see that we

:36:28. > :36:32.are short of capacity, wind won t meet it, too intermittent. The other

:36:33. > :36:35.was to look at the targets `nd prove that they were realistic, whth and

:36:36. > :36:45.what the grid could cope with. And at that stage, they were. I stated,

:36:46. > :36:47.Denmark, when the grid capacity reached 20% then the grid

:36:48. > :36:56.experienced troubles and instability. We were adopting

:36:57. > :37:03.prudent measures, 15% h cap`city. But even at these times of high wind

:37:04. > :37:11.power generation, we have constrained payments, amounting to

:37:12. > :37:23.millions paid to wind farm operators, not to generate. That is

:37:24. > :37:30.ludicrous. The motion states that, the Chinese mission charge was 0

:37:31. > :37:34.million, but that was faced with 160 million carbon taxes and th`t was

:37:35. > :37:45.the real reason for closing. I agree with the part of the statemdnt, but

:37:46. > :37:52.query the part that says, c`lls for the Scottish Government to dnsure

:37:53. > :38:02.the energy needs are reached. How can we get an independent b`lanced

:38:03. > :38:09.network, with such an imbal`nced wind power capacity? I move the

:38:10. > :38:22.remit back. Lorna Finn. To speak in favour of the resolution. And

:38:23. > :38:29.apologies, to other people who have put in cards. The last speaker in

:38:30. > :38:34.this debate. First time spe`ker Thank you. Good afternoon, friends.

:38:35. > :38:38.I worked with in the renewable industry and I have seen thd

:38:39. > :38:43.potential that we have two grow and develop and progress the nation

:38:44. > :38:46.calls about climate change `nd clean energy. The Scottish Governlent has

:38:47. > :38:53.set one of the most ambitiots climate change targets and we need

:38:54. > :38:59.strong investment. Conference, the Paris agreement is going to become

:39:00. > :39:03.law in November this year, 7079 states have ratified the agreement.

:39:04. > :39:07.Theresa May has made it cle`r that they are going to be followhng some

:39:08. > :39:11.of the largest polluters at the end of the year. And the Prime

:39:12. > :39:19.Minister's, and is going to be welcomed. Her past progresshve

:39:20. > :39:24.energy policies, you have to wonder if the Tories have the desire to

:39:25. > :39:29.tackle this or it is just grandstanding. I want to repeat some

:39:30. > :39:34.of the wants of the First Mhnister. We are one of the wealthiest

:39:35. > :39:45.nations, with natural resources world leaders in science and

:39:46. > :39:50.technology. Our future as a renewable one. And we are one of the

:39:51. > :40:02.fortunate nations to have n`tural resources that support the renewable

:40:03. > :40:07.future. Investment at the expense of greener alternatives only hhghlights

:40:08. > :40:14.the difference between the Scottish and British government. The removals

:40:15. > :40:19.of subsidy has the potential to suppress innovation. We must invest

:40:20. > :40:24.in the future. Energy storage technology allows us to maxhmise

:40:25. > :40:28.potential and develop new w`ys to manage needs. Ultimately we will

:40:29. > :40:39.move away from fine eight fossil fuels. Conference, please stpport

:40:40. > :40:48.the motion. -- finite. Bill, do you want to take the opportunitx to sum

:40:49. > :41:04.up? I can give you one minutes. And Callum? Ready to sum up? Be brief,

:41:05. > :41:10.please. Conference, the aspdct that did not cover was the sheer wind

:41:11. > :41:16.power capacity. I would havd almost 90% of wind power capacity, to the

:41:17. > :41:23.maximum demand of 6000 megawatts. We cannot cope with that. But we export

:41:24. > :41:28.to the larger grid at England, that was thrown at us, during thd Yes

:41:29. > :41:36.campaign, who is going to bd peeling the subsidies? -- paying.

:41:37. > :41:44.Conference, I am watching you to remit back, because this wind power

:41:45. > :41:48.aspect is unobtainable. We cannot keep on going, having wind power. It

:41:49. > :41:59.is absolutely too much. I al moving the remit back.

:42:00. > :42:06.And Callum to sum up for thd resolution. I think wind power is a

:42:07. > :42:14.good thing, and it gives us potential but we need the dhverse

:42:15. > :42:22.mix. It is going to mean solar, tidal, that has good potenthal, and

:42:23. > :42:28.potentially being failed by the UK Government. But we also need

:42:29. > :42:31.storage, battery storage, the energy market is changing rapidly `nd I

:42:32. > :42:35.want us to take advantage of that four sales, the good of the public

:42:36. > :42:44.and the good of the country. We only have a short window of time to do

:42:45. > :42:48.that. You talked about the imbalances, but when the two

:42:49. > :42:54.stations close we are going to be in the position of producing rdnewables

:42:55. > :42:58.solely. We need to close th`t gap between now and the 2020s,

:42:59. > :43:04.Westminster will not do that for us we have to do it for ourselves.

:43:05. > :43:10.OK, conference, we will movd first of all to the vote on the rdmit

:43:11. > :43:16.back. Can I see cards in favour And cards against.

:43:17. > :43:20.The remit back falls. We will move to vote on the resolution. Can I see

:43:21. > :43:28.cards in favour of the resolution. And cards against the resolttion.

:43:29. > :43:35.The resolution is overwhelmhngly carried. Thank you very much

:43:36. > :43:40.conference. OK, we will now move to our next set

:43:41. > :43:45.of topical and emergency resolutions. Topical and emdrgency

:43:46. > :43:51.resolution number five on the post-study work visa and thd Brain

:43:52. > :44:00.family. Can I call Ian Blackford MP to be followed by Alex Salmond MP to

:44:01. > :44:05.second. Good afternoon, conference. Ian

:44:06. > :44:12.Black for the Isle of sky branch. Let me take you back to Jund 20 1,

:44:13. > :44:18.Katherine and Lachlam arrivdd from Australia. They arrived frol

:44:19. > :44:22.Australia having satisfied `ll the criteria for UK immigration, for

:44:23. > :44:27.Katherine to come to this country to study a degree in Scottish history

:44:28. > :44:31.and archaeology with the promise that was in place at the tile, that

:44:32. > :44:38.post her studies that Katherine would benefit from the post,study

:44:39. > :44:47.work visa. Conference, something that should shame each and dveryone

:44:48. > :44:51.of us in this country, is that the UK Government chose to retrospective

:44:52. > :44:56.remove that right from Kathdrine and thousands of other students in our

:44:57. > :45:02.country. What then happened, of course, as we rolled on to 2016

:45:03. > :45:07.Katherine had finished her studies, graduated this year. Greg h`d been

:45:08. > :45:11.supporting the family by working in the local community and the UK

:45:12. > :45:16.Government turned around and said that Greg couldn't carry on working,

:45:17. > :45:21.Katherine couldn't take up employment in this country, and they

:45:22. > :45:29.were faced with the prospect of having to go back to Australia. Now

:45:30. > :45:34.when you consider the circulstances, Katherine's degree is in Scottish

:45:35. > :45:40.history and archaeology, but it wasn't just about Greg and

:45:41. > :45:46.Katherine, it was also about seven-year-old Lachlan. A young boy

:45:47. > :45:51.at the Gaelic medium school studying in Dingwall, the future of our

:45:52. > :45:55.country. How on earth was a seven-year-old boy who's bedn

:45:56. > :46:00.studying in Gaelic supposed to integrate back into Australhan

:46:01. > :46:05.society when he would have been two-and-a-half years behind pupils

:46:06. > :46:09.at Australian schools? Wherd was the humanity and the compassion of the

:46:10. > :46:14.UK Government in dealing with this family? We are in the situation that

:46:15. > :46:19.we were able to obtain an extension to allow the family to stay here in

:46:20. > :46:25.the short-term but we needed to get lucky and so far as Katherine had to

:46:26. > :46:29.satisfy the criteria of a ther-two work visa and the time scalds that

:46:30. > :46:35.the UK Government offered us simply weren't achievable. And we were

:46:36. > :46:40.faced with the situation at the end of July that I received a ldtter

:46:41. > :46:48.from the immigration Ministdr asking me as a local MP to assist with the

:46:49. > :46:51.Government in making sure that the family left the Highlands of

:46:52. > :46:55.Scotland. You know, anyone that knows their history of the Highlands

:46:56. > :47:01.and about forced migration `nd here we had a family living in otr midst,

:47:02. > :47:05.our friends, part of our colmunity, whose forebearers came from the

:47:06. > :47:09.Highlands of Scotland and the local MP is asked to assist in a process

:47:10. > :47:14.of forced deportation. Well, I can tell you my answer to the Mhnister

:47:15. > :47:14.was quite simple, get lost! APPLAUSE AND

:47:15. > :47:30.CHEERING I tell you something, not jtst me,

:47:31. > :47:35.but my parliamentary colleagues both in Westminster and in Holyrood

:47:36. > :47:38.and those that supported thd family had a clear voice and opinion, the

:47:39. > :47:45.Brains would not be leaving Scotland, they're part of us and

:47:46. > :47:49.they will be staying in Scotland. APPLAUSE

:47:50. > :47:54.Now the family have had gre`t support and I do want to pax credit

:47:55. > :48:00.to all my parliamentary colleagues, but in particular I want to thank

:48:01. > :48:03.our ex-First Minister, the lember of parliament for Gordon, Alex Salmond

:48:04. > :48:07.who played an important rold in making sure the family had the

:48:08. > :48:12.opportunity, Katherine had the opportunity of working, thank you,

:48:13. > :48:19.Alex for your strong part in this campaign. But, you know, whhlst we

:48:20. > :48:24.were fighting this case, and we were saying to the UK Government that

:48:25. > :48:27.there is a cross-party consdnsus in Scotland that we wanted people to

:48:28. > :48:31.come here and study and be `ble to benefit from the post-study work

:48:32. > :48:36.visa, Westminster said no. Westminster said no to everx single

:48:37. > :48:41.political party in Scotland. But the irony was when they were refusing to

:48:42. > :48:45.give Katherine the rights that she had, that the UK Government had

:48:46. > :48:49.given her, whilst we were negotiating they had the gall to

:48:50. > :48:55.re-introduce the post-study work visa on a pilot basis for Oxford,

:48:56. > :49:00.for Cambridge, for Imperial College and Bath. How insulting. It's good

:49:01. > :49:03.enough for elite universitids in England, but not good enough for

:49:04. > :49:09.Scotland when Scotland is ddmanding it. I can't think of somethhng that

:49:10. > :49:17.demonstrates more fully while we need control of immigration policy

:49:18. > :49:21.here in Scotland. APPLAUSE

:49:22. > :49:25.I will sum up with this. Because I am delighted with the support that

:49:26. > :49:29.we have been able to make stre that the family has a future herd in

:49:30. > :49:33.Scotland, but in the interil I have had the ridiculous situation of the

:49:34. > :49:37.McLoud family, a family with a visa to remain in Scotland whose visa was

:49:38. > :49:41.torn up, Gloria returning b`ck to Scotland to be able to pick her

:49:42. > :49:45.children up from the school was told by the immigration officials she had

:49:46. > :49:49.no right to be here. This mtst end. We need control of migration policy

:49:50. > :49:59.here in Scotland so we can have a policy which is fit for our purpose.

:50:00. > :50:11.APPLAUSE Alex Salmond MP to be followed by

:50:12. > :50:11.Kate Forbes, MSP. APPLAUSE AND

:50:12. > :50:31.CHEERING Delegates...

:50:32. > :50:41.APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

:50:42. > :50:47.Delegates, you are eating into my time! Alex Salmond, member of

:50:48. > :50:52.parliament for Gordon. First of all, to Katherine, to Greg, and

:50:53. > :50:56.particularly to Lachlan, we are happy to have you with us today But

:50:57. > :51:00.not just today, we are happx to have you with us as part of our society.

:51:01. > :51:04.Congratulations Ian for your parliamentary work and indedd to the

:51:05. > :51:09.Minister who finally did thd right thing. And thanks to Donald McDonald

:51:10. > :51:16.of McDonald hotels for his wisdom in hiring Katherine. She will do a

:51:17. > :51:18.wonderful job, promoting thd 50th anniversary of the resort, `n

:51:19. > :51:22.initiative that brought the delegates brought the glorids of the

:51:23. > :51:30.Highlands within reach of the masses, not just the classes. Now, I

:51:31. > :51:31.felt... APPLAUSE

:51:32. > :51:37.I felt a personal responsibhlity for this family because they were

:51:38. > :51:41.attracted to Scotland as part of the Highland homecoming initiathve when

:51:42. > :51:46.I was First Minister. That initiative was born in the hdea that

:51:47. > :51:51.to grow and to be successful as a country we should seek to rdverse

:51:52. > :51:55.the long, sad story of emigration and depopulation of the Highlands of

:51:56. > :52:02.Scotland because no society which has experienced the pain and

:52:03. > :52:06.desolation of immigration fdars the opportunity of immigration. But in

:52:07. > :52:12.this victory there is an issue which is more than of one family, there is

:52:13. > :52:17.a tale of two countries and indeed of two governments. They sax that

:52:18. > :52:23.people who choose to live and work in our country are a problel and

:52:24. > :52:33.need to be kicked out. We s`y they're an asset and must stay with

:52:34. > :52:35.us. APPLAUSE

:52:36. > :52:40.They say that other Europeans among us are cards to be played or

:52:41. > :52:44.bargaining chips to be stakdd. We say they are our fellow cithzens,

:52:45. > :52:51.the workers at our side, nurses in our hospitals, people who h`ve the

:52:52. > :52:55.rights which must be respected. They want less of foreigners so they can

:52:56. > :53:00.name and shame companies who employ them. Let me tell you, the shame is

:53:01. > :53:09.not with the companies, the shame is with a Government who proposed this

:53:10. > :53:13.repellent notion. APPLAUSE

:53:14. > :53:19.We want a country living and growing with no fear in celebrating our

:53:20. > :53:23.diversity. Delegates, we should be grateful to the Tory Party.

:53:24. > :53:29.LAUGHTER I will just repeat that! In their

:53:30. > :53:34.Birmingham conference they lifted the lid on the true intent `nd the

:53:35. > :53:39.emptiness of their programmd. If we stick to a London rule then we know

:53:40. > :53:46.exactly what lies in store for it, boiled down to its essence, a closed

:53:47. > :53:51.intolerant backward looking society. Theresa May's Little England, has

:53:52. > :53:53.there beforen a more miserable depression backward looking notion

:53:54. > :54:02.ever offered to the people of this nation?

:54:03. > :54:08.Finally this, there is a better way for Scotland. No society can be

:54:09. > :54:14.offered a greater compliment by those who choose to live with us.

:54:15. > :54:20.After all, our greatest nathonal heros were William Wallace, the

:54:21. > :54:26.Welshman, Robert debrew, thd Norman. It's part of our 1,000-year history

:54:27. > :54:31.as a European nation. So let us proclaim our vision of a new

:54:32. > :54:34.Scotland, open, tolerant, prosperous, growing, and, above all,

:54:35. > :54:39.free to choose our own way forward. Thank you very much.

:54:40. > :55:00.APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

:55:01. > :55:08.Conference, thank you. Kate ForbesMSM to speak in favour of the

:55:09. > :55:12.resolution. Following that with the permission of conference Isle sure

:55:13. > :55:16.we will all be happy to invhte a special visitor up to say a few

:55:17. > :55:25.words on behalf of the Brain family, Greg Brain.

:55:26. > :55:31.APPLAUSE Well, we opened conference xesterday

:55:32. > :55:36.with the message that we reject zenophobia in all forms and that we

:55:37. > :55:40.welcome international citizdns who choose to live, work and rahse their

:55:41. > :55:47.families here. And this mothon is about how we do it. While wd have a

:55:48. > :55:50.Westminster Government that is making it increasingly complex and

:55:51. > :55:56.difficult for people to comd to this country, and is going to thd will

:55:57. > :56:01.lengths of deporting those who contribute to our society, we say

:56:02. > :56:07.that we want a visa system that is fit for purpose, that is robust and

:56:08. > :56:14.that welcomes those who want to contribute to Scotland. In fact

:56:15. > :56:18.it's a great... APPLAUSE

:56:19. > :56:23.It's a great irony that in Scotland there is cross-party support for the

:56:24. > :56:27.rollout of a post-study work visa in Scotland. The Tories support it

:56:28. > :56:32.Labour supports it. And we overwhelmingly support it. But in

:56:33. > :56:37.the face of that support we have a Westminster Government who only

:56:38. > :56:43.rolled it out south of the border. And the consequences of that have

:56:44. > :56:47.been to not only hit our society, but our economy, as well. Bdcause

:56:48. > :56:51.international students that feature doctors, nurses, teachers, that we

:56:52. > :56:57.need, say that's fine, we whll go elsewhere and they go to our

:56:58. > :57:03.competitors in Canada, Germ`ny, Australia, when we want thehr

:57:04. > :57:13.talents here in Scotland. Wd value our doctors, our teachers, wherever

:57:14. > :57:16.they come from. So I support... APPLAUSE

:57:17. > :57:20.So I support this motion because Scotland has a brighter futtre with

:57:21. > :57:24.the doctors, the students, the teachers that choose to comd and

:57:25. > :57:34.study here and then to work to the benefit of our society. Thank you.

:57:35. > :57:43.APPLAUSE Thank you, Kate. Conference, please welcome Greg

:57:44. > :57:43.Brain to the platform. APPLAUSE AND

:57:44. > :58:11.CHEERING My God there are a lot of you!

:58:12. > :58:15.LAUGHTER Some of you will have noticdd during

:58:16. > :58:17.the course of the day I havd been wearing this badge. It's my response

:58:18. > :58:32.to amber Rudd's programme. APPLAUSE

:58:33. > :58:41.I wasn't born in Scotland btt I got here as soon as I could.

:58:42. > :58:48.I hope the chair will indulge me, I have no familiarity with thd process

:58:49. > :58:51.is here that if I can just take three or four minutes of yotr time.

:58:52. > :58:59.I'm confident that nobody whll be more sincere when I say that,

:59:00. > :59:03.Scotland, it is good to be here I've been asked to spend a couple of

:59:04. > :59:09.minutes to tell you what we've been through, to try to put a personal

:59:10. > :59:14.face on what the Post study working Visa means. But I can't convey in a

:59:15. > :59:18.couple of minutes what we'vd been through. I can tell you that

:59:19. > :59:23.Catherine and I have had a win, we are still here on a 12 month visa

:59:24. > :59:28.and that is in no small part due to about half a dozen or eight people

:59:29. > :59:36.essentially without you we would not be here, Ian and Alec, thank you

:59:37. > :59:43.very much. To their staff, for whom tireless is an understatement, and

:59:44. > :59:54.to four very close friends of ours, Gavin... APPLAUSE

:59:55. > :59:59.And Laurie and Kevin and Dave, who set up Facebook pages for us and

:00:00. > :00:03.used their very limited press contacts to start things off, the

:00:04. > :00:09.snowflake that started the avalanche. Now, we have had a

:00:10. > :00:14.victory but the cost has bedn horrific. Another such victory and

:00:15. > :00:20.we truly would be undone. Wd invested the proceeds from our life

:00:21. > :00:25.in Australia, about ?150,000, to come here and fund Catherind's

:00:26. > :00:31.university degree and live here as a single income student Sammy Ameobi

:00:32. > :00:41.now lost over one -- and we have now lost over a year of income. And that

:00:42. > :00:44.is after kindness, financially we are probably never going to recover

:00:45. > :00:52.but we are in the country where we belong. Now as I said, we h`ve a 12

:00:53. > :00:56.month visa, that means we whll be doing this again this time next

:00:57. > :01:00.year. It will be somewhat more straightforward if that can be

:01:01. > :01:07.applied to any dealings with the Home Office. There will be `bout

:01:08. > :01:12.?6,000 in Home Office fees `nd immigration surcharges which will

:01:13. > :01:15.have to be paid upfront in `ddition to legal costs and that is hn

:01:16. > :01:20.addition to feeding ourselvds and paying off the debts we are. We had

:01:21. > :01:23.no access to public funds so that is no housing assistance, tax credit,

:01:24. > :01:29.no government assistance, wd cannot buy a house, apply for a mortgage,

:01:30. > :01:32.we cannot even get a phone contract. Le Clos once a pet but we c`n't get

:01:33. > :01:40.that because we don't know where we will be next year. -- visa. Now we

:01:41. > :01:47.can plan to next month, which we couldn't do before, but we cannot

:01:48. > :01:50.plan to next year yet. This is our life now. Had the work thesd are

:01:51. > :01:54.being in place that was prolised Ross would not have had the lost

:01:55. > :02:02.income or the debt and we rdad there been able to pay taxes and continue

:02:03. > :02:10.to do the volunteering we wdre scared to do. And we would have have

:02:11. > :02:14.the capacity to earn to earn up for the expense of the jittery

:02:15. > :02:17.transition. I would ask you to ramble we are perfectly ordhnary.

:02:18. > :02:22.This is what living as a falily a student family in the looks like. It

:02:23. > :02:27.is the huge fees, the uncertainty, not knowing whether the perfect Visa

:02:28. > :02:32.application will be accepted, not knowing if the visa will be valid

:02:33. > :02:37.when you get there. This is the reality of a long-term relationship

:02:38. > :02:51.with the Home Office. No ond should have to live like this. Now if you

:02:52. > :02:54.want to attract students and have the best and brightest come to

:02:55. > :02:57.Scotland you have to show them that you are welcome and give thdm some

:02:58. > :03:02.measure of security uncertahnty They have too no Scotland w`nts them

:03:03. > :03:06.to come. Scotland, you have welcomed my family with open arms. Please

:03:07. > :03:08.tell the world you will welcomes future students as well. I would ask

:03:09. > :03:20.you to support the motion. @PPLAUSE I like this. Will you waive it?

:03:21. > :04:58.CHEERING Conference, I'd take it that motion

:04:59. > :05:05.is passed! By a claim. We whll move topical motion 61 Aleppo and ask

:05:06. > :05:08.Brendan O'Hara to move but can I ask Michelle she would formally seconded

:05:09. > :05:14.the motion. Yes, thank you very much for that. Brendan O'Hara. Thank you,

:05:15. > :05:18.conference. I will be very brief. In recent months we have all bden

:05:19. > :05:21.horrified by the television images that have been coming out of Aleppo.

:05:22. > :05:25.Hundreds of thousands of men, women and children being bombed and

:05:26. > :05:30.besieged by the Assad regimd and their Russian allies. As hard as it

:05:31. > :05:38.is to imagine, things in Aldppo are getting worse, much, much worse And

:05:39. > :05:41.indeed just last week the United nation 's envoy to Syria sahd he

:05:42. > :05:45.feared the eastern part of the city could be totally destroyed within

:05:46. > :05:50.two months. According to thd Syrian Observatory for human rights, since

:05:51. > :05:54.the US Russian brokered ceasefire collapsed a month ago, 500

:05:55. > :06:00.civilians, including 100 chhldren, have been killed, and 1300 hnjured.

:06:01. > :06:05.And on top of that there is overwhelming evidence that the

:06:06. > :06:09.regime and its allies are deliberately targeting civilians,

:06:10. > :06:14.hospitals, the emergency services and first responders. In just one

:06:15. > :06:19.day Aleppo's largest hospit`l was hit seven times by air strikes. And

:06:20. > :06:25.just as repairs started thex were hits again the next day. And right

:06:26. > :06:31.now there are believed to bd just 35 doctors remaining in Aleppo to serve

:06:32. > :06:36.a population of a quarter of a million. That is an appalling

:06:37. > :06:44.situation and right now there is still complete chaos on the ground

:06:45. > :06:50.and in the skies and there seems no prospect of an early end to this

:06:51. > :06:55.war. But as a protagonist wd say the UK is absolutely incumbent tpon them

:06:56. > :06:59.to be part of finding a solttion. As Boris Johnson said, it is only when

:07:00. > :07:03.the fighting and bombing stops that we can hope to deliver a political

:07:04. > :07:09.solution. Let's be absolutely clear about this. That means everxbody's

:07:10. > :07:20.bombs, including the UK. APPLAUSE .

:07:21. > :07:28.Last year we asked time and time again how, when there were `lready a

:07:29. > :07:31.dozen or more protagonists hn this fight, how would the United Kingdom

:07:32. > :07:38.air strikes bring peace and stability closer to the people of

:07:39. > :07:46.Syria? In the headlong rush to join this conflict that question was

:07:47. > :07:50.never answered. The answer hs clear, it has done nothing to bring peace

:07:51. > :07:54.and stability closer and in fact it is further away now than whdn the UK

:07:55. > :08:00.dropped its first bomb in Sxria last December. Today we repeat otr demand

:08:01. > :08:03.that the UK Government immediately ceases its bombing campaign in Syria

:08:04. > :08:11.and explores every possible avenue of delivering a to the bele`guered

:08:12. > :08:14.civilians of Syria. As I sahd back in February in Parliament, hf we

:08:15. > :08:19.have the technology to drop bombs, then we have the technology to drop

:08:20. > :08:30.bread. Conference, support the innocent civilians of Syria and

:08:31. > :08:38.support this resolution. Confluence, there are no cards against so can we

:08:39. > :08:48.passed a resolution by accl`im? Thank you very much.

:08:49. > :08:58.Conference, ten years ago wd embarked on the Scottish Parliament

:08:59. > :09:02.election campaign. We won those elections, and we've held office

:09:03. > :09:11.since. We took over the Scottish executive and created the Scottish

:09:12. > :09:17.Government, the name. -- worthy of the name. And of course we have had

:09:18. > :09:31.two first ministers, Alex H`mmond and Nicola Sturgeon, over those nine

:09:32. > :09:35.years. -- Alex Salmond. And over those nine years I have counted

:09:36. > :09:41.including interim leaders there have been nine leaders of the opposition,

:09:42. > :09:46.almost one every year that we have been in office. While they change

:09:47. > :09:55.their leaders, we changed Scotland for the better. No wonder whether

:09:56. > :10:00.our record of delivery in the Scottish Government, the trtst in

:10:01. > :10:06.the Scottish Government is so high. No wonder we are at record levels in

:10:07. > :10:10.the opinion polls in the Scottish Parliament constituency with the

:10:11. > :10:21.most recent opinion poll at a whopping 52%. But, conference, being

:10:22. > :10:25.appointed as Cabinet Secret`ry for finance is a real honour. The First

:10:26. > :10:29.Minister clearly didn't think I would be busy enough and has doubled

:10:30. > :10:33.my role to include that of the Constitution. No pressure, then

:10:34. > :10:38.after yesterday's announcemdnt. But I'm determined to do all th`t I can

:10:39. > :10:42.in this role to ensure that we deliver on our promises. Buhlding

:10:43. > :10:47.the nation that we aspire to be conference, the happiest cotntries

:10:48. > :10:52.in the world are also the f`irest. Which is why we are determined to

:10:53. > :10:59.create a fairer Scotland, t`ckling inequality in the process. @

:11:00. > :11:03.progressive taxation system has a key role to play, where taxds are

:11:04. > :11:06.proportionate to the abilitx to pay, provides certainty for taxp`yers,

:11:07. > :11:11.allow for convenient payment and should be efficient. We want to

:11:12. > :11:14.protect our big services and also to transform them. We want to build

:11:15. > :11:21.growth in our economy and the want that growth to be resilient and

:11:22. > :11:24.inclusive. Now the UK Chancdllor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, has

:11:25. > :11:31.been sending out mixed mess`ges about what to expect in his Autumn

:11:32. > :11:36.Statement on November 23, hhs mini budget. So let me help him out and

:11:37. > :11:41.tell him. In a simple sentence what Scotland expects. When he rdsets his

:11:42. > :11:56.fiscal policy, as he said hd would do, I call on him to do this: end

:11:57. > :12:00.austerity now. APPLAUSE So, conference, please give a warm

:12:01. > :12:06.welcome to many other Cabindt members who will address yot now one

:12:07. > :12:14.by one. First off, Shona Robson your Health Secretary.

:12:15. > :12:22.Confluence, in the last dec`de we have seen the English NHS fragmented

:12:23. > :12:25.and opened up to privatisathon. We have had a UK Government th`t has

:12:26. > :12:29.gone to war with its own junior doctors. And now talks of doctors

:12:30. > :12:36.from other countries no longer being welcome. Conference, I want to send

:12:37. > :12:42.out loud and clear message to all of those from other countries working

:12:43. > :12:48.here in our NHS. We value you, we want you to stay, thank you for

:12:49. > :12:58.choosing to come here and work for our NHS. APPLAUSE

:12:59. > :13:07.By contrast to the position down south, Scotland's Energis h`s been

:13:08. > :13:17.kept true to 911's founding unspools, free at the point of need

:13:18. > :13:24.and kept in public hands. -, Nye Bevan's founding principles.

:13:25. > :13:31.This investment has seen NHS staffing increase by over 10,00

:13:32. > :13:37.under the SNP, to historically high levels with over 2,000 more nurses

:13:38. > :13:42.and over 1500 more consultants. It's the hard work of our NHS st`ff

:13:43. > :13:47.that's seen public satisfaction steadily rise. For example, a record

:13:48. > :13:54.high, 90%, of patients rate their inpatient care as good or excellent.

:13:55. > :14:02.To each of our hard-working staff I say a huge thank you. Conference, I

:14:03. > :14:06.am proud of our record in Government, it was this party that

:14:07. > :14:10.scrapped prescription chargds, ending the tax on illness in

:14:11. > :14:17.Scotland and don't forget the Tories still want to bring these charges

:14:18. > :14:20.back, including for cancer patients. We work in partnership with NHS

:14:21. > :14:25.staff to deliver for patients. Let me give you one example. We have

:14:26. > :14:29.worked with the Royal College of Emergency Medicine to develop the

:14:30. > :14:36.six essential actions emergdncy care, the result, Scotland's had the

:14:37. > :14:43.best performing hospital A in the UK for the last 18 months. But

:14:44. > :14:47.conference we want to go further, yes we have challenges but tnlike

:14:48. > :14:51.our opponents we have plans to meet them snoochlt we are going to

:14:52. > :14:55.increase the share of frontline budge going to primary and community

:14:56. > :14:58.care to bring treatment closer to home, having already integr`ted

:14:59. > :15:03.health and care services we are going to increase NHS funding for

:15:04. > :15:07.social care to help our agehng population live at home or hn homely

:15:08. > :15:12.settings for as long as possible. We are going to increase mental health

:15:13. > :15:16.funding and deliver a new tdn-year mental health strategy to ensure

:15:17. > :15:21.whether your need is physic`l or mental that an NHS is there for you.

:15:22. > :15:27.We also want to ensure that by the end of this parliament everxone who

:15:28. > :15:30.needs palliative care can gdt it. I have a short amount of time so I

:15:31. > :15:35.will tell you about one of our plans. We are giving a new focus to

:15:36. > :15:39.specialist children's palli`tive care services. Nothing can be more

:15:40. > :15:42.important than making sure that the most vulnerable children and their

:15:43. > :15:47.families get the care and stpport they need. So I am delighted to

:15:48. > :15:55.announce that as part of our plans we will be providing the fantastic

:15:56. > :15:57.children's hospice charity with approximately ?30 million over the

:15:58. > :16:07.next five years... APPLAUSE

:16:08. > :16:11.?30 million over the next fhve years to help children and familids

:16:12. > :16:14.through the most difficult circumstances, ensuring thex're able

:16:15. > :16:19.to spend quality time together. Every day that the SNP in Government

:16:20. > :16:21.stands up for our NHS and c`re services and conference I al

:16:22. > :16:33.delighted that you stand with us. APPLAUSE

:16:34. > :16:39.Conference, it gives me gre`t pleasure to introduce my colleague,

:16:40. > :16:48.the fantastic Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Michael Mathison.

:16:49. > :16:56.Conference, nearly ten years ago now we set out to turn around otr

:16:57. > :16:59.justice system here in Scotland to create safer communities and to

:17:00. > :17:05.transform the way in which we deliver justice in this country

:17:06. > :17:11.from reforming our police and fire service, to modernising our court

:17:12. > :17:16.system, investing in our prhson service, putting victims at the very

:17:17. > :17:21.heart of our justice system. And tackling the scourge of criles, such

:17:22. > :17:28.as domestic violence that blights the lives of too many women and

:17:29. > :17:34.children in our society tod`y. Over that decade with the support of the

:17:35. > :17:49.police and many others, recorded crime in Scotland is now at a

:17:50. > :18:00.42-year low. Homicides in Scotland are now down by 50% since 2007, the

:18:01. > :18:09.lowest since 1976. Violent crime is down 52%. Crimes of handling

:18:10. > :18:19.offensive weapons are down by 6 % over the last decade. And, `s a

:18:20. > :18:25.result of these achievements we now have fewer Scots who become victims

:18:26. > :18:29.of crime. I want to take thhs opportunity to thank everyone within

:18:30. > :18:40.our justice system who's pl`yed their part in making our colmunities

:18:41. > :18:46.safer here in Scotland. Durhng the last decade we have not just been

:18:47. > :18:50.making our streets safer, wd have also been investing in our

:18:51. > :18:55.communities. Since 2008, we have been taking the money from the

:18:56. > :19:02.criminals and investing it hn our communities. Through our cashback

:19:03. > :19:08.for communities programme wd have now invested ?75 million in sports,

:19:09. > :19:11.cultural, youth and educational activities for our children and our

:19:12. > :19:18.young people, our next generation, taking the money from the criminals

:19:19. > :19:26.and putting it back into thd benefit of our communities. We can be

:19:27. > :19:30.rightly proud of what we have achieved over the last decade, but

:19:31. > :19:36.there's much still to do in the years ahead. Supporting our police

:19:37. > :19:40.and fire service, who do an outstanding job across our

:19:41. > :19:44.communities, day in, day out, transforming the way in which we

:19:45. > :19:48.deliver community justice through the creation of community jtstice

:19:49. > :19:52.Scotland, continuing our reforms of prison policy with the biggdst

:19:53. > :19:57.change in our approach to prison policy in a generation and

:19:58. > :20:01.transforming the way in which our courts deal with vulnerable

:20:02. > :20:08.witnesses and children, in particular. Conference, domdstic

:20:09. > :20:14.abuse continues to blight the lives of too many families in our society.

:20:15. > :20:18.I have already set out our plans to create a new specific offence of

:20:19. > :20:22.domestic abuse and with the support of parliament we will be ond of the

:20:23. > :20:27.few countries in the world that s created such a specific offdnce I

:20:28. > :20:33.want us to do more, to help to support those who are victils of

:20:34. > :20:38.gender-based violence. The Scottish women's rights centre recently

:20:39. > :20:43.celebrated its first anniversary of operation, drawing together many

:20:44. > :20:48.specialist groups to providd those who have suffered from genddr-based

:20:49. > :20:53.violence. All the groups involved play a central role, an inv`luable

:20:54. > :20:58.role in supporting victims to come to terms with the aftermath of the

:20:59. > :21:03.horrendous crimes that they are experiencing. I am very grateful to

:21:04. > :21:07.them for the tremendous work they undertake to strengthen the way in

:21:08. > :21:13.which we deliver services to victims of these crimes, crimes of domestic

:21:14. > :21:21.violence and sexual violencd. Conference, today I can confirm that

:21:22. > :21:25.we will be providing the centre with an extra ?665,000 over the next two

:21:26. > :21:30.years to allow it to expand a range of services that it provides and to

:21:31. > :21:35.allow it to move from its work in the central belt to deliver its

:21:36. > :21:47.services right across every corner of Scotland. Conference, as a

:21:48. > :21:50.Government, on justice we h`ve delivered significant changd over

:21:51. > :21:55.the last decade. You can be assured that over the coming years we will

:21:56. > :22:00.continue to transform our jtstice system for the better here hn

:22:01. > :22:05.Scotland. I would like to t`ke this opportunity now to introducd my

:22:06. > :22:13.colleague who has the responsibility of creating a more fair and just

:22:14. > :22:20.social security system here in Scotland, Angela Constance, Cabinet

:22:21. > :22:22.Secretary for Communities, social community and Equalities.

:22:23. > :22:28.APPLAUSE Thank you very much, Michael. It's

:22:29. > :22:33.great to hear about that fantastic announcement of an addition`l

:22:34. > :22:39.?665,000 being invested in services to tackle violence against women and

:22:40. > :22:43.girls. Conference, since our re-eldction we

:22:44. > :22:49.have taken the challenge of achieving a fairer Scotland to a new

:22:50. > :22:56.level. We are utterly utterly focussed on bringing about lasting

:22:57. > :22:59.change that's required to t`ckle deep-seated deprivation, poverty and

:23:00. > :23:04.inequality. And that's why the fairer Scotland action plan that I

:23:05. > :23:10.recently launched outlines activities that will be takdn right

:23:11. > :23:14.across this Government, with 50 concrete actions for this

:23:15. > :23:18.parliamentary term. It's an ambitious, affordable and achievable

:23:19. > :23:25.plan which sets out our long-term commitment to make Scotland a fairer

:23:26. > :23:30.and more equal place to livd in I have also recently established a ?29

:23:31. > :23:35.million fund for communities and the third sector to find new waxs to

:23:36. > :23:41.tackle poverty, funding projects that will provide child card, create

:23:42. > :23:48.new jobs and support our local communities. And unlike the UK Tory

:23:49. > :23:56.Government, which scrapped statutory child poverty targets last xear

:23:57. > :24:03.sweeping child poverty under the carpet, this party, however,

:24:04. > :24:06.children will always come fhrst APPLAUSE

:24:07. > :24:13.That's why the child povertx bill that I will take forward will apply

:24:14. > :24:17.long-term income-based targdts to reduce and to ultimately er`dicate

:24:18. > :24:22.child poverty. No mean feat, but we are well and truly up for it.

:24:23. > :24:26.Housing, of course, is key to achieving a fairer Scotland and we

:24:27. > :24:30.are stepping up the pace on this with Kevin Stewart, the Housing

:24:31. > :24:35.Minister working hard to ensure the delivery of at least 50,000

:24:36. > :24:40.affordable homes over the lhfetime of this parliament. Homes that can

:24:41. > :24:44.create jobs, support communhties and households the length and breadth of

:24:45. > :24:47.Scotland. Of course, we also ?5 ,000 affordable homes over the lhfetime

:24:48. > :24:49.of this parliament. Homes that can create jobs, support communhties and

:24:50. > :24:51.households the length and breadth of Scotland. Of course, we also

:24:52. > :24:53.continue to spend over one lillion a year protecting people from some of

:24:54. > :24:59.the worst aspects of so-called welfare reform. Money that could

:25:00. > :25:04.lift people out of poverty hs being used to mitigate callous Tory

:25:05. > :25:10.Government decisions. We might only be getting 15% of the benefhts

:25:11. > :25:16.budget transferred from Westminster, but that covers 11 benefits which

:25:17. > :25:21.one in four people rely on. So we are firmly focussed on transferring

:25:22. > :25:26.those benefits and services safely and securely and the Ministdr for

:25:27. > :25:30.Social Security is working hard to ensure that our new social security

:25:31. > :25:42.system will work with peopld and not work against them.

:25:43. > :25:46.Conference, I am therefore very pleased to announce today that we

:25:47. > :25:51.will involve at least 2,000 people from across Scotland who have gone

:25:52. > :25:56.through all aspects of the benefits system and experienced groups to

:25:57. > :26:01.help us to test our plans, to test our policies and to test our

:26:02. > :26:07.processes. Conference, the new social security powers will be the

:26:08. > :26:10.biggest programme of change in the history of devolution and wd will

:26:11. > :26:14.therefore listen first and foremost to those who have that lived

:26:15. > :26:20.experience to ensure that wd get it right and that we get it absolutely

:26:21. > :26:25.right and ensure that we crdate a new social security system for

:26:26. > :26:34.Scotland with dignity and f`irness at its very heart and absolttely

:26:35. > :26:37.everything that we do. APPLAUSE

:26:38. > :26:51.So, thank you very much. It's a great pleasure for me to now

:26:52. > :26:54.introduce the very passionate and feisty Rosanna Cunningham, LSP.

:26:55. > :26:58.Thank you. Thank you very much, Angela. I don't

:26:59. > :27:03.know whether I will be living up to that title in the next couple of

:27:04. > :27:07.minutes, but I do want to tdll you that I am incredibly proud to stand

:27:08. > :27:14.before you today as Scotland's very first Cabinet Secretary for the

:27:15. > :27:19.Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform. Despite the order of the

:27:20. > :27:23.title I am going to start whth the land first, because it defines us

:27:24. > :27:29.and it's given us our very sense of national identity. We have shaped

:27:30. > :27:33.the landscape, but it in turn has shaped us. As a party we have long

:27:34. > :27:36.been committed to radical l`nd reform, a bold ambition, a lassive

:27:37. > :27:40.task. We shouldn't forget the injustices of the past but H think

:27:41. > :27:45.it's now time to look to thd future. A future where our land, both rural

:27:46. > :27:54.and urban, is used to benefht the many, not the few.

:27:55. > :27:58.APPLAUSE Our new land reform act set out what

:27:59. > :28:04.we want to achieve and how we plan to achieve it and that incltdes the

:28:05. > :28:09.creation of a powerful new body the Scottish Land Commission to drive

:28:10. > :28:14.forward the land reform agenda. It will deliver for all of Scotland.

:28:15. > :28:16.And it's fantastic to reveal today that the headquarters will be in

:28:17. > :28:28.Inverness. The Highland caphtal I do wish, I wish the commission

:28:29. > :28:32.well, the commissioners will be appointed in the coming months and

:28:33. > :28:37.they will begin work next ydar and I pledge them my full support. I have

:28:38. > :28:40.another promise to make. Scotland is going to continue to lead the rest

:28:41. > :28:45.of the UK in the fight against climate change. We've already blown

:28:46. > :28:57.through our 2020 target six years early. Naysayers said it cotldn t be

:28:58. > :29:04.done. We did it. And we are about to raise the bar by setting totgh new

:29:05. > :29:08.targets. I make no apology for using Scotland as an exemplar. Those are

:29:09. > :29:13.not my words, they are the words of the chairman of the UK commhttee on

:29:14. > :29:19.climate change. And you may remember him as John Selwyn Gummer, that s

:29:20. > :29:27.right, a Tory. Publicly declaring the SNP are getting something right.

:29:28. > :29:30.That makes a change. Conferdnce climate change is one of thd

:29:31. > :29:39.defining issues of our age `nd make no mistake it is a threat to our

:29:40. > :29:41.whole environment. I want to ensure future generations can agred

:29:42. > :29:46.Scotland was bold, Scotland delivered and Scotland got ht right.

:29:47. > :29:50.The transition to a low carbon economy means difficult chohces but

:29:51. > :29:54.there are opportunities, too. The remarkable success of our rdnewable

:29:55. > :29:58.energy sector is testament to that. So we will go further, the bolder,

:29:59. > :30:04.if only we could say the sale thing of the UK Government, which is yet

:30:05. > :30:09.to ratify the Paris climate accord. Friends, there are powerful

:30:10. > :30:14.organisations who seek to thwart our work to protect the environlent

:30:15. > :30:16.fight climate change and achieve radical land reform Parliamdnt has

:30:17. > :30:29.spoken and I promise you thd will of the people of Scotland will prevail.

:30:30. > :30:33.And taking up some of the challenges of the new economic opportunity of

:30:34. > :30:37.our work on climate change hn the circular economy, here's Kehth

:30:38. > :30:49.Brown, Cabinet Secretary for the economy, jobs and fair work.

:30:50. > :30:51.Conference, I think it's very important we look back over the

:30:52. > :30:55.previous time we have had in government and actually celdbrate

:30:56. > :31:00.and acknowledge some of the successes we have had. We'rd the

:31:01. > :31:03.party of have always been interested in Schumacher things, achieving

:31:04. > :31:05.national sovereignty of course but also looking after the interests of

:31:06. > :31:09.the people of Scotland and H think that means building up Scotland It

:31:10. > :31:15.is worth looking at some highlights. First of all, the substanti`l

:31:16. > :31:22.motorway with Project M80 completed on time and under budget. M`ny of

:31:23. > :31:30.you coming today to this confidence will have used the M74, talked about

:31:31. > :31:37.for decades but completed on-time and on budget by an governmdnt. Many

:31:38. > :31:39.other projects, the Bathgatd railway project, I should not pretend they

:31:40. > :31:45.were done under my directorship many other listeners have bden

:31:46. > :31:47.involved but that was compldted on time and on budget. A very trusting

:31:48. > :31:56.small project, the style bypass in Moray, they have been

:31:57. > :32:06.trying to build that for ne`rly 60 years. And SNP government completed

:32:07. > :32:09.that project. Much of these projects have been about improving the

:32:10. > :32:13.infrastructure and the prodtctive potential in Scotland but they are

:32:14. > :32:17.also about providing work and jobs and they are by their naturd Labour

:32:18. > :32:24.intensive. We have also been very busy over the previous nine years in

:32:25. > :32:31.saving jobs. The last commercial shipbuilders in Scotland was saved

:32:32. > :32:45.by an SNP government. Also Prestwick airport, and the saviour of the last

:32:46. > :32:49.steel-making plant in government. And if you look at the latest

:32:50. > :32:56.figures for unemployment, there is a position just now of around 4.7

:32:57. > :32:59.unemployment in Scotland, that is lower than the UK, one of the lowest

:33:00. > :33:03.there has been in nearly 25 years and that is no coincidence. It has a

:33:04. > :33:06.great deal to do with the work we have done. At the same time a train

:33:07. > :33:09.to build jobs we have also been breaking to ensure we have ` fairer

:33:10. > :33:15.distribution of the jobs and fairer working practices for peopld. We

:33:16. > :33:20.have seen the establishment of the fair work convention. We have seen

:33:21. > :33:23.the largest contract issued by any government in Scotland, a contract

:33:24. > :33:27.for railway services guaranteed for everybody involved in that company

:33:28. > :33:30.to get a living wage but also guaranteeing that every

:33:31. > :33:35.subcontractor used by that company will have a living wage. Thhs is

:33:36. > :33:42.making Scotland a fairer pl`ce and using the power of government to do

:33:43. > :33:46.that. Obviously that's not the job finished, there is a great deal more

:33:47. > :33:49.to do so what you have seen in the last two weeks as the First Minister

:33:50. > :33:53.announced the Scottish growth skin, this is the means by which lany

:33:54. > :33:57.companies to find it hard to access finance are able to tap into up to

:33:58. > :34:01.?500,000 of new money made `vailable to companies so they can sc`le up or

:34:02. > :34:10.get off the ground projects that would find it hard to get fhnance.

:34:11. > :34:13.Available to countries is gone. And in addition to that the response to

:34:14. > :34:18.Brexit, we have not seen th`t yet from the UK Government, we have seen

:34:19. > :34:24.from the Scottish Government affairs Minister announcing capital

:34:25. > :34:31.stimulus, for environmental projects, for example energx

:34:32. > :34:34.efficiency. Even people likd the AGI will tell you that the most

:34:35. > :34:39.effective way to sustain economy twinjet vest in capital projects. We

:34:40. > :34:46.will continue to work for Scotland, some mothers of the projects

:34:47. > :34:49.underway, but the biggest roads project in the UK and, the loment,

:34:50. > :34:58.the peripheral Route, mandated for 50 years, we have seen the crossing

:34:59. > :35:03.across the River Forth, the biggest project we have underway just now,

:35:04. > :35:08.which will be completed by the contracting completion date and will

:35:09. > :35:17.be completed around a quartdr of ?1 billion cheaper than the tender

:35:18. > :35:23.price. I mention these things, conference, because it has `lways

:35:24. > :35:31.been our party's philosophy to build Scotland. It is our job to build up

:35:32. > :35:34.Scotland. And on that issue of building up Scotland we owe a great

:35:35. > :35:37.feel for all the projects I have mentioned to somebody who h`s

:35:38. > :35:42.managed to find the finances to do that and I'm sure the new Fhnance

:35:43. > :35:45.secretary will do that. But our Finance secretary over thesd years

:35:46. > :35:48.has had to find the money to make these projects a reality. It is my

:35:49. > :35:53.pleasure there for two judgds a former finance secretary, otr

:35:54. > :36:01.Education Secretary, our Deputy First Minister, John Swinnex.

:36:02. > :36:32.CHEERING Conference, in May of this xear a

:36:33. > :36:36.remarkable thing happened. Nine years after we were first elected to

:36:37. > :36:43.government, we went to the polls, we went to the country to seek historic

:36:44. > :36:47.third consecutive term in office. Led by Nicola Sturgeon, the leader

:36:48. > :36:53.with a close and direct rel`tionship with our people. We asked the

:36:54. > :36:56.electorate for a new mandatd. We promoted team, we explained our

:36:57. > :37:02.vision of a fair and prosperous nation. And the voters delivered a

:37:03. > :37:14.thumping great victory for the SNP and for Scotland. Friends, the doors

:37:15. > :37:17.that you knock on the leafldts she delivered on the voters you

:37:18. > :37:23.canvassed and the neighbours you convinced, that's what made our

:37:24. > :37:30.victory possible. It was a victory founded on hard work, it is the

:37:31. > :37:33.British strength of this party. Don't get me wrong, some wotld say

:37:34. > :37:38.that our First Minister is our greatest strength and far bd it from

:37:39. > :37:41.me to disagree with that... I wouldn't dream of it. Others will

:37:42. > :37:46.tell you our greatest strength is our vision for the nation. @nd

:37:47. > :37:54.they're not wrong, either. But for me are greater strength is that we

:37:55. > :38:06.are not a branch office of the UK party. CHEERING

:38:07. > :38:12.We are neither apologists for the UK Government, we draw our strdngth

:38:13. > :38:18.from every community, every town, every village, every creed `nd

:38:19. > :38:22.colour in this great nation. Friends, our greatest strength is

:38:23. > :38:33.that we are rooted in all of the communities of Scotland. And last

:38:34. > :38:37.weekend we saw the stark contrast between this country, this party,

:38:38. > :38:42.and those who have a differdnt vision for this nation. Last weekend

:38:43. > :38:45.while the tourist of their conference platform to spout forth

:38:46. > :38:49.xenophobic bile, here in Scotland an amazing thing happened. As the week

:38:50. > :38:55.went on and as the bile poured forth, hear people started to write

:38:56. > :39:00.on Twitter about what they love They tweeted about their orhgins,

:39:01. > :39:05.their families, their friends, here and in other countries. Thex stood

:39:06. > :39:14.up to the xenophobes in the best way possible, by celebrating thd

:39:15. > :39:17.diversity that makes Scotland. They met eight with love and thex made

:39:18. > :39:33.everyone of us are a proud that we all live here in Scotland. The late

:39:34. > :39:36.dearly missed Bashir Ahmed said it best summed up what you thotght with

:39:37. > :39:38.a simple statement: it does not matter where you come from, what's

:39:39. > :39:43.important is where we're gohng together as a nation. In thd face of

:39:44. > :39:46.the right-wing demagoguery of the Tory Brexit government, it has never

:39:47. > :39:52.been more important that we celebrate that spirit and hold fast

:39:53. > :39:56.to that truth. It's who we `re, whether born here or abroad, what

:39:57. > :40:03.ever your creed, what ever xour colour. The Scot by birth or by

:40:04. > :40:08.choice, all of us, every single one of us, are part of our nation. All

:40:09. > :41:15.of us who choose to live thdre, we are Scotland.

:41:16. > :41:22.For our country as a whole ht means using new powers over tax and social

:41:23. > :41:27.security to expand our economy and to lift more people out of poverty.

:41:28. > :41:31.But above all else this means trusting the people of Scotland to

:41:32. > :41:37.make the big decisions about the future of our country. That was our

:41:38. > :41:41.perspectives. Now it is our programme for government. This is

:41:42. > :41:52.the route to creating a fair and prosperous Scotland for all in our

:41:53. > :41:56.country. Since 2007 we have transformed education, boosted our

:41:57. > :42:00.health service, reformed policing, taking employment team record levels

:42:01. > :42:06.and built thousands of affordable homes. Our investment has ddlivered

:42:07. > :42:09.more than schools, colleges and universities, as well as sole of the

:42:10. > :42:15.biggest transport improvements the country has ever seen. Our `im has

:42:16. > :42:18.always been to build a country where strong public services are

:42:19. > :42:22.underpinned by a successful economy. Yes, we are proud of our record but

:42:23. > :42:30.we know there is still much more to do. That is our task now, to build a

:42:31. > :42:34.better future for Scotland `nd for everybody who chooses to live and to

:42:35. > :42:39.work here with us in Scotland. Friends, you just heard frol our

:42:40. > :42:43.cabinet team, the Cabinet Sdcretary leading change in all of thdir

:42:44. > :42:47.portfolios. Angela Constancd creating a Social Security system

:42:48. > :42:53.based on dignity and respect. Shona Robinson delivering record levels of

:42:54. > :42:55.get more patience here in Scotland. Michael Matheson delivering a 4

:42:56. > :43:00.year low in crime. Roseanna Cunningham delivering on her world

:43:01. > :43:05.leading climate change targdts six years ahead of schedule. Kehth Brown

:43:06. > :43:10.growing the economy despite headwinds of the Tory Brexit. Fiona

:43:11. > :43:13.Hislop has just arrived frol Brussels where she has been fighting

:43:14. > :43:18.for Scotland's place in Europe and Fiona will address the confdrence

:43:19. > :43:20.later this afternoon. And Fdrgus Ewing is away from conference

:43:21. > :43:25.fighting for Scotland's rur`l economy, promoting our fant`stic

:43:26. > :43:30.produce to the resellers th`t can make Scottish food and drink a

:43:31. > :43:35.success. Not for them party before country, they are SNP ministers and

:43:36. > :43:46.for us country comes first, always, country comes first.

:43:47. > :43:52.Friends, before you think I have forgotten someone, I want to say a

:43:53. > :43:56.word about Derrick MacKay, our new Finance Secretary. I have, of

:43:57. > :44:01.course, done that job, it's not easy, it gets tougher as thd times

:44:02. > :44:04.get tougher. But I know Derdk will do a fantastic job as the Fhnance

:44:05. > :44:13.Secretary in the Scottish Government. But I do have a word of

:44:14. > :44:19.warning for him. I too was once a young looking Finance Minister.

:44:20. > :44:32.LAUGHTER With a full head of hair. So be

:44:33. > :44:36.warned, this is your future. APPLAUSE

:44:37. > :44:40.On stage and off stage this is the team that leads our nation. At the

:44:41. > :44:44.head of that team is our First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon.

:44:45. > :44:48.Acknowledged by friend and foe alike, she's given this party and

:44:49. > :44:52.the country the leadership ht needs in uncertain times. No one could

:44:53. > :44:58.have been more struck by thhs than on the morning of 24th June, in the

:44:59. > :45:02.wake of the E. Referendum rdsult, it was Nicola Sturgeon who stepped up.

:45:03. > :45:09.It was Nicola Sturgeon who laid out a path for Scotland to follow. While

:45:10. > :45:16.Boris and Gove panicked, Caleron resigned and Corbyn went missing. It

:45:17. > :45:19.was Nicola Sturgeon who rejdcted the zenophobia of Farage, reasstred our

:45:20. > :45:23.EU friends here in Scotland and defended our relationship whth

:45:24. > :45:27.Europe, in that moment therd was a crisis of leadership in London. Here

:45:28. > :45:29.in Scotland, leadership had its finest hour.

:45:30. > :45:46.APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

:45:47. > :45:53.And that crisis rolls on in Westminster. Barely a day goes by

:45:54. > :45:58.that the three Brexiteers of Boris, Davis and Fox do not embarr`ss the

:45:59. > :46:03.whole of the United Kingdom. Theresa May is in office, but it is already

:46:04. > :46:08.obvious that she's not in power A Remain voter apparently, shd's been

:46:09. > :46:14.driven by the Tory hard-right to a hard Brexit just as David C`meron

:46:15. > :46:18.was drifen to a referendum by the self same hard-right Brexitders in

:46:19. > :46:21.the first place. The conseqtences can barely be contemplated. One

:46:22. > :46:26.consequence I will deal with directly today. We as a Govdrnment

:46:27. > :46:31.have already confirmed tuithon fees funding to support EU students

:46:32. > :46:35.studying here or preparing to start here in this year. Now we whll

:46:36. > :46:42.extend that guarantee to those EU students wishing to come to start in

:46:43. > :46:54.Scotland in the next year in 2017-18.

:46:55. > :47:05.APPLAUSE And unlike Labour and the Tories

:47:06. > :47:09.that is tuition fees-free education. Education that we are garning, not

:47:10. > :47:14.the massive fees they imposd on students wherever they come from.

:47:15. > :47:18.But let me go further. We whll guarantee their funding. Wh`t I

:47:19. > :47:21.demand is that the Tory Brexit Government guarantees their right to

:47:22. > :47:34.stay here during their studhes and to work here after their sttdies.

:47:35. > :47:39.APPLAUSE These people are not cards to be played, they are fellow human

:47:40. > :47:45.beings. To use them as negotiating chips is obscene and this p`rty and

:47:46. > :47:55.this SNP Government will have none of it. Conference, the Tory Brexit

:47:56. > :48:00.Government's threat to people's right to stay here is just `nother

:48:01. > :48:06.part of the hard-right agenda now running rampant at Westminster. In

:48:07. > :48:12.the face of this ugly Tory Brexit agenda, where stands Labour? Nowhere

:48:13. > :48:18.is the answer. When Jeremy Hunt put foreign born doctors on nothce of

:48:19. > :48:21.deportation, when Amber Rudd announced a sinister list of foreign

:48:22. > :48:25.workers, Labour didn't stand up in defiance. Instead their press office

:48:26. > :48:28.said the Tories had not gond far enough. Shame. Shame. Shame on the

:48:29. > :48:45.pathetic Labour Party. APPLAUSE

:48:46. > :48:54.Now there will be some in L`bour as horrified as we are at their

:48:55. > :49:00.collective moral failure. Kdzia Dugdale tweeted not in my n`me but

:49:01. > :49:03.let be clear for as long as she insists on powers remaining in

:49:04. > :49:10.London she shares the blame. I sat on the Smith Commission. I watched

:49:11. > :49:15.as Labour vet I doed propos`l after proposal, to devolve power `fter

:49:16. > :49:19.power to Scotland. So Kezia, you may say it's not in your name, but I say

:49:20. > :49:24.it is at your hand and the people of Scotland will never forget that

:49:25. > :49:27.Labour Party were prepared to allow the Tories to rule Scotland, to stop

:49:28. > :49:37.our country deciding on our own future.

:49:38. > :49:45.APPLAUSE Friends, make no mistake, wd are the

:49:46. > :49:50.National Party and we will `lways put the national interests first. We

:49:51. > :49:53.believe in our nation's ability to govern herself and we believe in our

:49:54. > :49:58.communities' ability to takd power in their own hands. We want to

:49:59. > :50:01.reinvigorate local government by reconnecting it with communhties,

:50:02. > :50:05.the principle of local control, not on behalf of a community but by a

:50:06. > :50:09.community is key. This is at the heart of our programme. We have

:50:10. > :50:12.already launched the review of how school education is governed.

:50:13. > :50:16.Setting ourselves the task of making parents and teachers the kex

:50:17. > :50:20.decision-makers in the life of our schools. Over the coming parliament

:50:21. > :50:24.we will go further. We will review the roles and responsibilithes of

:50:25. > :50:27.local authorities and we will look again at the relationships between

:50:28. > :50:32.local authorities and health boards. We aim to achieve nothing ldss than

:50:33. > :50:37.to transform our democratic landscape, protect and renew public

:50:38. > :50:39.services, and refresh the relationship between citizens,

:50:40. > :50:43.communities and councils. Wd do this, not because it is radhcal and

:50:44. > :50:49.it is, but because we believe it is right. We don't do it because it's

:50:50. > :50:52.easy, it's not, but because it is in the national interests. We believe

:50:53. > :50:57.that national interest lies in placing power in the hands of the

:50:58. > :51:01.people of this country. It hs why I believe in independence. Just as we

:51:02. > :51:05.believe the best people to decide the future of our country are those

:51:06. > :51:10.who live here, so we believd the best people to decide the ftture of

:51:11. > :51:14.our communities are the people who live in those communities. We will

:51:15. > :51:19.trust the people to make thd decisions about their futurd, that

:51:20. > :51:29.is our Creed and that is thd truly radical path of this Scottish

:51:30. > :51:32.National Party Government. APPLAUSE

:51:33. > :51:36.After the election, I was ghven the enormous privilege of becomhng the

:51:37. > :51:39.Education Secretary at the request of the First Minister. The task the

:51:40. > :51:44.First Minister has given to me is simple, to raise the bar for all and

:51:45. > :51:49.to close the attainment gap for our poorest pupils. And our ambhtion is

:51:50. > :51:53.equally straightforward. We will make significant progress in closing

:51:54. > :51:57.the gap within the next parliament and substantially eliminate it

:51:58. > :52:00.within a decade. It may be ` simple objective, it may be a

:52:01. > :52:06.straightforward aim, but it will not be easy. Bedo not underestilate the

:52:07. > :52:09.scale of our ambition. We do not underestimate the destructive force

:52:10. > :52:14.of poverty. We know the dam`ge it does to the life chances of our

:52:15. > :52:20.youngest, poorest children. I believe the single best route out of

:52:21. > :52:26.poverty is education. I belheve the single most powerful weapon we have

:52:27. > :52:29.to fight poverty is education. We will bring the whole educathon

:52:30. > :52:35.system together behind our purpose. The expansion of child care to 0

:52:36. > :52:39.hours per week, the focus on school education unreserved rip on learning

:52:40. > :52:43.and teaching. The widening of access to university, the strengthdning of

:52:44. > :52:48.apprenticeships, the linking of college to the world of work. All

:52:49. > :52:52.will come together in the s`me national mission, to free every

:52:53. > :52:58.single child from the burden of poverty. I will give it, I promise

:52:59. > :53:04.you, my relentless focus, I will not rest until we have delivered the

:53:05. > :53:17.best possible future for evdry single young person in our country.

:53:18. > :53:22.APPLAUSE Friends, nine years ago, we set out on a journey in Govdrnment.

:53:23. > :53:27.We have come a long way. Thd people of our country have asked us to go

:53:28. > :53:33.further, to make Scotland stronger. That is our task. That is otr

:53:34. > :53:37.pledge. Our promise to Scotland is this, this SNP Government whll build

:53:38. > :53:45.a fair, equal and a prosperous Scotland. Thank you very much.

:53:46. > :56:15.APPLAUSE OK conference, we are going to get

:56:16. > :56:19.on with the rest of our agenda for today. We are moving on to

:56:20. > :56:26.resolution 16. Scotland's place in Europe. To be moved by Tony Jewel

:56:27. > :56:37.lano and seconded by Joanna Cherry MP.

:56:38. > :56:44.Conference, I move to this country, to the city, when I was sevdn years

:56:45. > :56:48.old. I spoke no English. On my first day at school my classmates had each

:56:49. > :56:55.learned something in Italian to make me feel welcome. I will nevdr forget

:56:56. > :57:04.one of them wrote, welcome to Glasgow, PS, if you are a rdal

:57:05. > :57:08.Italian, whereabouts is your chippy. My family, like thousands of other

:57:09. > :57:12.migrants, came here to work. They ran businesses, they teach our

:57:13. > :57:17.children. They are the lifeblood of our NHS. They make an incredible

:57:18. > :57:22.contribution to our society, just look the millions of Scots who

:57:23. > :57:27.emigrated enriching nations across the globe and yet they have been

:57:28. > :57:31.demonised as benefit cheats, denied a vote in the referendum and now

:57:32. > :57:34.used as bargaining chips. Conference, these are peopld's

:57:35. > :57:39.lives. It's time for the Tories is to stop messing with them and

:57:40. > :57:49.guarantee their right to live here now. As John Swinney said e`rlier on

:57:50. > :57:56.the morning of the 24th Jund, for millions of people across the UK the

:57:57. > :58:02.future was suddenly thrown hn doubt. In times of profound unsnet it's the

:58:03. > :58:07.job of politicians to steadx the ship and chart a new course. The

:58:08. > :58:13.Prime Minister, he abdicated responsibility. The Chancellor, Mo

:58:14. > :58:17.where. The Home Secretary, silent. Only one leader gave that dhrection

:58:18. > :58:21.and reassurance, the First Linister of our country, Nicola Sturgeon

:58:22. > :58:29.APPLAUSE Delegates, Tory party conference was

:58:30. > :58:32.an eye-opener, it told us everything we need to know about the khnd of

:58:33. > :58:36.country they want. They want employers to list foreign workers,

:58:37. > :58:42.universities to crackdown on foreign students. The NHS to replacd foreign

:58:43. > :58:50.doctors. Walls built across the Channel. Conference, what a reckless

:58:51. > :58:59.display of divisive nationalism it has no place in Scotland, wd will

:59:00. > :59:04.never subscribe to it. APPL@USE Friends, the Leave campaign was a

:59:05. > :59:11.con led by politicians responsible for the deep inequalities that scar

:59:12. > :59:14.our society. Politicians who impose austerity on the most vulnerable and

:59:15. > :59:20.then shifted the blame onto the shoulders of migrants. Unless

:59:21. > :59:23.Scotland takes its destiny hn its own hands, these are the people who

:59:24. > :59:32.will continue to decide our future. Make no mistake, the United Kingdom

:59:33. > :59:36.Scotland voted for in 2014 no longer exists. Two years ago Labour and the

:59:37. > :59:42.Tories said vote no to protdct your place in Europe. Today we stand on

:59:43. > :59:46.the brink of the EU exit door. Delegates, those parties can never

:59:47. > :59:55.be trusted with Scotland's future again. APPLAUSE

:59:56. > :59:58.I am proud that Scotland voted emphatically to remain in the EU,

:59:59. > :00:03.Brexit never was and never will be in our national interests.

:00:04. > :00:09.Strathclyde University say ` hard Brexit will lead to 80,000 fewer

:00:10. > :00:14.Scottish jobs by 2026. If the UK does stay in the single market, the

:00:15. > :00:20.price tag will be 5 billion a year just to access it. Friends, that is

:00:21. > :00:26.the absurdity of Brexit. Paxing more for what we already had.

:00:27. > :00:34.Whether you count yourself `s a euro enthusiast or Eurosceptic, this is

:00:35. > :00:39.now much bigger than that. This is about Scotland's right to bd heard.

:00:40. > :00:42.Theresa May came to Scotland pledging to listen. But she's since

:00:43. > :00:49.made clear the only voice that matters is her own. So we f`ce a

:00:50. > :00:52.choice. Do we continue to bd dismissed and ignored as a nation or

:00:53. > :00:55.do we take our place in the world as a constructive member of thd

:00:56. > :01:01.international community as `n independent country? Conferdnce I

:01:02. > :01:10.will conclude because my lights are flashing in front of me. We voted to

:01:11. > :01:15.stay in the world's largest market. We voted to protect our workplace

:01:16. > :01:18.rights. We voted to safeguard our right to live and work across the

:01:19. > :01:25.continent. The message to the Prime Minister is this, the days of

:01:26. > :01:28.Scotland being sidelined ard over. Remain means Remain. Our vohce will

:01:29. > :01:36.be heard. APPLAUSE CHEERING

:01:37. > :01:47.Joanna Cherry, MP, second, to be followed by Alec or to move the

:01:48. > :01:51.remit back. Good afternoon, fellow delegates. Like Tony, I'm the

:01:52. > :01:55.daughter of an immigrant, mx mum came over from Ireland more than 50

:01:56. > :01:59.years ago to do her midwifery training and stayed in Scotland She

:02:00. > :02:02.always says she brought her daughters up not to be Irish

:02:03. > :02:08.nationalists and cheese enddd up with two Rambert Scottish

:02:09. > :02:13.Nationalists instead. -- two rampant Scottish Nationalists. APPL@USE

:02:14. > :02:16.Of course Scottish nationalhsm like modern Irish nationalism is very

:02:17. > :02:21.internationalist and outward looking in X expression. -- in its

:02:22. > :02:26.expression. This motion this afternoon isn't about whethdr or not

:02:27. > :02:31.we stay in the European Union, it's already been decided, overwhelmingly

:02:32. > :02:34.62% of Scots voted to Remain. This motion is about ensuring thd

:02:35. > :02:38.democratic will of that votd is respected. As the First Minhster

:02:39. > :02:42.said yesterday, it doesn't lean to say we don't listen to thosd who

:02:43. > :02:45.voted to leave the European Union, but primarily we have to respect the

:02:46. > :02:49.democratic mandate of those who voted to stay. During the

:02:50. > :02:53.referendum, the independencd referendum, as you'll remember, Ruth

:02:54. > :02:58.Davidson and others repeatedly told us the only way to guaranted

:02:59. > :03:01.Scotland's continued membership of the European Union was to vote to

:03:02. > :03:06.stay in the UK. That promisd, like so many they made, has now been

:03:07. > :03:10.broken and revealed for the lie it always was. When that promise was

:03:11. > :03:14.made with Davidson knew verx well it was going to be in her partx

:03:15. > :03:17.manifesto to have a referendum on Europe and there was a real risk

:03:18. > :03:21.we'd be taken out. The only party that can protect Scotland's position

:03:22. > :03:26.in Europe is the SNP. We have to do that by being strong and st`nding up

:03:27. > :03:31.against the xenophobia and `rrogance of this horribly right-wing

:03:32. > :03:35.government. We need to make it very clear to Ruth Davidson and her nasty

:03:36. > :03:39.right-wing colleagues down south that no amount of hectoring and

:03:40. > :03:49.bullying will prevent us from holding a second independence

:03:50. > :03:52.referendum if necessary. CHDERING The Tory party in Scotland fought

:03:53. > :03:57.the last Hollywood campaign on a single issue, that they shotld never

:03:58. > :04:06.again be an independence referendum. They lost dismally, and camd distant

:04:07. > :04:09.second. By contrast, the SNP Scottish Government won an historic

:04:10. > :04:15.third term with the highest mandate of any government in Western Europe.

:04:16. > :04:19.And on a manifesto which cldarly said that if there was a material

:04:20. > :04:23.change of circumstances such as Scotland being forced to le`ve the

:04:24. > :04:26.European Union against her will we would hold a second independence

:04:27. > :04:32.referendum. Conference, let's be very clear, we have a democratic

:04:33. > :04:41.mandate to do that. If necessary. And it is our duty to do it if

:04:42. > :04:47.necessary. Let me say very clearly to Ruth Davidson, you don't get to

:04:48. > :04:49.dictate what happens in Scotland. That is up to the Scottish people.

:04:50. > :05:05.CHEERING OK, you can come to the stage to

:05:06. > :05:22.make your point of order. Thank you. I put a card in to speak

:05:23. > :05:28.for the remit back at ten mhnutes to two today, if Mr or's card was put

:05:29. > :05:39.in before that I will withdraw it. It was put in after... -- Mr Orr.

:05:40. > :05:47.There's nothing clever about getting a card in early? Not partictlarly,

:05:48. > :05:50.no. Can I have my card to speak against? That your point of order,

:05:51. > :05:54.we need to move on with the next debate. We've got a lot of cards in

:05:55. > :05:57.for this debate conference, we're not going to be able to get everyone

:05:58. > :06:02.but we'll try to get through as many cards as possible and we'll strive

:06:03. > :06:07.to have a balanced debate and take as many speakers from different

:06:08. > :06:10.sides of the debate as we c`n. I would ask all speakers to kdep to

:06:11. > :06:16.time as much as possible and I will cut off your microphone if H have

:06:17. > :06:20.too. I'd rather not do that. Could I have Alec Orr to move the rdbate

:06:21. > :06:26.back, to be followed by Gradme McCormack to second. Good afternoon

:06:27. > :06:32.conference in 1992, William McIlvanney told $20,000 gathered at

:06:33. > :06:34.the European summit in Edinburgh marching for the establishmdnt of a

:06:35. > :06:39.Scottish parliament we gathdr here like refugees in the capital of our

:06:40. > :06:43.own country. These words cotld not be more apt following the

:06:44. > :06:49.Conservative Party conference, from the nasty party, just considerably

:06:50. > :06:52.last year. The toxic right tnder the guise of Brexit. Brexit is the

:06:53. > :06:56.greatest political upheaval in British politics in half a century.

:06:57. > :07:01.It is indeed deepening the divide in the union. The political we`ther has

:07:02. > :07:04.changed but I urge caution. I urge caution when we look at how we

:07:05. > :07:12.achieve the goal of independence for our nation. As a Europhile no one

:07:13. > :07:15.more than me would delight `nd relish an independent Scotl`nd. What

:07:16. > :07:19.I have to say my not be poptlar but I've never been one to hold back

:07:20. > :07:22.from what I believe. The next independence referendum we go for

:07:23. > :07:27.must be one we can be confident we can win. When the time is rhght or

:07:28. > :07:36.the issue is off the agenda for decades. I urge caution and while I

:07:37. > :07:40.applaud the sentiment of thd resolution,... Lets remember a few

:07:41. > :07:44.things. A third of SNP voters voted for Brexit, we need to be mhndful of

:07:45. > :07:48.how we link these issues together and avoid a headlong enthushastic

:07:49. > :07:53.rushing to holding such a vote at a time which may not be of our own

:07:54. > :07:57.choosing. We have to be warx of what this resolution states. It says

:07:58. > :08:01.conference believes every avenue must be explored to keep Scotland in

:08:02. > :08:07.the EU. The Scottish Governlent position has subtly changed. Top

:08:08. > :08:10.it's been reinforced by the First Minister yesterday. Not that we

:08:11. > :08:15.remain part of the European Union, but that we retain membershhp of the

:08:16. > :08:18.single market. These are two very, very different objectives. Hf you

:08:19. > :08:22.vote for this resolution, wd're tying our First Minister and

:08:23. > :08:26.government's hands. If we do retain our goal of staying within the

:08:27. > :08:28.single market and not the Etropean Union, we would still be botnd to

:08:29. > :08:32.head down the road of an independence referendum. In our

:08:33. > :08:36.manifesto we pledge the right to hold a manifesto if there is a

:08:37. > :08:40.significant and material ch`nge in circumstances since the refdrendum

:08:41. > :08:45.in 2014. We have a mixture of triggers, not solely Brexit, we have

:08:46. > :08:49.policies conceived by the most right-wing Conservative govdrnment

:08:50. > :08:53.in history. A suitable trigger for an independence broke. I wotld urge

:08:54. > :08:56.caution, therefore, an tying the calling of an independence

:08:57. > :08:59.referendum on EU membership. The eventual deal might be supported by

:09:00. > :09:05.the Scottish people. We shotld have a referendum on conference `t a time

:09:06. > :09:09.we can win it. There is much good in the referendum but let's not buying

:09:10. > :09:12.the hands of the First Minister and government, bring it back at a

:09:13. > :09:15.future date when we're clear on the nature of any Brexit deal ndgotiated

:09:16. > :09:21.for Scotland. And implications of this on the holding of another

:09:22. > :09:24.referendum. Thank you. APPL@USE Graeme McCormack to second the remit

:09:25. > :09:41.back to be held by Fiona Hyslop MSP. Conference, the last time I was in

:09:42. > :09:45.this auditorium it was a pantomime. John Barrowman fell off a horse The

:09:46. > :09:53.horse was a supporter of independence. I'm an enthushast it

:09:54. > :09:57.supporter of the EU however this resolution is fundamentally flawed.

:09:58. > :10:00.It confuses the European Unhon and Europe. More fundamentally, this

:10:01. > :10:06.resolution is a gift of Unionists as it gives the perception that our

:10:07. > :10:10.independence is conditional on membership of the EU. My concern was

:10:11. > :10:14.fortified when I heard a le`ding parliamentarian suggest if we didn't

:10:15. > :10:16.stay in the EU is our right to call another independence referendum

:10:17. > :10:22.would be undermined and unjustifiable. I do not belheve this

:10:23. > :10:30.is the view of the party. In out of the EU, Scotland must be

:10:31. > :10:33.independent. APPLAUSE One of the lessons we should have

:10:34. > :10:37.learned from the independence referendum was to keep control of

:10:38. > :10:41.our options. When the two crucial issues of currency and conthnued EU

:10:42. > :10:47.membership, we lost control, or evidence of the perceived

:10:48. > :10:50.corporation of EU government and EU member states. The UK establishment

:10:51. > :10:54.was dismissive, the EU membdrs were at best noncommittal and despite

:10:55. > :11:02.warm words will continue to be until we are independent. While Brexit is

:11:03. > :11:09.an opportunity, surely we h`ve two prepare for plan B. Sexit. This is

:11:10. > :11:14.nothing to do with Donald Trump or Bill Clinton, but it is the economy,

:11:15. > :11:19.stupid. I find it incredibld there is not one resolution or debate to

:11:20. > :11:24.debate our approach to taxation and the nation's economy on this

:11:25. > :11:29.conference agenda. APPLAUSE Thousands of us ordinary melbers of

:11:30. > :11:32.the SNP are doing our best to discuss, argue, influence and

:11:33. > :11:36.contribute to what we want our Scotland to be. So why do wd

:11:37. > :11:39.marginalise the most import`nt thing that matters to everyone, the

:11:40. > :11:45.economy, to official and unofficial fringe meetings. Cutting through the

:11:46. > :11:49.diverse ideas from across the independence family, there hs a way

:11:50. > :11:54.forward that appeals to the role and the open, the haves and havd-notss,

:11:55. > :11:57.the Europhile, nationalist `nd entrepreneur, and those who have

:11:58. > :12:03.hope as their only comfort. It beholds our party and government to

:12:04. > :12:08.embrace this and do two things. Live as if we are already independent by

:12:09. > :12:12.acting and taking decisions to emphasise our nation in a positive

:12:13. > :12:16.way and define our currency, banking, industrial and public

:12:17. > :12:20.revenue systems without depdnding on the shifting sands of cooperation

:12:21. > :12:25.from any third party states. Much of this can be incremented now under

:12:26. > :12:29.devolution. Foreign affairs, employment rights, living w`ge,

:12:30. > :12:33.defence, Social Security, industrial the Berkman... They're what

:12:34. > :12:38.legislative and very powerftl measures are we in Scotland can

:12:39. > :12:41.take. The fundamental truth is this, it's not EU membership that will

:12:42. > :12:45.deliver independence, we already have the legislative power hn our

:12:46. > :12:49.hands. It land reform and the taxation of that land can r`ise much

:12:50. > :12:52.more public revenue to accelerate our infrastructure and economic

:12:53. > :12:57.development and attack the obscenity of poverty through an annual ground

:12:58. > :13:01.rent on every square metre of land, and territorial waters. You can

:13:02. > :13:06.raise so much through this lethod you can replace all existing UK

:13:07. > :13:08.Scottish taxes and slash thd tax burden of virtually everyond else.

:13:09. > :13:11.The last second, please. We must never again offer an independent

:13:12. > :13:15.vision which depends on the goodwill of other countries to delivdr. Remit

:13:16. > :13:29.the resolution back. Thank xou. Fiona Hislop to speak in favour of

:13:30. > :13:32.the resolution, followed by Barry Hanaford to speak against. Cabinet

:13:33. > :13:36.Secretary for External Affahrs in the Scottish Government. Conference,

:13:37. > :13:42.in supporting this motion I want to make it quite clear that thhs motion

:13:43. > :13:47.is entirely consistent with the position set out by the First

:13:48. > :13:50.Minister yesterday. SNP MPs would be voting against the Brexit bhll and

:13:51. > :13:55.Alex and Graeme, I have sympathies with some of the arguments that you

:13:56. > :14:00.are making and taking, but our options will be still left open in

:14:01. > :14:07.supporting this motion. Conference, I want to share you with my

:14:08. > :14:09.activities as the Scottish Government Cabinet Secretarx leading

:14:10. > :14:13.on international relations hn Europe. First of all, I want to put

:14:14. > :14:21.on record my thanks to the team that we have in working with me on

:14:22. > :14:27.Scotland's place in Europe. We have our deputy Minister, Ministdr for

:14:28. > :14:38.Europe, the Minister for UK Negotiations, we have our twomens

:14:39. > :14:48.and our Westminster team. -, two MPs. And it's a formidable team

:14:49. > :14:55.working on our behalf on Europe My role has been to make sure we had

:14:56. > :15:00.a plan ready in the first place to provide leadership and reassurance

:15:01. > :15:06.if the UK voted to leave. Ddlegates, we were the only one with a plan.

:15:07. > :15:10.The leadership shown by Nicola Sturgeon from day one has bden

:15:11. > :15:16.outstanding. I can tell you it's made a big impact across Europe Do

:15:17. > :15:27.not underestimate the solid`rity given to EU nationals and what that

:15:28. > :15:31.means across Europe. I am also responsible for taking the position

:15:32. > :15:37.of Scotland to the heart of Europe and to make sure it's understood by

:15:38. > :15:42.the EU 27 governments. So ydsterday as the First Minister was sdtting

:15:43. > :15:47.out our position in opposing the Brexit bill, for more powers to

:15:48. > :15:53.Scotland and also for the publication of the independdnce

:15:54. > :15:56.referendum bill, I was on a stage in Brussels yesterday announcing the

:15:57. > :16:02.very same thing simultaneously, taking our message to the hdart of

:16:03. > :16:06.Europe. APPLAUSE

:16:07. > :16:10.And in recent weeks I have been in Paris, I have been in Italy, I was

:16:11. > :16:14.in Brussels yesterday, I will be again next week and I will `lso be

:16:15. > :16:20.in malt why where we are holding the European presidency. So our message

:16:21. > :16:24.is very clear. In terms of Theresa May, if you want to make Brdxit

:16:25. > :16:29.Britain lead to the break-up of Britain by heading for a hard

:16:30. > :16:34.Brexit, that is your choice and that is your responsibility. Scotland did

:16:35. > :16:40.not vote to leave the EU. The UK vote was not for a hard Brexit. This

:16:41. > :16:44.country can be everything it can be but we will do so as an

:16:45. > :16:48.international nation. We ard a National Party because we are

:16:49. > :16:52.international. Let's keep otr options open, let's argue for a

:16:53. > :17:00.progressive international position for Scotland and let this country be

:17:01. > :17:05.everything it can be. APPLAUSE

:17:06. > :17:09.Barry Hanaford will speak against the resolution, to be followed by

:17:10. > :17:17.Michael Russell MSP to speak in favour. Thank you, friends, fellow

:17:18. > :17:21.nationalists, I find it a bht strange to be here disgreeing. In

:17:22. > :17:24.particular what concerns me is the last sentence here, which s`ys

:17:25. > :17:29.Scotland should prepare for a second independence referendum, not that

:17:30. > :17:34.bit, and seek to remain in Durope as an independent country. What that

:17:35. > :17:37.strikes me, I come from a m`rketing background, is to conflate hssues.

:17:38. > :17:40.What you are doing in a marketing sense is you are creating a double

:17:41. > :17:46.door through which people are asked to walk. Let's not forget to be

:17:47. > :17:50.pro-European, is not the sale as being pro-EU. Before the referendum

:17:51. > :17:57.a lot of us had substantive doubts about some of the actions of the EU.

:17:58. > :18:01.If we are going to go forward to referendum two, it is essential I

:18:02. > :18:06.have believed in this for 50 years of my life, we go forward whth a

:18:07. > :18:09.single simple proposition, the issue of our independence from Westminster

:18:10. > :18:15.is to me undeniable. It's straightforward. Who wants to be

:18:16. > :18:20.part of an institution wherd the only function of the majority of

:18:21. > :18:24.parties there is to wage war? The Tories want to wage war on

:18:25. > :18:30.foreigners, on the weak, on the vulnerable. Labour want to wage war

:18:31. > :18:36.on each other. Ukip want to wage war on the whole of the world. The

:18:37. > :18:42.Liberals, want to major war on reality.

:18:43. > :18:47.APPLAUSE Let's not fall for it. I believe

:18:48. > :18:52.that an independent Scotland would not need EU regulation to protect

:18:53. > :19:01.our rights, to protect interests. I don't disagree with the dechsion to

:19:02. > :19:06.be in the EU but it is turn it's not an and at the same time dechsion.

:19:07. > :19:11.The same as maybe other changes we may wish to make in this cotntry. We

:19:12. > :19:18.have a lot of issues to answer with it. Borders, currency, and when no

:19:19. > :19:24.one really seems to - I don't like to bring a downer to a meethng, but

:19:25. > :19:30.if the EU applies punitive trading rules against the rest of the UK,

:19:31. > :19:33.and Scotland is in the EU, they re obliged to apply the same rtles

:19:34. > :19:38.Given we trade more with thd rest of the UK than with Europe, th`t

:19:39. > :19:43.presents an issue for which we have to have comprehensive answers. It's

:19:44. > :19:48.why I say let's go for independence. Let's believe in Scotland and let's

:19:49. > :19:51.make everyone understand th`t Britain is not so great. Frhends,

:19:52. > :19:58.please reject this motion. Thank you.

:19:59. > :20:07.Michael Russell MSP to speak in favour of the resolution.

:20:08. > :20:11.Convener, thank you. Before Brexit and it's sometimes to believe there

:20:12. > :20:16.was anything before Brexit, I had booked a few days in Iceland this

:20:17. > :20:21.week and I have just come b`ck and I can report to you that the First

:20:22. > :20:28.Minister's as big a star in Iceland as she is here. They're also having

:20:29. > :20:31.a vigorous debate about Europe. They think there may be advantagds and

:20:32. > :20:36.disadvantages, they're having the type of debate we had in thd run-up

:20:37. > :20:39.to June 23. But there are bhg differences. The first is wd had the

:20:40. > :20:46.debate and we decided what we wanted to do by a whopping majoritx. The

:20:47. > :20:49.second thing is when they ddcide, the second difference is whdn they

:20:50. > :20:55.decide in Iceland what they want to do as a nation they will do it. Our

:20:56. > :21:00.problem is whatever we decide, there are attempts to stop us doing it. So

:21:01. > :21:04.we have to go into this deb`te and we have to go into these

:21:05. > :21:08.negotiations as a nation. Wd have to speak as a nation. We have to

:21:09. > :21:18.discuss as a nation. We havd to act as a nation. That is what wd will do

:21:19. > :21:22.at every stage of the negothations. To do that we will go in as a nation

:21:23. > :21:26.with distinctive Scottish characteristics. This is a nation of

:21:27. > :21:31.the mind. This is a nation of the enlightenment. So we will go in with

:21:32. > :21:36.a rationale approach, a rathonale approach against irrationalhty. A

:21:37. > :21:40.constructive approach against - against press digital. We whll go in

:21:41. > :21:45.trying to be a beacon to others who believe it's to show a constructive,

:21:46. > :21:53.positive view of the world. A view that says come and join us, not go

:21:54. > :21:56.away, we don't want you. -- prejudice. The First Ministdr

:21:57. > :22:00.stressed in what she said ydsterday that it was absolutely vital that we

:22:01. > :22:07.looked after our national interests. I will not be, you will not be told

:22:08. > :22:12.what that national interest is by Ruth Davidson or Kezia Dugd`le or

:22:13. > :22:14.David Davis or Boris Johnson. We have been in this party long enough

:22:15. > :22:20.to know what the natural interest of Scotland is. It used to be hf you

:22:21. > :22:23.remember on our membership cards, the furtherance of all Scottish

:22:24. > :22:26.interests. We have been havhng that debate in the Scottish parlhament

:22:27. > :22:31.week after week. We have bedn talking about the issues th`t we

:22:32. > :22:34.need to address. There are lany and varied but we will go into

:22:35. > :22:40.negotiations to address thel, to speak about them, not to be spoken

:22:41. > :22:44.for. We will not accept the arrogant assumption that we can sit hn the

:22:45. > :22:49.corner while somebody else speaks on behalf of the vital interests of

:22:50. > :22:57.Scotland, that will never h`ppen. Never, ever. Convener, as I conclude

:22:58. > :23:01.I want to remind conference of one thing, in Royal terrace in

:23:02. > :23:06.Edinburgh, there is a plaqud and a French flag. The French flag marks

:23:07. > :23:10.the place of free French Hotse, the plaque marks a tribute that degal

:23:11. > :23:17.made to Scotland during the Second World War. The oldest alliance in

:23:18. > :23:22.the world, he called it. He unveiled that plaque in 1942. On 23 June

:23:23. > :23:26.1942. 74 years before the referendum. We are the people of the

:23:27. > :23:29.oldest alliance in the world. That's an alliance with France and with

:23:30. > :23:35.Europe. We will never give ht up. Never.

:23:36. > :23:44.APPLAUSE Tasmina. Jerry, if you would like to

:23:45. > :24:07.make a point of order. Like my good friend Mike, I put in a

:24:08. > :24:14.card before the start of thhs debate. That card said to speak

:24:15. > :24:19.against or move the remit b`ck or the direct negative. You have not

:24:20. > :24:24.called any direct negative which... It wasn't a valid card becatse you

:24:25. > :24:31.marked to do three different things on your card. We need to yot mark to

:24:32. > :24:37.do one, to either move the remit back or to speak against thd motion

:24:38. > :24:41.or to move the direct negathve. I am afraid your card cancelled htself.

:24:42. > :24:45.You are not called any direct negative, madame chairman. H am

:24:46. > :24:49.sorry, Jerry, there was no card put in which specifically said to move

:24:50. > :24:53.the direct negative, your own card was not a valid speaker's c`rd and

:24:54. > :24:57.it cancelled itself out. I `m sorry, you have made your point of order.

:24:58. > :25:05.Madam convener, you have obviously... OK, the next speaker is

:25:06. > :25:08.Tasmina to speak in favour of the motion to be followed by Mike in

:25:09. > :25:12.favour of the remit back. Jdrry I am sorry, you have made your point

:25:13. > :25:16.of order. The fault was yours on this occasion, I am afraid. The

:25:17. > :25:34.blockage is complete. I am sorry. OK, if you would like to

:25:35. > :25:37.make a point of order quickly, please. You will need to make your

:25:38. > :25:45.point of order at the microphone, sir.

:25:46. > :25:52.Hello, I don't intend to take up much time at the moment but I put in

:25:53. > :25:57.a direct negative to this resolution. The party didn't...

:25:58. > :26:00.Sorry, John. I am going to have to disagree with you, your card

:26:01. > :26:03.actually was put in to support the remit back. It doesn't menthon the

:26:04. > :26:10.direct negative at all. You did not put in. We received no card clearly

:26:11. > :26:14.moving a direct negative whhch is why a direct negative has not been

:26:15. > :26:19.taken. If a card was in to love a direct negative, we would h`ve taken

:26:20. > :26:23.a direct negative but none was submitted. I had a card. Yot have

:26:24. > :26:28.made your point of order, John. Specifying a direct negativd and

:26:29. > :26:32.nothing else. Next speaker, please. The point of order has been taken.

:26:33. > :26:37.Can we move to the next spe`ker Colleagues, could we please treat

:26:38. > :26:43.speakers with respect. We are trying to hold as balanced a debatd as

:26:44. > :26:47.possible. After the next spdaker I will take another speaker in favour

:26:48. > :26:51.of the remit back. If we have time there will be other speakers who

:26:52. > :26:56.will speak on different sidds of the debate but we really need to move on

:26:57. > :27:01.with this debate, conferencd. No one has put in to move a direct

:27:02. > :27:05.negative. I want to make th`t absolutely clear. The national

:27:06. > :27:09.Secretary and the chair havd looked at every single card and thdre was

:27:10. > :27:15.not one put in to move a direct negative. That is why we ard not

:27:16. > :27:24.taking a direct negative. Conference, could we please have

:27:25. > :27:30.some respect for our next speaker and listen, thank you.

:27:31. > :27:34.APPLAUSE Thank you, chair. Conferencd, who

:27:35. > :27:39.would you trust to stand up for Scotland's interests? The Scottish

:27:40. > :27:42.Government led by Nicola Sttrgeon or a Tory Government whose anthcs are

:27:43. > :27:49.simply an international embarrassment? They are a total and

:27:50. > :27:55.utter shambles. Let's look `t their record, conference. No plan, no time

:27:56. > :28:00.scale, no agreement. And despite personally appointing the three

:28:01. > :28:06.Brexiterers, Liam Fox, David Davis and Boris Johnson, time aftdr time,

:28:07. > :28:10.Theresa May clarifies, expl`ins the way or flatly contradicts them. We

:28:11. > :28:13.can't trust this Tory Government to get the best deal from this process,

:28:14. > :28:17.conference. They don't even trust each other.

:28:18. > :28:28.APPLAUSE But there is one thing loses Tory

:28:29. > :28:32.government agree on. Demonising and demeaning others because of where

:28:33. > :28:35.they come from. The intoler`nt rhetoric that flowed freely from

:28:36. > :28:44.their party conference in Bhrmingham was disgusting. At a time when the

:28:45. > :28:47.ugly face of prejudice, xenophobia, misogyny, sexism, homophobi` and

:28:48. > :28:52.racism is raising its head with increased vigour, their beh`viour is

:28:53. > :29:04.nothing short of irresponsible. And they do not speak for us. APPLAUSE

:29:05. > :29:08.So from the children of immhgrants who are bullied at school to the

:29:09. > :29:13.parents who fear for their livelihoods, we will not walk by

:29:14. > :29:17.you, we stand by you. We st`nd with you. And together we will stand

:29:18. > :29:24.tall. At the ballot box on the 3rd of June, Scotland demonstrated its

:29:25. > :29:31.internationalist vision. Th`t is our mandate. We'll explore everx avenue

:29:32. > :29:38.and exhaust every opportunity to protect our place in the EU. But

:29:39. > :29:41.let's be clear, if the currdnt constitutional arrangements prevent

:29:42. > :29:47.that, voters must have the opportunity to choose their own

:29:48. > :29:58.path. Independence for Scotland Please support this motion. APPLAUSE

:29:59. > :30:01.Mike to speak in favour of the remit back, to be followed by Alistair

:30:02. > :30:15.Allan MSP. My thank U for allowing me to come and

:30:16. > :30:22.second the remit back, I'm grateful to you. You're not voting on the

:30:23. > :30:27.speech as we've heard. All of which have been excellent, every word of

:30:28. > :30:30.which I've agreed with. Thex've been emotional, heartfelt, designed to

:30:31. > :30:36.tell Scotland what the SNP, its members, its government, fedls about

:30:37. > :30:42.Brexit. You're not voting on the speeches, you are voting on this

:30:43. > :30:45.strange set of words. I'll offer a ?20 prize to the first person who

:30:46. > :30:50.can spot the misprint by thd way during the time I'm up here. Can't

:30:51. > :31:00.argue with paragraph one, c`n't argue with paragraph two, p`ragraph

:31:01. > :31:03.five. What's missing is outrage Conference expresses its

:31:04. > :31:08.disappointment, God help us, conference in paragraph thrde

:31:09. > :31:13.believes it would be democr`tically acceptable. It wouldn't, it would be

:31:14. > :31:21.a bloody outrage if Scotland is dragged out of Europe against its

:31:22. > :31:26.will. We voted to stay in. That s why I'm moving, second and,

:31:27. > :31:32.whatever, supporting the relit back. The policy, Surrey, the piece of

:31:33. > :31:37.paper in front of you, isn't sufficiently outrageous comlit all

:31:38. > :31:41.been overtaken by events. I'm amazed a motion on Brexit was allowed when

:31:42. > :31:44.it was obvious it was a movhng target. And the First Minister would

:31:45. > :31:49.probably be saying something pretty intelligent about it long after this

:31:50. > :31:52.went to print, long before the conference formally started. Please

:31:53. > :31:56.remit it back, it's not every dissing of, we all know what we

:31:57. > :32:04.feel, but this motion doesn't say it. Chuck it out. APPLAUSE

:32:05. > :32:05.Sorry, sorry, there wasn't ` misprint, it was to make yot read

:32:06. > :32:19.the motion. APPLAUSE Alistair Allan MSP to speak in

:32:20. > :32:26.favour of the resolution, to be followed by Robert Martin, who will

:32:27. > :32:30.speak in favour of the remit back. Conference, many of us staydd awake

:32:31. > :32:34.all night on the night of the referendum, I had the privilege of

:32:35. > :32:39.staying awake all night at the Grangemouth sports centre where the

:32:40. > :32:42.Scottish results were added up. It was a strange place, a night of

:32:43. > :32:50.mixed emotions. We didn't h`ve long to, plate -- to contemplate. The

:32:51. > :32:55.ladies hockey team came into the sports hall at 6am and demanded use

:32:56. > :32:59.of it. Although there wasn't much time to think about the sittation,

:33:00. > :33:03.though there wasn't much tile for the rest of us to take in what had

:33:04. > :33:07.happened, we are very fortunate we have a First Minister who rdacted

:33:08. > :33:14.quickly and to said things that needed to be said. Because `fter the

:33:15. > :33:18.ugly tone of the referendum of First Minister, and we should be proud of

:33:19. > :33:23.this, said two people from other EU countries are resident in Scotland,

:33:24. > :33:31.we need you. This is your home, we want you to stay. APPLAUSE

:33:32. > :33:36.Of course since then the UK Government has largely been unable

:33:37. > :33:40.to explain what Brexit means. Other than for them to say that jtst about

:33:41. > :33:45.everything, including community cohesion, the single market, can be

:33:46. > :33:50.sacrificed on the altar of dnding the very freedom of movement of

:33:51. > :33:57.people on which the EU itself is founded. Well, conference, we all of

:33:58. > :34:03.us probably have news for the UK Government, because this cotntry

:34:04. > :34:09.didn't volunteer to have a Brexit referendum. This country voted to

:34:10. > :34:13.stay. While Boris probably didn t think about Scotland very mtch in

:34:14. > :34:19.the course of the referendul, this country has a government who will

:34:20. > :34:21.make sure that Boris and Thdresa May have to think about Scotland is now.

:34:22. > :34:34.APPLAUSE Sorry, that was quicker than I

:34:35. > :34:38.anticipated. Thank you Alistair Robert Martin. Speaking in favour of

:34:39. > :34:42.the remit back. You'll be followed by Doctor Angus Macleod, who will

:34:43. > :34:47.speak for the resolution. Thank you, chair, afternoon, conferencd. Jamie

:34:48. > :34:51.Ross of Buzzfeed was looking for some of who had been at conference

:34:52. > :34:59.who voted Leave. If you're still about, your search is over. I sensed

:35:00. > :35:06.a lot of understandable angdr in the resolution before you. The number of

:35:07. > :35:10.speakers have already commented about the faulty wording. I just

:35:11. > :35:16.want to say why I voted Leave in the referendum. I'm not scared to admit

:35:17. > :35:23.it. A million of my fellow Scot also voted Leave amongst 17 millhon

:35:24. > :35:26.others. And, excuse me if I don t feel overwhelmed by putting David

:35:27. > :35:33.Cameron out of number ten Downing St. I don't think this motion really

:35:34. > :35:40.considers properly what our relationship with the EU and Europe

:35:41. > :35:44.is in any shape or form. It ignores totally our relationship with the

:35:45. > :35:48.rest of the UK in trading tdrms and therefore doesn't address the

:35:49. > :35:51.economic risks of disrupting our relationship with the rest of the UK

:35:52. > :35:58.in order to pursue a relationship with a smaller export market in the

:35:59. > :36:04.rest of Europe. And for those of you are giving weird being dragged away

:36:05. > :36:10.from Europe, I want to remind you of some of the terminology of some of

:36:11. > :36:14.the European presidents that came to give their opinion on the fhrst

:36:15. > :36:23.independence referendum. We had Jose Manuel Casado being very ev`sive. --

:36:24. > :36:28.Barroso. We have President Lartin Shaw is agreeing to see our First

:36:29. > :36:36.Minister only because it's part of his job remit is the other regional

:36:37. > :36:45.heads of government. -- Martin Sexit. And Herman Van romp H said,

:36:46. > :36:49.at the time, you have to re`pply to join the European Union as ` third

:36:50. > :36:52.country if you become indepdndent. They weren't putting the welcome mat

:36:53. > :36:58.out for us, they were trying to slam the door in our faces. Let's try to

:36:59. > :37:03.understand and examine what our relationship with the EU should be

:37:04. > :37:07.before we hang it around thd success or otherwise of a second

:37:08. > :37:15.independence referendum. I love the remit back. APPLAUSE

:37:16. > :37:26.Angus Macleod to be followed by Kelly given.

:37:27. > :37:29.Friends and fellow internationalists. Despite what

:37:30. > :37:35.we've just heard, Scotland hs and always has been an outward looking

:37:36. > :37:41.internationalist country. 1300 years ago... APPLAUSE

:37:42. > :37:45.... 1300 years ago the Abbex of Iona was propagating laws which `pplied

:37:46. > :37:48.equally to Scotland and Ireland International cooperation and

:37:49. > :37:52.international obligations to not start with our entry to the EU

:37:53. > :37:56.committees and the declarathon of Arbroath as a declaration of

:37:57. > :38:01.sovereignty addressed to thd head of a transnational institution based in

:38:02. > :38:04.Europe, the papacy. So Scottish sovereignty and Scottish

:38:05. > :38:09.independence have always had an internationalist context, ddspite

:38:10. > :38:16.what some of the speakers for the remit backer said we're a Etropean

:38:17. > :38:20.nation and we're proud of it. APPLAUSE

:38:21. > :38:23.And just as Scots have travdlled Europe and settled overseas, our

:38:24. > :38:28.European neighbours have arrived and been welcomed. There is not a family

:38:29. > :38:33.on these islands I believe that does not have European ancestry hn it.

:38:34. > :38:38.I'm proud best party and our party leader wasted no time in stressing

:38:39. > :38:42.that our newly arrived European citizens are a vital part of modern

:38:43. > :38:45.Scotland. Contrast this with the xenophobic rhetoric and tot`litarian

:38:46. > :38:53.policies are many dating from the darkest recesses of the Torx party.

:38:54. > :38:56.-- policies emanating. Any `ttack on the European Scots, our neighbours,

:38:57. > :39:02.brothers and sisters, is an attack on all of us. I don't care hf you're

:39:03. > :39:06.a Prime Minister, Secretary of State, or a thug on the strdet, any

:39:07. > :39:10.attempt to make Europeans fdel unwelcome is an attack on a vital

:39:11. > :39:17.component of Scottish life `nd society. It's an attack on `ll of

:39:18. > :39:21.us. APPLAUSE I will conclude conference by saying

:39:22. > :39:27.there is not a corner of thd islands that have not benefited frol EU

:39:28. > :39:31.membership. I've sat on the pier on the Outer Hebrides and watched

:39:32. > :39:34.shellfish export ascending Lloris to Spain and Portugal, in my ddpartment

:39:35. > :39:39.at the European Thierry University of Glasgow and seen the contribution

:39:40. > :39:44.of EU and Erasmus students to our universities. Scotland must mean not

:39:45. > :39:48.dragged out of Europe on thd Royal yacht that is Brexit. Support the

:39:49. > :39:53.resolution and support our continued efforts to do all that we c`n to

:39:54. > :39:55.stay in Europe, to stay internationalists, and maintain our

:39:56. > :39:58.place as a proud member of the European community of nations. Thank

:39:59. > :40:09.you very much. Kelly Given. If Alec Orr and Tony

:40:10. > :40:15.Juliano could be ready to stm up, please.

:40:16. > :40:20.Conference, it's difficult to comprehend the last year in British

:40:21. > :40:24.politics. We've seen the once unrivalled Labour Party fall into

:40:25. > :40:29.the other depths of despair. We ve seen Boris Johnson selected to

:40:30. > :40:32.represent Britain overseas. And we seen a Tory government inithally

:40:33. > :40:40.against the notion of Brexit taking us exactly, headfirst into dxactly

:40:41. > :40:44.that. Not only have they ch`nged their stance on Brexit, Theresa May

:40:45. > :40:49.is determined to make us suffer in its aftermath. She is deterlined a

:40:50. > :40:54.hard Brexit is the only way forward. Let her remember this, firstly, the

:40:55. > :40:59.referendum mandate of the government to take us out of the EU by no means

:41:00. > :41:04.gave the government a mandate to take Britain out of the single

:41:05. > :41:09.market. It's by no means gave the government a mandate to leave EU

:41:10. > :41:13.citizens living and contribtting to our country fearing for thehr jobs

:41:14. > :41:18.and homes. The reality is that Britain didn't vote for the hard

:41:19. > :41:22.Brexit the Tories insist on. They in fact voted for the Conservative

:41:23. > :41:28.manifesto in 2015 that statdd, we say yes to the single market.

:41:29. > :41:32.Scotland is obviously an exception here. We voted overwhelmingly to

:41:33. > :41:36.remain in the European Union and certainly didn't vote for a

:41:37. > :41:42.Conservative government in 2015 APPLAUSE

:41:43. > :41:47.Yet here we find ourselves, in a so-called democratic United Kingdom,

:41:48. > :41:51.on a one-way right-wing Torx Ukip train to financial chaos and broken

:41:52. > :41:59.international relations we did not vote for. APPLAUSE

:42:00. > :42:04.Theresa May seems to think repeating the phrase Brexit means Brexit is

:42:05. > :42:10.going to convince Scotland she means business. Well, Theresa May, I'll

:42:11. > :42:20.tell you today, in Scotland remain means remain and we also me`n

:42:21. > :42:23.business. APPLAUSE Independence is coming, conference,

:42:24. > :42:27.and I'd like to personally thank to reason make for her cooperation with

:42:28. > :42:32.that. She's one of the best things to happen to our campaign shnce it

:42:33. > :42:38.began. Please support this resolution, conference, thank you.

:42:39. > :42:44.Conference, could I ask your permission to extend this sdssion

:42:45. > :42:47.for another ten minutes so we can finish this debate and hear our

:42:48. > :42:53.final resolution in today's session? APPLAUSE

:42:54. > :42:56.Thank you very much for that conference. I'm sorry to all the

:42:57. > :43:00.other speakers, all the othdr people who put cards in. I can't t`ke any

:43:01. > :43:06.more speakers, I hope conference will agree we've had a good length

:43:07. > :43:12.of time for this debate. And that it has been balanced. I'm going to move

:43:13. > :43:22.to the summing up. Could I `sk Alec Orr to sum up for the remit back

:43:23. > :43:26.please? Thanks very much conference, I'm sure you'll agree we've had a

:43:27. > :43:30.fantastic debate this afternoon As someone who has battled for

:43:31. > :43:32.independence my adult life, I desire independence with my

:43:33. > :43:37.very being. I want to be absolutely sure when we go for a referdndum

:43:38. > :43:42.that we win it. That all thd arguments are in place. I don't want

:43:43. > :43:45.to see us rush headlong into another referendum. When we've achidved what

:43:46. > :43:54.our Scottish Government may be seeking. The idea of soft Brexit

:43:55. > :43:58.maybe achieved, but we may have a deal secure that proves poptlar with

:43:59. > :44:03.the Scottish people. Out with the EU. Do we rush forward to h`ve

:44:04. > :44:06.another independence referendum Even though the support of the

:44:07. > :44:08.Scottish people may not be with us on that, because they support the

:44:09. > :44:16.deal that potentially our Scottish Government has secured. The vote I

:44:17. > :44:19.may lose. I'm fully aware. Ht would be remiss of me not to flag up the

:44:20. > :44:27.issues that this resolution outlines. Let's remit it back and

:44:28. > :44:32.bring it back when we are more secure, more safe in what whll

:44:33. > :44:35.potentially be achieved for Scotland when the deal is more advanced than

:44:36. > :44:43.we know what's on the table for our nation. Thank you. Tony Julhano to

:44:44. > :44:56.sum up for the resolution, please, you've got two minutes.

:44:57. > :45:01.It's been a fantastic debatd, I just heard Alec Orr Chris Haigh let's

:45:02. > :45:04.bring it back at some other point. Conference I don't want to bring it

:45:05. > :45:11.back at some other point, I want to tell Theresa May, now, Remahn means

:45:12. > :45:18.Remain, I don't want to wait two or three months down the line to get

:45:19. > :45:21.reassurance to the EU nationals in this country, the reassurance they

:45:22. > :45:27.are waiting for, that this particle of this country, stands by them

:45:28. > :45:31.Sending this motion back today, rejecting this motion back today is

:45:32. > :45:39.a slap in the face to providing that reassurance to 170,000 people who

:45:40. > :45:42.want reassurance now. APPLATSE I appreciate some people might not

:45:43. > :45:47.like some of the wedding, that it's not strong enough in places, but

:45:48. > :45:52.this is our opportunity, we cannot miss an opportunity. At a thme when

:45:53. > :45:57.the bargaining will begin in Brussels and in London. We need to

:45:58. > :46:02.make our position clear. Scotland will no longer be sidelined, we ll

:46:03. > :46:05.no longer be an afterthought on Westminster's agenda. I want to come

:46:06. > :46:11.back to a couple of points that have been made to the debate. Relember

:46:12. > :46:18.our manifesto, we made it clear material change, Europe was one of

:46:19. > :46:23.them. This is a material ch`nge and if we do not stay in Europe, we have

:46:24. > :46:30.the right to call an independence referendum to protect our n`tional

:46:31. > :46:38.interest. That's what this hs about. I also want to reiterate thd work

:46:39. > :46:43.and, speaking after Mike Russell, and Fiona Hyslop Neil ministers

:46:44. > :46:48.leading this engagement work in Brussels, to accept, to movd this

:46:49. > :46:53.resolution today, would be to endorse the work they are doing in

:46:54. > :46:56.Brussels. I think it's cruchal we send that message to the Prhme

:46:57. > :47:02.Minister. From the banks of the Clyde to the Palace of Westlinster,

:47:03. > :47:09.Remain means Remain, support the resolution. Thank you.

:47:10. > :47:17.OK, conference, we're going to move to the vote, can I reiteratd we did

:47:18. > :47:22.not receive any cards in to move a direct negative against the

:47:23. > :47:26.resolution. We did! Sorry, John we didn't, we have your card, xour card

:47:27. > :47:37.is to speak for the remit b`ck, not to move the direct negative. OK You

:47:38. > :47:41.seen your card, John, it is to move the remit back and we took several

:47:42. > :47:45.speakers in favour of the rdmit back, so there is no direct negative

:47:46. > :47:54.to be voted on, could you t`ke your seat so we can move to the vote

:47:55. > :47:57.please? It's OK, it's OK. Jtst take a seat and will move to the vote.

:47:58. > :48:03.You still have the opportunhty to vote against before the remht back

:48:04. > :48:04.if you choose to do so. OK. I'll let John take his seat, then we'll move

:48:05. > :48:28.to the vote. OK, conference, could IC cards in

:48:29. > :48:36.favour of the remit back? And could IC card against the remit b`ck? The

:48:37. > :48:42.remit back false. We moved to the resolution, cards in favour of the

:48:43. > :48:43.resolution? Can IC cards ag`inst the resolution? The resolution hs passed

:48:44. > :49:06.overwhelmingly. OK, we're going to move to

:49:07. > :49:18.resolution 17. To be moved by Roger Mullin MP. And seconded by @lice and

:49:19. > :49:23.MP. Thank you for giving a short extension to allow this to be held.

:49:24. > :49:29.I'll try to be briefer than I normally am, to allow Alison to have

:49:30. > :49:32.a few words after me. If yot're leaving the hall can you do so as

:49:33. > :49:39.quietly as possible. So the remaining speakers can be hdard

:49:40. > :49:43.Thank you. Sorry, Roger, carry on. Justice begins at home. We often

:49:44. > :49:49.hear that phrase. But justice doesn't have any borders and is not

:49:50. > :49:53.confined by geography. This is about justice we want to do to our fellow

:49:54. > :49:57.citizens in the poorest countries in the world. In a few weeks I'm

:49:58. > :50:03.bringing forward in Westminster a private members will to deal with

:50:04. > :50:06.international tax justice and I want to pay tribute to the help H'm

:50:07. > :50:16.receiving from that wonderftl charity action aid. Before H became

:50:17. > :50:19.an MP I undertook 27 intern`tional assignments. Mainly in the

:50:20. > :50:25.developing world for United Nations agencies. I saw only too cldarly the

:50:26. > :50:29.results of some old-fashiondd tax treaties the UK have had with some

:50:30. > :50:37.of the poorest countries in the world. Many of these tax trdaties

:50:38. > :50:43.remain in place from the daxs of the Empire. Alison will give an example

:50:44. > :50:48.of one. One of the most awftl things is that since 1970 the Unitdd

:50:49. > :50:54.Kingdom, more than any other country in the world, has formed new tax

:50:55. > :51:00.treaties that do harm to developing world countries. Conference, we

:51:01. > :51:06.don't want to build a new Scotland on the backs of the poorest people

:51:07. > :51:12.in the world. That must be our message to the international

:51:13. > :51:19.community. What do these tax treaties do? They prevent, they act

:51:20. > :51:25.on behalf of corporations to prevent the poorest countries in thd world

:51:26. > :51:30.getting their proper due out of taxation. They make these countries

:51:31. > :51:35.continuing to be dependent. They deny them the resources to hnvest

:51:36. > :51:39.and become more self-suffichent These are some of the most

:51:40. > :51:44.illogical, but also immoral, treaties that this United Khngdom

:51:45. > :51:48.government of both political persuasions, in the past has formed

:51:49. > :51:54.with the developing world. Conference, I ask you to support

:51:55. > :52:00.this. APPLAUSE Allyson

:52:01. > :52:05.my colleague and friend Rogdr Mullin has laid down in some detail the

:52:06. > :52:09.injustice being done by the UK to some of the poorest countrids and

:52:10. > :52:13.some of the poorest people hn the world. I'd like to touch on a

:52:14. > :52:16.particular country which has strong links to Scotland, the country of

:52:17. > :52:20.Malawi, which is dear to thd heart of my good friend Patrick Grady

:52:21. > :52:26.He's done a lot of work on this with the Scotland- Malawi partnership.

:52:27. > :52:33.Delegates, companies in the UK are the third largest investors in

:52:34. > :52:39.Malawi. As a result of the 0955 tax deal, these UK companies pax little

:52:40. > :52:46.or no tax. Malawi's Treaty hs utterly outdated and it was signed

:52:47. > :52:50.by the British governor. On behalf of Southern Rhodesia. The ilpact of

:52:51. > :52:53.the deal is felt in front lhne services in the country, it's money

:52:54. > :52:58.being robbed from the poorest people in the world with the endorsement of

:52:59. > :53:04.the UK Government and the ilpact is very real. The executive director of

:53:05. > :53:09.the National organisation of nurses and midwives of Malawi has said one

:53:10. > :53:12.nurse may be looking after 80 patients, they cannot managd to

:53:13. > :53:16.provide the quality care th`t is required because their workload is

:53:17. > :53:21.too heavy. If the companies developed tax, they should know they

:53:22. > :53:26.are killing people because that money could have been used hn so

:53:27. > :53:30.many ways. Buying drugs, supplies, paying nurses, paying doctors.

:53:31. > :53:34.Conference, there is wide cross-party support in Scotland on

:53:35. > :53:38.this issue. Scotland is a ldading example of the campaign for tax

:53:39. > :53:43.Justice and we won't rest until this is righted. The Brexiteers `re never

:53:44. > :53:49.done telling us how they want to open up to new markets around the

:53:50. > :53:54.world. A start to opening up these markets would be a gesture of

:53:55. > :53:56.goodwill, a gesture of solidarity. Rebuilding the trust of these

:53:57. > :54:01.countries around the world `nd scrapping these colonial relics to

:54:02. > :54:05.make tax fair. Conference, H very much look forward to the dax

:54:06. > :54:09.independent Scotland can re`ch out to the world and make its own deals

:54:10. > :54:17.but until then we must keep as much pressure on the UK Government to

:54:18. > :54:21.scrap these tax deals and to make tax fair. Conference, I've no cards

:54:22. > :54:30.in against this resolution, can we pass it by clean? That's thd end of

:54:31. > :54:31.our sessions for today, conference. Have a great evening see yot all

:54:32. > :54:34.tomorrow.