Chris Kane MP: speeches

Speeches

• 15 Sept 2026 · Fracking Ban · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend makes a good point about renewables at Grangemouth. Does he agree that the regional economic potential of the Forth valley, which includes my constituency, has Grangemouth as a key component? It is huge. Fracking is not the future that Grangemouth, the Forth valley or the wider country wants or supports.

• 10 Sept 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  This weekend, Stirling will welcome thousands of music fans for Radio 2 in the Park. It seems a fitting moment to celebrate radio more widely, particularly in my constituency, which has such a strong radio tradition, from Central FM—where I spent many happy years behind the microphone—to Stirling Community Radio, Air3, Trossachs Radio and Radio Royal. Will the Leader of the House join me in welcoming Radio 2 to Stirling and make time for a debate celebrating BBC, commercial, community and hospital radio, and the rather special relationship we all have with it? If you will indulge me, Madam Deputy Speaker, “It is 12.57. On your smart speaker and on your radio, this is the House of Commons, the voice of democracy, and now it’s time to hear from the Leader of the House.” [ Laughter . ]

• 10 Sept 2026 · Fathers and Positive Male Role Models · Hansard source

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  I want to start by asking all of us to think of a positive male role model from our youth. If you are lucky, you now have a face in your mind and a smile in your heart. If you do not, we as a society owe you our apologies and a promise to do better for those who will come next. I have been very lucky in the positive male role models I have had throughout my life. My dad was the first; he ran his own electrical business in Stirling. Back then, he was not—and he still is not—particularly good at talking about emotional connection. He taught mainly by example: work hard, treat people properly and earn their trust. I helped out in his shop from a young age, alongside characters such as Colin, Keith, Andy and Bill. I doubt any of them ever went to work thinking that they were going to be positive male role models, but I was watching. Of course, when we talk about positive male role models, there is one relationship at the heart of this debate: fathers and their children. When my wife and I brought our daughter home from the hospital, we unclipped the car seat and carried it into the house. We sat on the couch, with the car seat on the carpet in front of us, and we stared at this tiny baby. I looked at my wife and said, “What the hell do we do now?” We both burst out laughing—well, I think it was laughter; it may have been hyperventilating. But we worked it out, as parents do. I can look back now and admit that I was not as supportive in those first weeks as Anne would have wanted. I felt huge pressure to get back to work—I was self-employed at the time—so when I read that financial pressure is the biggest barrier that fathers identify to taking more leave, I recognise something of my own experience. When our children were young, I presented a radio show from Monday to Friday, and Anne worked as a radio journalist on Saturday and Sunday. That is how we kept two careers going while raising a family and paying the bills. For my parents’ generation, many families could be supported by one salary. For my generation, that could perhaps be managed at a stretch. For my children’s generation, two salaries are not a choice but a necessity. If we are content with this economic model, we have to make it easier for fathers to take their share of the parenting responsibility. That means looking seriously at paternity leave, including the financial barriers to taking it and the position of self-employed fathers. This is not simply about fathers. If we want mothers and fathers to have equal opportunities in the workplace, we need to make it possible for them to take a more equal share at home. The two go together. The connection between fathers taking on more care and us tackling the motherhood penalty is important. I would go further: we need to look at the wider economics of family life, and that means housing. Building more council houses and reducing the cost of putting a roof over a family’s head is a key family policy. The less pressure there is on the family budget, the more choices parents have about work, childcare and that most precious commodity: their time. There is something else we should say in this debate to those thinking about not just positive role models but doing something a little more formal, such as volunteering with a charity of a group: it is hugely rewarding. We all want a sense of belonging, and to feel that we are getting something from and giving something to our families and communities. There is something profoundly rewarding about watching a child develop, find their confidence, form their own views and gradually become the next generation. Perhaps we should get better at asking men to step forward, and make it easier for them to do so. I hope my children would say that I have been a present, approachable and loving dad—I have not asked them today, just in case—although I do know my place in the family hierarchy. When my daughter was about four, she asked me who my favourite child was—her or her younger brother. I said, “I love you both equally. That is like me asking who your favourite parent is.” She went very quiet, and I asked what was wrong. She said, “I can’t tell you, Dad. I don’t want to make you sad.” If I could give my 30-year-old self, starting out as a father, one piece of advice about fatherhood, it would be this. Do your best. Accept that you are human—I am going to start crying here—and that you will get things wrong. Try again, and try to do better. That approach in itself is a valuable lesson to show all children.

• 2 Sept 2026 · Strengthening the Union · Hansard source

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  The Prime Minister has spoken about practical Government interventions that can make everyday life a little bit easier. One of the great advantages of devolution is that different parts of the UK can try different approaches to common challenges. My experience in Scotland is that the SNP often turns differences in public policy into arguments about the constitution, when people really want Government focused on making their lives better now. Does the Secretary of State agree that we should look for things that unite us and share what works, so that good ideas from across Scotland, England and Northern Ireland benefit Wales, and vice versa?

• 1 Sept 2026 · Direction of Government · Hansard source

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  The Prime Minister is right to pursue further devolution within the United Kingdom, but in my work on the Public Accounts Committee, I am regularly struck by how little the different parts of the United Kingdom appear to learn from one another, even when tackling very similar challenges. Devolution allows different places to take different approaches, creating real opportunities to learn from what works and what does not. As we devolve more power within the United Kingdom, does the Prime Minister agree that we must also get much better at grasping these opportunities, so that every part of the UK can learn from and benefit from the experience of others? Is he thinking about how we could bake this into further devolution in a way that it is not currently?

• 16 Jul 2026 · Sir David Amess Summer Adjournment · Hansard source

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  Much has rightly been said about Sir David Amess’s enthusiasm for using this occasion to celebrate the people and organisations that make our communities stronger. Many Members will recognise that some of the communities facing the greatest challenges often have the biggest hearts. In my constituency, that spirit has been embodied by Fallin Community Voice, which was set up in 2022 with a simple ambition: to bring life back to the heart of the village. In just a few years, its volunteers have created a thriving community garden, helped deliver the Grub Hub community food project, and brought Christmas lights back to Fallin. Their work has helped renew community pride, and it is no surprise that they have been recognised at this year’s Inspire Volunteering Awards. A few miles along the road, the Cowie Rural Action Group has spent many years quietly improving village life. From the Wee Club, which brings older residents together each week, to community projects including the village skate park, the Cowie Rural Action Group has shown what can be achieved when local people work together. One of the best and, dare I say, most out-of-the-box ideas in my constituency began when someone looked at an old red telephone box and refused to accept that it had reached the end of its useful life. The Balfron phone box food exchange has transformed that familiar landmark into a source of practical support for local people, while reducing food waste at the same time. It is a simple idea, but often the simplest ideas can be the most effective. In Strathallan, I want to recognise PKAVS in Auchterarder. I visited the charity last summer and was reminded of the extraordinary contribution that unpaid carers make every day. For more than 50 years, PKAVS has provided practical support, respite and, just as importantly, somewhere to listen. I want to recognise a campaign that shows why community action matters. Last year, after a determined seven-year campaign led by Sarah Heward, the Tyndrum Infrastructure Group and its partners, a Changing Places toilet opened at the Green Welly Stop in Tyndrum. It filled a significant gap in provision and is a lasting reminder that determined local campaigners really can change lives. That message was brought home to me by Quinns, a remarkable young constituent from Bridge of Allan who lives with a rare genetic condition. His mother wrote to me and said: “We are dependent on Changing Places toilets to give Quinns the same life experience as any other child his age.” Inspired by their own experiences, Quinns and his sister Anita have become proud advocates for more Changing Places toilets, and have helped other families by raising awareness of just how important these facilities are. Across my constituency, volunteers are quietly making life better every single day. The Friends of Plean Country Park care for one of our best-loved green spaces, while the Friends of Kings Park look after the historic park beneath Stirling castle. The volunteers at the Bannockburn and Eastern Villages Sports Hub have created a place where the community comes together. At the University of Stirling, volunteers organise a parkrun every Saturday morning, bringing hundreds of people together through exercise and encouragement. In Fintry, the community sports hub continues to transform village life, and local volunteers have opened a wonderful museum that celebrates the village’s history. In St Ninians, the Mayfield Centre and its much-loved library continue to bring people together through books and community events. In Strathblane, residents refused to put up with a dilapidated library and raised the money to build a new one. In Braehead, the Crawford hall has remained at the heart of the community for over 30 years, while Braehead community garden has helped people to reconnect with food growing for more than a decade. At the top of the town of Stirling, Cowane’s Trust has been helping those in need since 1637. In Riverside, Action in Mind provides life-changing mental health support, and in Causewayhead, Recyke-a-bike gives unwanted bicycles a second life, while helping people to gain access to affordable transport. Across the constituency, organisations such as Valley Renewables Group in Carron valley and the Callander Community Development Trust are generating renewable energy to provide a sustainable income that can be reinvested directly in local communities. I have mentioned some of the organisations in my constituency. I do not have time to mention them all, but it has been a privilege to place on record my thanks to a few of the volunteers, charities and community champions who make Stirling and Strathallan such a special place.

• 9 Jul 2026 · Point of Order · Hansard source

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  On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. I seek your guidance following remarks made outside this House by the hon. Member for Great Yarmouth (Rupert Lowe) that have caused profound offence to the community I represent. To describe the Dunblane tragedy as “one murder” diminishes what happened to 16 children and their teacher and the suffering of everyone whose lives were changed forever in March 1996. The people of Dunblane responded not with division but with dignity, compassion and a determination that no other community should endure such horror. It is because of their courage, and the united action of this House, that this country has some of the strongest firearms laws in the world and an ongoing cross-party approach to ensuring that those protections will not be weakened. Madam Deputy Speaker, can you advise how this House can ensure that the victims of Dunblane are always remembered with the accuracy, respect and compassion they deserve, and that Members reflect on their conduct in this matter?