Elaine Stewart MP: speeches 2026

Speeches

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

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  I recently visited the Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboat station at Girvan. It was great to meet the fantastic volunteers who work all year round, in all weathers, to keep us safe along the coast. The RNLI receives funding from SP Energy Networks’ community benefit fund to support high-quality training for the volunteers who carry out these lifesaving duties. Does the Leader of the House agree that that is money well spent, and will he find time for a debate on the role of community benefit funds in local communities?

• 8 Sept 2026 · Economic Growth · Hansard source

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  1. What recent steps he has taken to increase economic growth.

• 8 Sept 2026 · Economic Growth · Hansard source

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  Last week, the UK Government announced a financial boost of £11.8 million to support the regional economy across Ayrshire. The money will fund projects across Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock, supporting employability and business start-ups. Does my right hon. Friend agree that although the SNP is obsessed with centralising in Holyrood and taking away local powers, the route to regional economic growth lies in empowering local communities and local councils?

• 9 Jul 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  This month, Ayrshire college won the UK training provider skills champion award at the Enginuity skills awards, for its work in development, engineering and aerospace. Engineering and aerospace remain critical for Ayrshire’s economy, and that national recognition demonstrates the vital role that further education colleges play in developing our young workforce. Colleges across Scotland continue to face financial pressures, despite delivering exactly the kinds of outcomes that Governments want. Will the Leader of the House make time for a debate on the importance of investing in further education colleges across Scotland?

• 2 Jul 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Craigmark Burntonians, a club from my home town and the community I am proud to represent, have won the west of Scotland football league division 3. Vital amateur league football plays a great part in our local communities. I would like to thank Steve Clarke, an Ayrshire man, for his outstanding contribution over the past seven years, which included taking Scotland to the world cup, and that is not to forget our fantastic, amazing fans. Does the Minister agree that those achievements highlight the need for a debate on the vital role that football plays in our local communities?

• 17 Jun 2026 · Cost of Living · Hansard source

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  1. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help reduce the cost of living in Wales.

• 17 Jun 2026 · Cost of Living · Hansard source

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  The Great British summer savings scheme announced by the Chancellor will have a positive impact on families across my constituency of Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock. More people will be able to save money while taking up opportunities to visit businesses and contribute to the local economy. Can the Secretary of State update the House on the impact that these measures will have in Wales?

• 10 Jun 2026 · Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026 · Hansard source

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  Does my hon. Friend share my disappointment that when we raised the issue of George Square at the Scottish Affairs Committee, the organisers of the games had not thought about the problems that the closure of the square would cause for people attending the games?

• 19 May 2026 · Energy Security · Hansard source

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  I have cut my speech down so much I do not know if I can fill five minutes, Madam Deputy Speaker. In the King’s Speech, His Majesty set out a clear and sober assessment of the challenges facing our country. He reminded us that energy independence is now a matter of national security, not just environmental ambition. His Majesty warned that recent events in the middle east have once again shown how global instability can reach directly into the homes of families across the country. That is why the Government have committed themselves to an energy independence Bill designed to scale up home-grown renewable energy and protect living standards for the long term. If we are to deliver on the significant commitment to build an energy system that is secure, clean and resilient, then we must learn from the evidence. The reality is that we will not win the argument for clean climate action unless people feel the benefit. Energy independence cannot be something that happens to communities; it must be something that happens with them. The transition of clean energy is already shaping our energy landscape. Renewables are reducing the number of hours when gas sets the price of electricity. New technologies are emerging as the backbone of a modern energy system, and the grid, long overdue for investment, is finally being reimagined for the 21st century. Faced with decades of deindustrialisation, communities like Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock need to see and feel real benefits, such as lower bills, good jobs, and investment in local services, otherwise support for the transition will erode—and if support erodes, we risk losing the wider public argument on climate change altogether. In Scotland, delivering those real benefits means Governments working together. The clean power mission is an objective shared by both the UK and Scottish Governments; it is important to acknowledge constructive co-operation, and encourage more of it where possible. As we debate energy security, we must place community benefit at the heart of our approach, not as a voluntary gesture or token payment, but a core principle of how we build the energy system of the future. In Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock, the 9 Community Council Group administers large amounts of community benefits, with over 60 young apprenticeships, alongside other fantastic community support, creating an ongoing legacy to my communities. I invite the Minister to attend a meeting with that group. However, we must go further. Community ownership—giving local people a real stake in the energy produced on their doorstep—should be a core feature of the transition. When communities share in the profits, they share in the purpose. When they have a voice, they have a better reason to support change, both locally and nationally. It is about not just fairness but effectiveness, because the fastest way to lose public trust is to impose changes without their consent. The fastest way to build trust is to ensure that communities are partners and not bystanders. Finally, I will touch on the Scottish Government’s continued opposition to new nuclear development in Scotland. Their stance was clearly shaped in a different political moment, but today it means that Scotland risks standing apart from what the King’s Speech rightly called “a new era of British nuclear energy”. By ruling out nuclear energy entirely, Scotland risks losing out on long-term skilled jobs and major inward investment. At a time when the UK is moving to expand nuclear, Scotland risks being left behind, missing opportunities that could support communities and contribute to the secure, clean energy mix that we need for decades to come.

• 12 Mar 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  For my constituents who have been affected by the loan charge, the McCann review is a long-anticipated step towards bringing a year of uncertainty to an end. However, some individuals still feel that cases dating back decades remain unsolved and that enforcement has not been applied evenly between scheme promoters and those who use the arrangements. What analysis has been carried out on how the recommendations of the McCann review will affect individuals and businesses currently engaged with His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs on loan charge matters?

• 4 Mar 2026 · Engagements · Hansard source

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  Q8. After decades of failing policies under both Conservative and SNP Governments, I welcome this Labour Government’s major drive to get young people earning and learning. In my constituency, by working with Ayrshire college and the Pride in Place board, we finally have a chance to break that cycle and bring real youth-focused regeneration to our high streets through the Department for Work and Pensions youth initiative. Will the Prime Minister meet me to discuss this important issue, and will he support making Ayrshire a priority for a DWP youth hub?

• 5 Feb 2026 · Scottish Affairs Committee in 2024-25 and Industrial Transition · Hansard source

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  In all our inquiries, skills have been high on the agenda—in fact, the loss of skills is really high on the agenda. In my area of Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock, 800 young people did not get into college—for engineering and IT skills—due to a lack of funding. Our young people are being left behind because we are not putting enough money into education and skills. We need to look at that as a Government, and as a Scottish Government. We need to make sure that our young people are equipped for the future.

• 5 Feb 2026 · Scottish Affairs Committee in 2024-25 and Industrial Transition · Hansard source

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  Yes, it was absolutely fantastic to see the young people at Babcock and BAE Systems. It was great to see their enthusiasm and how they are looking forward in their lives. I asked questions such as, “What have you done since you became an apprentice?” They said, “I’ve bought a new car and I’ve been able to go on holiday. I’m going to buy a house.” Those are the things that we want our young people to aspire to, so it is great to see companies making sure that apprenticeships are in place for them.

• 5 Feb 2026 · Scottish Affairs Committee in 2024-25 and Industrial Transition · Hansard source

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  It is a privilege to serve under your chairship, Mrs Barker, and a pleasure to speak on behalf of the Scottish Affairs Committee. I am grateful to the Backbench Business Committee for granting time for this statement on our fifth report of the Session. Over the past year, the Committee has undertaken a wide-ranging and ambitious programme of scrutiny. We have examined topics including Scotland’s energy future, the financing of the Scottish Government and the UK’s first safer drug consumption facility in Glasgow. Since our establishment in autumn 2024, we have held more than 54 hours of oral evidence, heard from more than 122 witnesses, made 51 conclusions and 35 recommendations to Government, and travelled 2,130 miles to conduct our work. Alongside our Westminster programme, we have travelled extensively across Scotland to hear directly from the people most affected by the issues we examine. That has included visits to Shetland, Skye, Western Isles, the highlands, Edinburgh, Glasgow and my constituency in Ayrshire. We have also carried out two international visits to Norway and Lisbon to learn about best practice overseas. I could easily speak for more than 10 minutes about the Committee’s broad range of work over the past year, but I will focus on the conclusions from our inquiry into the industrial transition in Scotland. Scotland has seen a dramatic change in its industrial landscape over the past four decades. It was once renowned for its heavy manufacturing industries, but deindustrialisation has seen parts of Scotland experience major job losses and closures among those sectors. My constituency of Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock experienced not one but two profound waves of deindustrialisation. The first came with the collapse of the coal mines and the decline of textile industries, which had a sustained detrimental impact on entire communities. The second economic shock came when Scottish Coal went into liquidation and closed its Ayrshire sites in 2013. The Committee launched its inquiry because it wanted to examine Scotland’s past industrial transitions to understand the consequences of poorly managed change and to consider what lessons could be learned for future transitions. The evidence we received about the UK’s management of past industrial transitions was stark. The loss of industry not only caused higher unemployment rates at the time, but had a profound and long-lasting effect across many generations. The Coalfields Regeneration Trust, a community wealth-building charity, which I proudly worked for before I became a Member of Parliament, described some of these issues in its “State of the Coalfields” report. There are fewer job opportunities in former coalfield communities than in other parts of the country. Fewer jobs are available closer to home, which means many people have no choice but to travel and work elsewhere. We also know about the steady flow of young and working-age people leaving these areas to look for education or job opportunities elsewhere. There are poorer health outcomes and higher rates of benefit claims. Although unemployment rates on paper look similar to the national average, the headline figure masks a more challenging reality. Employment rates are consistently lower in former coalfield areas. Those communities also have higher levels of economic inactivity, meaning more people are out of the labour market all together. For example, in south Ayrshire, where part of my constituency lies, the employment rate is almost 10% below the Scottish average. The economic inactivity rate is more than 30%, meaning that almost a third of working-age people are currently not in the labour market. Our report makes clear that all those issues have had a devastating impact on communities. As part of the inquiry, the Committee travelled to Ochiltree, in my constituency, where we heard directly from residents about the consequences of poor managed transition. They described how towns such as New Cumnock, Dalmellington and Bellsbank live with high levels of deprivation, lower employment, reduced incomes and a shorter life expectancy than the national average. Depopulation is also a major concern. In places such as Muirkirk, the population has been falling by as much as 10% each decade. That decline brings further challenges. Public transport has been reduced, which makes it harder for people to travel to work or education. There has also been a slow loss of infrastructure, which means many communities that were held together with clubs, gyms, swimming pools and shared spaces have lost that sense of belonging. Our engagement in Ochiltree also highlighted the perils of losing key industrial skills that are now in demand. Participants told us how skilled, stable industry jobs that once anchored those communities have been replaced by low-paid work, often on poorer terms and conditions. They spoke about the painful irony that the many skills lost during deindustrialisation are now urgently needed once again. That can be seen in defence shipbuilding, where skills shortages have become acute. Many employers need to recruit overseas to fill shortages because there are simply not enough qualified applicants in the UK. Our report found that shortages exist, despite industry leaders being very clear about the importance of maintaining a strong domestic skills base. When Sir Simon Lister of BAE Systems gave evidence as part of our inquiry, he described how Scotland’s long heritage of shipbuilding has created “an innate understanding of what it takes to build a ship.” He stressed the importance of keeping those skills clustered, retaining local experience, and ensuring those communities remain in places where specialist industry knowledge is passed on, rather than lost. Our report concludes that the evidence of deindustrialisation over the past four decades demonstrates how profound and long lasting the consequences can be when industrial change is not managed. The impact of deindustrialisation did not end when the last pit or factory closed; its effects are still being felt by people in their working lives, their health and the opportunities available to them and their children. In our work this year, the Committee has identified two transitions that will shape Scotland’s economic future. First is a shift away from oil and gas towards clean energy, which we examined through our inquiry on GB Energy and net zero transition. The second is the future of Scotland’s defence skills and jobs, and how Scotland can benefit from the UK’s commitment to increase defence spending. As Scotland undergoes a major industrial transition, the need to avoid repeating past mistakes could not be more urgent. Our report emphasises the importance of future transitions being grounded in practical, deliverable commitments to support workers, retain skills and ensure that no community is asked to shoulder the burden of industrial change. The Committee will continue to monitor both transitions closely. Our aim is to ensure that the Government manage the changes in a way that genuinely learns from the past, protects Scotland’s skills base and delivers lasting benefits for the communities that we represent.

• 5 Feb 2026 · Scottish Affairs Committee in 2024-25 and Industrial Transition · Hansard source

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  My constituency has problems similar to those in my hon. Friend’s. When mines, textile factories and companies close, it leaves a terrible legacy for our young people. We are now into a fourth generation of unemployed young people who have no skills, no jobs and no opportunities. That rips the heart out of not just communities but opportunities. When those things happen, people migrate to other areas. The young people are not living in the area, buying houses and spending in the local economy, so that has a terrible long-lasting effect. Some of our communities still feel that at this moment in time.

• 27 Jan 2026 · Regional Funding · Hansard source

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  13. What steps she is taking to provide regional funding.

• 27 Jan 2026 · Regional Funding · Hansard source

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  The Ayrshire growth deal, which was allocated £103 million of UK Government funds, has the potential to make a real difference to our economic prospects. Despite its clear potential, though, delivery on the ground remains far too slow in turning around real progress. What action can the UK Government take to drive momentum, sharpen the strategic direction of the deal and ensure that Ayrshire finally sees the benefits of this investment?