FMQs: Follow along live with our blog
Follow along with our live blog.
FMQs: Follow along live
Key Events
- Humza Yousaf will face questioning from Douglas Ross, Anas Sarwar and others at the weekly FMQs
- Earlier this week an attempt to block the government’s holiday lets licensing scheme was defeated, despite an SNP rebellion
- We are also expecting questions on the Paris Climate Agreement, offshore wind and repeat offenders
Talking about the climate crisis now.
Labour MSP Sarah Boyack has accused the SNP of “flip flopping on oil and gas”, which hasn’t gone down well with the SNP. Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone has to briefly intervene to get everyone to calm down.
Humza Yousaf replied to say she would have more credibility if UK Labour hadn’t dumped its proposals for a £28 million green prosperity fund.
He said: “Time and time again the Scottish Government doesn’t just talk the talk, we’re prepared to walk the walk and bring forward serious action to tackle the climate emergency.
“It would help if parties who demand we meet these targets don’t oppose every motion we bring to parliament.”
He then added: “Join us, support us.”
We’re now talking about the just transition and the future of renewables.
That brings me nicely to an article that was published on our website just before FMQs started.
Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has written to the First Minister asking he refers himself to the independent advisor on the Scottish ministerial code, saying he potentially broke the code when correcting the record over a statement on renewable energy.
Douglas Lumsden, Conservative MSP for the North East, said the fact there were no bids received for offshore wind projects in the UK Government’s latest contract round should be a “wake up call” for the Scottish Government.
This has caused lots of outrage from the SNP benches and Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone has had to intervene again to calm them all down.
Mr Lumsden then asked about the future of nuclear energy as part of the just transition.
Again more dissent from the SNP benches with one shouting his comments are “embarrassing” - I think it was Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville?
From inside the chamber
Our Deputy Political Editor Conor Matchett is in the debating chamber watching it all unfold - you can keep up-to-date from him on his Twitter/X page: https://twitter.com/conor_matchett
Trawling through Twitter/X to see some of the immediate reaction to FMQs so far.
Roz McCall, Conservative MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, is sharing her reflections on the exchange between Humza Yousaf and Douglas Ross on cuts to police budgets.
Pauline McNeill from Scottish Labour is now asking about repeat offending. She says often the victims of repeat offending don’t repeat this, and says those carrying out repeat offending tend to be from deprived areas, have experienced homelessness, or are in recovery from addiction.
She says more needs to be done to support grassroots organisations in local communities, which are being hit with limited funding.
Humza Yousaf says there are fewer crimes and fewer victims than over a decade ago, but adds they have invested £93 million over the past five years to support putting victims at the heart of the justice system.
Clare Adamson is now asking about the closure of Motherwell Concert Hall, after it was found to contain potentially dangerous concrete called RAAC.
Pam Duncan-Glancy from Scottish Labour is now asking about disabled people in Glasgow.
She says they have never been a priority for the Scottish Government, and says disabled people are dying of poverty and “no one knows and no one cares”, and asks if the First Minister knows how bad it is for disabled people in the city he represents.
Ms Duncan-Glancy uses a wheelchair herself and has consistently raised issues facing disabled people since being elected in 2021.
He replied to say he does know and said in his programme for government he was committed to reopening the independent living fund and committed to ending non-residential care charges by the end of the parliamentary term.
He then says it is important Labour doesn’t turn their back on the SNP’s hopes for progressive tax - that doesn’t seem to have gone down well with Pam Duncan-Glancy.
Finlay Carson is now asking about the MV Glen Sannox and the MV Glen Rosa, the two CalMac ferries which are languishing at the Ferguson Marine shipyard in Port Glasgow. The two ships are well known to be drastically over budget and over schedule.
Myself and Conor took a look at this topic earlier in the week, you can catch up on what happened here: https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/ferries-scandal-scotland-minister-unable-to-guarantee-design-changes-on-delayed-ferguson-marine-ferries-will-be-signed-off-due-to-safety-concerns-4293454
Remember my previous post about the Lib Dems asking Humza Yousaf refers himself to the independent advisor on the Scottish ministerial code? Scottish Conservative MSP Liam Kerr is asking about this: https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/humza-yousaf-urged-to-refer-himself-for-potentially-ministerial-code-breach-over-renewables-claim-4335777
Mr Kerr says the civil service is becoming “increasingly politicised” - definitely not gone down well with the SNP.
Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone has intervened again to say members must treat each other with “courtesy and respect”.
Humza Yousaf then goes down the line on how disrespectful the UK Conservatives are by illegally shutting down parliament and all the various antics of Boris Johnson.
Seems like a bit of a cheap shot - and one that has left Liam Kerr looking fuming.
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