Martin McCluskey MP: speeches

Speeches

• 15 Oct 2024 · Scotland’s Economy · Hansard source

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  We saw last week the Government’s commitment to carbon capture and storage. I am happy to take those points away and ensure that they are communicated to the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Chancellor. The Government’s focus on growth is in the service of our mission to tackle poverty, remove barriers to opportunity and put the country back in the service of working people. It is appalling that under the previous Government, child poverty in the UK went up by 700,000 since 2010. Today, more than one in five Scots and one in four children are trapped in poverty, trying to get by on less than they need. The child poverty taskforce, which this Government have established, is developing a strategy to reduce child poverty that will be published in the spring of next year. The previous UK Labour Government oversaw huge falls in poverty levels across the UK. It is what Labour Governments do—it is in our DNA—and we will do it again. The vital work of the taskforce comes alongside the Government’s commitment to make work pay. Last week, we published the Employment Rights Bill, the biggest upgrade of workers’ rights in a generation. I welcome the comments from a number of hon. Members, including my hon. Friends the Members for Coatbridge and Bellshill (Frank McNally) and for Edinburgh North and Leith (Tracy Gilbert), supporting this agenda and how it will impact on their constituents. This Government are calling time on unfair employment practices by ending exploitative zero hours contracts, introducing day-one employment rights and establishing a new fair work agency to enforce workers’ rights. That is all part of our plan to deliver economic growth for workers, businesses and local communities, right across the UK. As we have heard from others this morning, this Labour Government are pro-worker and pro-business, so these reforms will not just help Scottish workers but boost Scottish businesses of all sizes. We are going to tackle head-on the low pay, poor working conditions and job insecurity that have been holding our country back. Our plan will grow our economy, tackle in-work poverty and raise living standards for all. We recognise that rebuilding our public services and economy will require investment, and the Chancellor has been clear that there will be no return to austerity. I want to emphasise that point: she has said numerous times that there will be no return to austerity. Although funding decisions and details will be presented at the upcoming Budget, the UK Government are committed to retaining the Barnett formula and funding arrangements agreed with the Scottish Government in the fiscal framework. The framework provides the Scottish Government with greater certainty and flexibility to manage devolved public services, as well as higher per person spending. That does not remove the need for both Governments to take tough decisions to look after the public finances and stabilise the Scottish economy.

• 15 Oct 2024 · Scotland’s Economy · Hansard source

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  Ports are essential to the future of our country, and coming from a constituency with an important and thriving port, I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend. We are taking tough decisions, but change is under way and investment is now flowing into the country. Just yesterday, as many hon. Members have mentioned, the international investment summit brought the chief executives of hundreds of the world’s biggest companies to the United Kingdom. They announced £63 billion of investment and 38,000 jobs for the UK. The companies included Scottish Power and its parent company Iberdrola, which doubled their investment in the UK from £12 billion to £24 billion, and Greenvolt, which announced a £2.5 billion investment in Scotland. That will benefit the whole country.

• 15 Oct 2024 · Scotland’s Economy · Hansard source

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  I would say that it does have a great future. I am not dismissing the fact that there are issues within the Scottish universities sector, which many of my hon. Friends laid out during the debate, but there is huge potential for the future of the sector and it is for not only the Scottish Government but the UK Government to make sure that it is realised. In terms of our relationship and working together, what we saw from the previous Government was a stand-off, and I do not think that works to the benefit of the people of Scotland. What the majority of Scots want to see are their two Governments working together to deliver better results.