Kirsty McNeill MP: speeches

Speeches

• 22 Oct 2025 · Devolution in Scotland · Hansard source

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  We are focused on the priorities of the people of Scotland. We constantly have constitutional questions and questions about second-order concerns from the Opposition Benches, but we will resolutely focus on jobs and pay in Scotland, as we were elected to do. My hon. Friends the Members for Glasgow North (Martin Rhodes), for Falkirk and for Glenrothes and Mid Fife (Richard Baker) laid at the SNP’s door the charge, which I agree with, that the SNP is much more interested in devolution to Scotland than devolution inside Scotland. I argue that devolution is a habit of mind—one that the SNP is yet to acquire, so interested is it in centralising power in its own hands in Edinburgh. Devolution in Scotland has always been about ensuring that our distinctive voice is heard in the United Kingdom, and this Government have continued in that vein since taking office. We have reset the relationship with the Scottish Government to be one based on delivery and partnership, but the question now is about how Scotland’s two Governments, together with our local communities, can best seize the opportunities granted by artificial intelligence, clean energy, advanced manufacturing, life sciences, defence and the digital industries. Despite the insistence of Opposition Members, we cannot do that through division or constant constitutional wrangling. We heard from Opposition Members that they would like to return to the days—the 14 years—when the SNP and the Tories had a symbiotic relationship in which each served the other’s political ends because they were locked in a dance of grievance, rather than having a focus on delivery. Our approach as a Labour Government is different. We say that we may not agree on everything between different levels of Government, but we can and must agree on more, enough to make a difference to the people we serve. We have already seen results from having a Labour Government with Scots at its beating heart: the biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation, with a pay rise for 200,000 of the lowest-paid Scots; a new industrial strategy to ensure Scotland takes advantage of the jobs of the future; GB Energy, with investment to drive the clean energy revolution; up to 60,000 clean energy jobs in Scotland by 2030, an increase of 40,000 from 2023; £200 million secured for the industrial future of Grangemouth; a historic deal worth £10 billion to supply Norway with Type 26 frigates; a trade deal with India that is set to grow the Scottish economy by £190 million a year; the highest settlement for the Scottish Government in the devolution era; and a £292 million Pride in Place investment to regenerate Scottish communities. That is what delivery looks like. Let us contrast that with the record of the SNP, which was so poignantly pointed out by my hon. Friend the Member for Paisley and Renfrewshire South (Johanna Baxter) and the hon. Member for Mid Dunbartonshire (Susan Murray). There is much about Scotland’s economy to be proud of, but we on the Labour Benches are under no illusions: it has underperformed, and has particularly underperformed in the service of working people, as my hon. Friend the Member for Airdrie and Shotts (Kenneth Stevenson) and the hon. Member for Alloa and Grangemouth (Brian Leishman) pointed out so eloquently. If Scotland’s growth in the past decade had even matched the sluggish growth of the UK as a whole, our economy would be nearly £10 billion larger today. That is a decade of lost opportunity, lost jobs and lost potential. My hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh South West (Dr Arthur) was right that we should differentiate failures of devolution from failures that sit squarely at the SNP’s door. We need a new approach, one that involves Scotland’s cities and regions and local government, but the SNP’s desire for highly centralised power instead of responsive and active local government in Scotland has led to the accountability crisis we have already discussed. My hon. Friend the Member for Stirling and Strathallan (Chris Kane) and my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow North East (Maureen Burke) have done a fantastic job of explaining the role and desires of local government.

• 22 Oct 2025 · Devolution in Scotland · Hansard source

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  Apologies, Madam Deputy Speaker. I hope Members across this House will always find us accessible to them and willing to make their constituents’ case across Government. My hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow West said she felt that we should spend less time in the Lobby. I underscore that I am delighted to be spending so much time with you all in the Lobby—

• 22 Oct 2025 · Devolution in Scotland · Hansard source

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  Apologies, Madam Deputy Speaker—my mistake. The hon. Member for Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey (Graham Leadbitter) said that he would like to focus some of this debate on the state of the health service in Scotland, and we would be delighted to address that. As we have heard repeatedly on the Floor of the House today, if people live south of the border, they experience more and more appointments being available and waiting lists going down; if they live up the road, one in six of them is on a waiting list. My hon. Friend the Member for Cumbernauld and Kirkintilloch (Katrina Murray), who I thank for her service in the NHS, relayed that so movingly. My hon. Friend the Member for Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy (Melanie Ward) did likewise and spoke movingly about the experience of patients in her area. The hon. Member for Gordon and Buchan (Harriet Cross) talked about paused capital health spending in her constituency, and I am very sorry to hear that. I advise her to ask the SNP Government about the record settlement they had in the devolution area and where the money, which could have been put to good use for patients in her area, has gone. The shadow Secretary of State, the hon. Member for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine (Andrew Bowie), asked this Government to be unequivocal in our support for the United Kingdom. I am pleased to confirm that we are, but we recognise that support for this family of nations is partly dependent on the delivery of this Government in Westminster. We are resolutely focused on delivering for Scots and cleaning up the mess that his party left. The shadow Secretary of State’s party colleague, the hon. Member for Dumfries and Galloway (John Cooper), accused us of focusing too much on trade promotion— guilty as charged. We could almost taste the envy about the three trade deals secured under this Government. I am pleased to confirm that we will continue to promote Scotland’s world-class products and services to the world, and we will do so proudly and without apology.

• 22 Oct 2025 · Devolution in Scotland · Hansard source

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  Credit for those trade deals sits with those who got them over the line. This is a Labour Government who have delivered comprehensively for Scotland’s world-class producers and services, and we are delighted to have done so. The hon. Member for Arbroath and Broughty Ferry (Stephen Gethins) said that we should really be having a debate about accountability, and I agree with him. We have more quango chiefs than MSPs in Scotland, because it is actually very difficult to hold to account those who deliver public services and spend public money in Scotland. That is why Anas Sarwar is so intent on bringing back accountability to elected Members.

• 22 Oct 2025 · Devolution in Scotland · Hansard source

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  I welcome today’s debate on devolution. At its heart, it is really a discussion of how we deliver better outcomes for the people of Scotland. That objective has long animated the public service of my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow West (Patricia Ferguson) and the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross (Jamie Stone). I am grateful to them for securing this debate, and particularly grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow West for the very moving tribute she paid to our departed friends Donald Dewar and John Smith. I am incredibly proud that Labour is the party of devolution and that it was a Labour Government that delivered the Scottish Parliament in 1999. I do not wish to pay tribute or give thanks to my hon. Friends the Members for Edinburgh East and Musselburgh (Chris Murray) or for Falkirk (Euan Stainbank) for their trolling about the fact that they did not, like so many of us, come of age during that devolution debate. I am proud to say that a vote in favour of a Scottish Parliament was the first ballot I ever cast, and since that time I have never wavered in my belief that Scotland’s interests are well served by being part of our Union of nations, while at the same time having a Parliament in Scotland that can reflect the distinctive interests and needs of Scotland. Those of you who can cast your minds back to the beginning of this debate some hours ago may remember that the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross and my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow West made some important points about what we might be able to learn from the operations and procedures of each Parliament. The hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross mentioned that he would like Ministers to be more accessible, so I give the undertaking on the Floor of the House that I hope in myself and the Secretary of State you will always find Scotland Office Ministers accessible to you—

• 22 Oct 2025 · Pride in Place Programme: Regeneration · Hansard source

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  The Scotland Office is backing Scotland’s communities with our £292 million pride in place investment. The plan will support grassroots movements that restore local people’s power, boost national pride and help people get on in life. It will revitalise our high streets, create jobs and improve safety and security. More than that, it will give expression to this Government’s core belief that communities are powerful and that in every corner of our country, we find millions of so-called ordinary people doing their best and doing their bit to transform the places they love for the people they love.

• 22 Oct 2025 · Pride in Place Programme: Regeneration · Hansard source

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  The allocations under the pride in place programme have been evidence led, based on data and on a formula that is progressive and puts money into the pockets of those who need it most. If the hon. Gentleman is worried about where money in Perth and Kinross has gone, I suggest he asks the First Minister of Scotland, who is from his own party and has received more than £5 billion. His constituents, like mine, will be asking, “Where’s the money gone, John?”

• 22 Oct 2025 · Pride in Place Programme: Regeneration · Hansard source

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  I remind the hon. Lady that, of course, her constituents benefit from a city region and growth deal—there is investment going into her area. If she has complaints about the decline of her constituency, I suggest that she looks at her colleagues and holds them accountable for 14 years of catastrophic economic mismanagement by the Conservatives.

• 22 Oct 2025 · Pride in Place Programme: Regeneration · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend is right that both her constituents and mine look with some envy to the other side of the border where millions of extra NHS appointments have been secured while waiting lists in Scotland go up and up. Local communities are at the heart of Scottish life, which is why we are giving them control over hundreds of millions of pounds of investment to revitalise their high streets, take ownership of important local assets and build thriving and prosperous places to work, live and visit.

• 22 Oct 2025 · Pride in Place Programme: Regeneration · Hansard source

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  I commend my hon. Friend on his ambition for his seat and his sterling advocacy for it. He is right that this funding will help revitalise our high streets, create jobs and improve safety and security in Scotland. He is also right that the SNP is desperately out of touch with its squabbling over independence while services across Scotland are at breaking point.

• 22 Oct 2025 · Cost of Living · Hansard source

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  This Government are working tirelessly to reduce the cost of living in Scotland. We have introduced a national living wage, delivered a generational upgrade to workers’ rights and helped the Bank of England to cut interest rates five times, putting money into people’s pockets across Scotland. Furthermore, thanks to our stewardship, the International Monetary Fund forecasts the UK to be the second-fastest growing G7 economy this year.

• 22 Oct 2025 · Cost of Living · Hansard source

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  Our commitment to ending poverty is clear. We have had a clear focus on living standards; work is increasingly now paying; and we are focusing on ensuring that none of Scotland’s children is subject to the poverty that the hon. Member so vividly describes.

• 22 Oct 2025 · Cost of Living · Hansard source

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  A child poverty strategy is on the way and will be released in due course. I can underscore our commitment to fighting child poverty with every breath we have. That is what Labour Governments have always done, and it is what this Labour Government will do, too.

• 22 Oct 2025 · Inheritance Tax Relief: Agriculture Sector · Hansard source

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  I could not agree with my hon. Friend more. Since the election, the UK Government’s plan for change has delivered an extra £5.2 billion to the Scottish Government—funding that can be used to improve the performance of devolved public services such as the NHS. In June, an additional £9.1 billion of funding for the Scottish Government was announced in the spending review, so rural communities like my own are right to ask when they will see improvements in their access to healthcare. I would also like to take the opportunity to commend charities such as the Farm Safety Foundation and its brilliant Yellow Wellies initiative for the work that they do to support the mental and physical health of farmers and all in our rural communities.

• 22 Oct 2025 · Inheritance Tax Relief: Agriculture Sector · Hansard source

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  I myself am a representative of rural Scots, as indeed is the Secretary of State for Scotland, who is meeting farmer representatives in his constituency this very week. We are in ongoing dialogue with our constituents and with farming stakeholders. I reiterate that what we say in the course of those dialogues is that we must introduce greater fairness to the system and that three quarters of farmers will not be impacted at all.

• 22 Oct 2025 · Inheritance Tax Relief: Agriculture Sector · Hansard source

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  This Government appreciate the role of farmers and everyone involved in our agricultural sector, and I have been delighted to meet representatives of the National Farmers Union of Scotland and other stakeholders on numerous occasions. On each, I have reiterated that the Government want to strike a fair balance between supporting farmers and fixing our public finances and the public services on which our rural communities rely. As both hon. Members will be aware, the vast majority of farmers will not be affected at all. They will be able to pass the family farm down to their children, just as previous generations have always done. Only the richest estates will be asked to pay, not small family farms, and that is a policy that we on this side of the House are proud to support.

• 22 Oct 2025 · Inheritance Tax Relief: Agriculture Sector · Hansard source

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  As I mentioned, we are in regular dialogue with farming stakeholders and we regularly consider the evidence that is presented to us. I would stress that, while we will always give evidence due consideration—indeed, the Prime Minister said that from this very Dispatch Box last week at Prime Minister’s questions—we will not deviate from our policy objective, which is both to raise revenue and to introduce greater fairness to our tax system. That is exactly what this change does.

• 22 Oct 2025 · Inheritance Tax Relief: Agriculture Sector · Hansard source

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  I will reiterate it in case the shadow Secretary of State did not hear me: both myself and the Secretary of State represent semi-rural and farming constituencies. We are in ongoing dialogue with constituents. We absolutely understand the pressures they face, which is why we have said that we will support family farms and that only the very richest will be affected. Our constituents rely on public services and they require investment in those public services, and that is exactly what this tax change was designed to do: introduce fairness but also raise revenue that will benefit all our communities, including rural Scots.

• 22 Oct 2025 · Inheritance Tax Relief: Agriculture Sector · Hansard source

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  Our reforms mean that the majority—almost three quarters—of those claiming the relief will not be affected. Only the richest estates will be asked to pay more. This is a fair approach that balances fixing our public finances with maintaining support for small family farms and businesses.

• 22 Oct 2025 · Inheritance Tax Relief: Agriculture Sector · Hansard source

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  I would be delighted to meet the hon. Lady, and I welcome her to her new position. Food security is indeed national security, and national security is the No. 1 priority of this Government. We are trying to safeguard it in a number of ways, including through our commitment to food security and, indeed, energy security. I would be delighted to discuss it with her further.

• 1 Sept 2025 · Lisbon Maru Memorial · Hansard source

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  I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Bathgate and Linlithgow (Kirsteen Sullivan) on securing this debate on the potential merits of Government support for a memorial to the Lisbon Maru. In particular, I congratulate her on the very moving and evocative way in which she told the story of this tragedy and the sheer humanity exhibited by those who came to the rescue. Let me put on record our tribute to her constituent Gerry for recording his family’s story—it must have been painful, but it was so incredibly important. I thank the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon), my hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh South West (Dr Arthur) and the right hon. Member for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale (David Mundell) for adding their reflections to this debate, and all hon. Members who have stayed to listen to it this evening. I begin my own reflections by acknowledging and honouring the service and suffering of British and Commonwealth prisoners of war in the Pacific theatre during the second world war. As we have heard today, this issue has impacted on many lives very deeply, including the families of the many Scottish servicemen who tragically lost their lives. As my hon. Friend the Member for Bathgate and Linlithgow has said, every constituency has a story to tell, so it is right that we remember all those who died, those who suffered appalling injuries and those who were tortured and imprisoned during this conflict. It is right that we thank them and recognise that they suffered deeply for our shared freedoms. I recently had the privilege of representing the UK Government at the VJ Day 80th anniversary service at Edinburgh castle, organised by the Royal British Legion Scotland. I was deeply moved to spend time with families recounting the stories of their own loved ones who had served in world war two across all theatres, and I will never forget the stories they told and the lessons they imparted on the power of forgiveness, service and sacrifice. Similarly, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland met Margaret Landels and George McLeod, both world war two veterans, during his recent visit to Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory for VE Day. Both of those significant national occasions are reminders of the price paid for our freedoms, and they highlight the importance of standing alongside our allies, particularly, as we heard earlier from the Secretary of State for Defence, in continuing our support for Ukraine. The UK will always support Ukraine’s sovereignty, freedom and right to peace. I had cause to reflect on that personally when I attended the third anniversary commemoration of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine at the Scottish national war memorial. The memorial at Edinburgh castle honours all Scottish service personnel who have died in the service of their country and acts as a truly poignant symbol of Scotland’s long-standing tradition of contributing to the UK’s national defence. Scots in the armed forces, their families and their communities are rightly proud of Scotland’s deep-rooted military history. Scots have a very long tradition of defending the UK’s interests around the world. But beyond remembering our fallen heroes, we have a duty to ensure that veterans and their families today receive the support and care that they deserve, no matter where they live in the UK. That is why this Government have taken significant steps to deliver on our promise to renew the nation’s contract with those who serve and have served. I am proud that this Government launched Op VALOUR, a transformative initiative backed by a £50 million commitment to veterans’ support. We also launched a £75 million LGBT financial redress scheme. Through Op Ascend, we are helping veterans to thrive in their post-service careers, providing them with opportunities to succeed in the civilian workforce. Let me turn to the specific subject of today’s debate. The UK Government deeply regret the loss of life that occurred on the Lisbon Maru and the resulting distress caused by the decision not to pursue a case against those involved. The Government of Japan have acknowledged and shown contrition for their wartime actions on numerous occasions over the past several decades, including from past Prime Ministers and Emperors. Since the second world war, the UK and Japan have continued to work hard to promote our shared democratic values and respect for human rights, in the hope that we will never, ever see a repeat of these events anywhere in the world. I saw the closeness of our modern partnership when I visited Japan only last month. As my hon. Friend mentioned, there is rightly a memorial located at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, which commemorates all those who were taken captive and those who perished. On 2 October every year there is now an annual gathering at the memorial to remember and honour those affected by this tragedy. I will also take this opportunity to pay tribute to the Lisbon Maru Memorial Association for its dedicated work in preserving the history of the events surrounding the sinking of the Lisbon Maru and honouring all those who were aboard her. As heritage is a devolved policy area in Scotland, any funding of such memorials remains the preserve of public subscription driven by individuals and organisations. I therefore encourage the Scottish Government to consider how they can best support efforts to commemorate those in Scotland affected by the tragic events of the Lisbon Maru, ensuring that the memory of the 183 servicemen from the Royal Scots regiment who lost their lives is truly honoured. I know that my hon. Friend the Minister for Veterans and People engages regularly with the Scottish Veterans Commissioner, who advocates for veterans living in Scotland and influences policymakers on matters affecting veterans. All our Governments must continue to work together on how we appropriately honour and remember the past. In closing, let us remember that our commitment to veterans is not just a promise; it is an ongoing, deep obligation. It is our responsibility to honour their service, acknowledge their sacrifices and—most of all—preserve their memories for future generations. Together, we will continue to build a future in which every single veteran receives the care, support and opportunities that they rightfully deserve. Question put and agreed to.

• 9 Jul 2025 · Broadcasting: Scotland · Hansard source

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  The Secretary of State and I are committed to supporting a flourishing broadcasting sector in Scotland and regularly meet its representatives. I know that my hon. Friend the Member for Na h-Eileanan an Iar was part of a recent engagement that the Scotland Office was delighted to co-host with MG Alba, where he spoke passionately about the importance of Gaelic broadcasting, and we share his commitment to it.

• 9 Jul 2025 · Broadcasting: Scotland · Hansard source

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  That is an interesting point. My hon. Friend has been advancing this case, and he is right: the whole objective of the growth deals is to enable people to live well in the places that they love. As he knows, the UK Government have delivered a historic spending review for Scotland, which includes ambitious plans for local growth to become the foundation of national renewal. The Scotland Office will continue to engage with him and with other Members on both sides of the House, and with Scottish local government, to ensure that local growth investment supports the change that Labour promised and the change that our communities want to see.

• 9 Jul 2025 · Broadcasting: Scotland · Hansard source

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  I do agree that we should be co-operating as far as possible. Steps have already been taken to preserve the future of home-grown content and talent through initiatives such as the UK Government’s independent film tax credit and high-end tax relief, providing a real opportunity for the industry to grow, but I should certainly like to talk to the hon. Gentleman about how the industries in Scotland and Northern Ireland could co-operate more effectively.

• 9 Jul 2025 · Supporting Scottish Agriculture · Hansard source

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  Our message to the farming community, including the National Farmers Union of Scotland—I meet its representatives regularly and, indeed, spoke at its annual conference—is that there has to be fairness in the Government’s approach to the public finances. The latest figures from 2021-22 show that 40% of the value of agricultural property relief went to just 7% of claimants, which is neither fair nor sustainable.