St Andrew’s Day and Scottish Affairs
Susan Murray Excerpts(1 week, 6 days ago)
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Susan Murray (Mid Dunbartonshire) (LD)
It is an honour to speak today at my first St Andrew’s day and Scottish affairs debate as the Liberal Democrats spokes- person for Scotland. I congratulate the hon. Member for Dunfermline and Dollar (Graeme Downie) on securing the debate.
St Andrew’s day, as we have been hearing, is a moment to reflect on the story of Scotland. We remember St Andrew not only as our patron saint, but as a symbol of solidarity and welcome, a fisherman whose cross now flies above a country built on resilience, hard work, learning and connection. Across the centuries, Scots have made their mark on the world. From the enlightenment thinkers who reshaped modern science and democracy to the coal- miners, foundries, engineers and shipbuilders who powered the industrial revolution, and, of course, the distillers, fishermen and farmers who are known across the world for their specialties in food and drink, Scotland shows again and again how a small nation makes a big contribution.
The story of my own constituency of Mid Dunbartonshire sits right at the heart of the national story. Along the line of the Antonine Wall, now a UNESCO world heritage site, Roman soldiers once stood to watch the northern edge of an empire. Later, figures such as Thomas Muir of Huntershill, the father of Scottish democracy, carried the banner of political reform and democratic rights from our own communities to the wider world. The arrival of the Forth and Clyde canal turned Kirkintilloch and Bishopbriggs into hubs of industry and transport, carrying coal, iron and goods from west to east. As time has moved on, Mid Dunbartonshire has changed. Heavy industry has given way to new businesses and growing communities. Milngavie is the starting point of the West Highland Way, welcoming walkers from across the world. Mid Dunbartonshire is home to residents who value being part of our diverse communities and the green space of the Campsie fells.
In this journey we see the history of Scotland: resilience in the face of change, pride in community, and a belief that education and hard work can open doors, not just for yourself but for the community around you. It is precisely because we are so proud of that history that we must be honest about the present. We know the people of Scotland have been let down in recent years, with mismanaged finances, abandoned healthcare projects and falling educational standards. Scotland is truly an incredible place, and I am proud to be Scottish, but right now it feels too often that things are not working. Household bills are soaring. Families are cutting back on heating, food and the small treats that make life bearable, just to keep up with rising costs. Long waits to see a GP are now all too common. People are in pain or struggling with their mental health. They are told to wait weeks, if not months, for treatment. We see enormous sums of money frittered away. Take the ferries fiasco: a saga of delay, overspend and broken promises has left island communities feeling abandoned. Sadly, when the Government fail to deliver infrastructure, ordinary people and local businesses pay the price.
The story is the same with Scottish education. Once the best in the UK, our system has slipped in international rankings. Teachers work hard, yet promises are broken. They are asked to do more with less, while support for pupils with additional needs is stretched even thinner. People are tired and frustrated, and they are right to be.
The Liberal Democrats believe that Scotland deserves better. We believe in fairness for everyone, no matter who they are or where they come from. That is why we have a realistic plan to get things done. We should have a health service that is genuinely there for people when they need it—first-rate care so that people can see their GP, dentist or mental health professional without waiting weeks or months. Health professionals should have fair pay and working conditions, so that talented people stay in our NHS instead of burning out or leaving altogether. That also means that Milngavie needs a new health and care centre, which is badly overdue.
We need to tackle the cost of living at its root. In a country that has as much renewable energy as Scotland, it is simply wrong that people are living in fuel poverty. By insulating cold homes, backing community energy projects and making full use of Scottish renewable energy, we can drive down household bills and bills for industry, cut emissions and create good, green jobs in every part of the country.
That is tied directly to transport. By fixing our ferries, roads and rail services, we can create an integrated transport network to get Scotland moving again. Rather than cutting services, we need to look at how to expand public transport. Importantly, we need to look at how we can power it with home-grown renewable energy and connect our island communities to give them a sustainable future.
Scotland’s past success was built on education, and at the heart of a fairer Scotland lie our schools, colleges and universities. Returning Scottish education to its best means expanding pupil support in every school and giving every child the best start in life. It means more classroom assistants, specialist support for additional needs, and a renewed focus on literacy, numeracy and science. It means providing enough places for Scottish students in our world-class universities, and enough further education to fill our skills gaps, offering a future to young people who do not currently feel that they can look forward to a brighter future. Above all, it means backing our teaching professionals with the resources they need and recognising that education is an investment in Scotland’s future.
St Andrew’s day reminds us that Scotland’s story has always been one of connection between the past and the future, and between our own communities and the wider world. Scottish people and their descendants are found all over the world, as are the red telephone boxes, which were manufactured in my consistency, that are all over London and all over the world. The choices that we make now will decide whether the next chapter of our story is one of decline and managed disappointment, or of renewal built on fairness and opportunity. Scotland deserves better. I want us to honour Scotland’s history and the history of places such as Mid Dunbartonshire by matching the ambition, courage and sense of justice shown by those who went before us.
Madam Deputy Speaker (Caroline Nokes)
I call the shadow Secretary of State.
Oral Answers to Questions
Susan Murray Excerpts(4 weeks ago)
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Susan Murray (Mid Dunbartonshire) (LD)
After 18 years of an SNP Government in Scotland, the education system is failing and qualified Scottish pupils are being turned away from Scottish universities. Meanwhile, the private sector in the west of Scotland, such as at the energy technical academy in my constituency, is upskilling workers, who are paying so that they can install electric vehicle chargers and heat pumps. Will the Secretary of State explain to the Scottish Government that educating young people and further education training are good for Scotland?
Mr Alexander
I sincerely hope the Scottish Government are listening to the very powerful points made by the hon. Lady. Some 89,600 young people in Scotland are not in work, education or training. That is equivalent to about 16.1% or one in six of our young people in Scotland. Scotland deserves better than a Scottish Government who are failing one in six of their young people.
Oral Answers to Questions
Susan Murray Excerpts(2 months ago)
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Susan Murray (Mid Dunbartonshire) (LD)
Archibald Young, a foundry in my constituency, manufactures components that are vital to our national security, yet it now faces a devastating blow from Labour’s tax changes. We are hearing that food production—another cornerstone of national security—will also be decimated by these measures. This issue goes to the heart of the protection of our country. Does the Minister agree that Scottish businesses that are essential to national security must be safeguarded, and will she commit to meeting me and others with similar concerns to discuss that?
Kirsty McNeill
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.
Devolution in Scotland
Susan Murray Excerpts(2 months ago)
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Susan Murray (Mid Dunbartonshire) (LD)
I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross (Jamie Stone) for bringing attention to the matter. As my colleagues have made clear, the Liberal Democrats believe in devolution. Our votes pushed it over the line in 1999, delivering a Scottish Parliament and taking decision making closer to the people.
We remain proud of that achievement, and we want that devolution to extend to councils and to communities, yet the sad reality is that the opportunities presented to Scotland by devolution have been squandered. Years of financial mismanagement, failed education reforms and endless NHS recovery plans have let Scots down. After nearly two decades in office, the SNP have proved every bit as adept at failing the people of Scotland as they have accused the Conservatives of being. We have watched the SNP divert half a billion pounds from green energy initiatives simply to plug budget gaps; through mismanagement, we have seen the squandering of another half a billion on ferries that were originally promised for less than £100 million; and worryingly, we have seen the party’s own finances called into question. Conservative curtains and cupboards are clearly a no-go, but the SNP motorhomes are all right.
Despite those failures and the clear rejection of independence, the SNP continues to demand referenda. In 2014, the “time was right” and the people of Scotland said no. In 2016, the “time was right” again and the courts rejected it. In 2025, it repeats the same mantra. A vote once described as once in a generation has become once in a Parliament. Instead of working for the Scottish people, it flogs the same tired cause.
The Liberal Democrats offer a different vision: a fair deal for Scotland within a strong federal United Kingdom. We want decisions taken as close to local communities as possible, empowering them to shape their future, but co-operation at the federal level is vital to tackle the challenges we face as a nation. This is why the Liberal Democrats want a joint council of the nations to drive innovation and co-ordinated action to tackle the climate emergency. We want to secure agreement through the common frameworks and a fair dispute resolution process so that differences between Administrations are resolved maturely, not through endless political games. We want stronger joint ministerial work on issues such as the industrial strategy to ensure that every nation’s voice is heard in shaping our economy.
That kind of co-operation delivers results. We should draw on the strengths of all four nations, not tear them apart and play politics with people’s futures. Scotland deserves better than the uncertainty it has experienced. It deserves co-operation, certainty and a Government who listen. I look forward to the Scottish elections next year, with more Liberal Democrat MSPs entering the Scottish Parliament to work hard in the interests of Scottish people of all ages.
