Martyn Day MP, a member of the Petitions Committee, has been asked by the Committee to open the debate. MPs from all parties can take part, and the Government will send a minister to respond.
We call upon the Government to hold a Public Inquiry into the impact of Brexit
The petition, which has more than 137,000 signatures, states: “The benefits that were promised if the UK exited the European Union have not been delivered, so we call upon the Government to hold a Public Inquiry to assess the impact that Brexit has had on this country and its citizens.”
In its response to the petition, provided on 5 December 2022, the Government said: “The UK’s departure from the EU was a democratic choice and the UK-EU institutions are functioning as intended. The Government does not believe this to be an appropriate subject for a public inquiry.”
What are petitions debates?
Petitions debates are ‘general’ debates which allow MPs from all parties to discuss the important issues raised by one or more petitions, and put their concerns to Government Ministers.
Petition debates don’t end with a vote to implement the request of a petition. This means MPs will not vote on whether to hold a public inquiry into the impact of the UK’s exit from the European Union.
Petition debates are scheduled by the Petitions Committee. Only e-petitions started on the parliament petitions site are considered by the Petitions Committee.
Don’t forget to register for Edinburgh InterFaith Association’s ‘Together For Our Planet‘, event On Wednesday 11th May – 7:30pm.
Following the wonderful Together for our Planet concert last November, what can we do to offer a faith perspective to Edinburgh Community Climate Forum?
Your opportunity to contribute as individuals and communities.
Keynote from Alastair McIntosh, Fellow of the Centre for Human Ecology and author of Riders on the Storm – The Climate Crisis and the Survival of Being
Chaired by David Somervell, Trustee of Our Future Edinburgh – partner with EVOC in Edinburgh’s Community Climate Forum
Wednesday 11th May – 7:30pm In person and livestreamed
Solidarity with Ukraine debate: First Minister’s statement
Statement by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon opening the debate, Solidarity with Ukraine in the Scottish Parliament on Thursday 24 February 2022:
Presiding Officer,
Today we woke to the horror of an unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and a reality that we all hoped had become unthinkable – a land war in Europe, and today, literally as we speak, that horror in Ukraine is intensifying
Much discussion will focus rightly on the geopolitical impact, but as ever, when so-called ‘strong men leaders’ flex their muscles, it is the innocent and most vulnerable who suffer the most.
At the sharp end of any conflict are men, women, and children – civilians, who have the right to go about their daily lives in peace, but who will inevitably bear the brunt of this full-scale invasion.
Many will be terrified and are fleeing.
Our thoughts are with them in this darkest of hours, and we must provide them with practical support, aid and refuge.
This is arguably the most serious moment the world has faced since the end of the Cold War, and one of the most dangerous since World War II.
By launching this invasion of a sovereign, independent nation, Vladimir Putin has committed an illegal act of aggression, which has no conceivable justification.
His warped rewriting of history, underpinning his imperialist delusions, is no justification.
His claims about the actions of Ukraine’s government are false, and offer no justification.
And notwithstanding different opinions here and elsewhere about the role and objectives of NATO, his assertions about its so-called Eastern expansion and threat to Russian security lack credibility. They are an excuse, not a reason and certainly not a justification.
His motives are simpler. Imperialist expansion, coupled with a fear of allowing democracy to flourish on his borders, in case it finds its way into Russia.
And if these are his motives, no one should doubt his ultimate intention. He wants to end Ukraine’s very existence as an independent, democratic state.
This is a moment therefore of genuine peril. First and foremost for the people of Ukraine but also for the world – and it is a time for all democracies, and all countries that believe in the rule of international law to stand up for Ukraine’s sovereignty, and to stand against Russian aggression.
That is why I believe it is important for Parliament today to condemn Russia’s actions unreservedly, to show solidarity with the people of Ukraine, and to support Ukrainian sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.
That of course is the right thing to do for all countries.
But I know in expressing our solidarity with Ukraine, many of us are mindful of the strong ties between Scotland and Ukraine.
As just one example, our capital city Edinburgh is twinned with Ukraine’s capital Kyiv.
And of course, there are several thousand Ukrainian citizens living in Scotland. They are valued and welcome members of our communities.
For all of them, especially those with family and friends still in Ukraine, this will be an especially anxious time, and the Scottish Government will do all we can to support them, and we will work with the Foreign Office to support enquiries from any in Scotland who may be worried about loved ones in Ukraine.
We are also working with the UK and other devolved governments to ensure support is available if needed, to Ukrainian British nationals returning to the UK.
I discussed the concerns of Ukrainians in Scotland yesterday with both the Acting Consul General and with Linda Allison, the Chair of the Ukrainian community here.
I made clear to both of them, the Scottish Government’s condemnation of Russian actions, and our support for and solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
In addition, I made it clear that Scotland stands with those members of the international community who have opposed Russian aggression by imposing sanctions.
After all, expressions of solidarity with Ukraine – welcome though they are – are not sufficient in this moment of great peril.
Firm and decisive action is needed.
It is particularly needed, because this week’s atrocities by Russia are not isolated – they are part of a pattern of this Russian regime’s aggression, which of course includes the annexation of Crimea in 2014, and the Salisbury poisonings in 2018.
Now I deliberately say the ‘Russian regime’ because it is important to be clear that the crimes, and I also use that word deliberately, now being committed by Putin should be laid at his door, and at the doors of his kleptocratic cronies.
They should not be laid at the door of the people of Russia wholesale. Nor should they be laid at the door of Russians or people of Russian background now living here in Scotland.
But these crimes cannot, and they must not, go unanswered.
We cannot have a situation – as arguably did happen with Crimea – where the world expresses shock and outrage for a period of time, but then allows the Russian regime to consolidate its gains, with relatively few consequences and then plan further aggression.
If we are to deter Putin this time, sanctions must hit him and his allies hard, with severe and lasting consequences – he must pay a heavy price for aggression.
I therefore welcome the EU’s intention to impose a package of what it calls ‘massive, targeted sanctions’, the detail of which I know we should learn tonight.
The UK of course, sadly, will now not be in the room when those sanctions are being discussed and decided.
But as the Estonian Prime Minister said this morning, the most effective response to Russian aggression is unity. So I hope we will see coordinated action across the international community.
We welcomed the sanctions the UK government announced on Tuesday. But as I said at the time those measures against just five banks and three individuals, were too limited.
There is no case at all, in my view, to delay tough action now.
The experience of recent years shows that softer action does not encourage better behaviour on the part of Putin, it simply emboldens him in his aggressions.
The UK government therefore must announce further, much more significant steps as quickly as possible, and I am hopeful they will do so.
It must also address the fact – and it is a fact, that the city of London is awash with Russian money.
Its response must therefore include a ruthless and comprehensive attack on the wealth and assets of the Russian regime and its backers.
This demands a serious and systematic approach, and the Scottish Government will strongly support further moves by the UK Government in that direction.
The Scottish Government will also work with the UK Government and other partners, including the UK National Cyber Security Centre, in staying vigilant against any direct threats that Russia might present to Scotland, for example through cyber-attacks.
The National Cyber Security Centre is closely monitoring the threat to the UK as a priority and I have in recent weeks, in addition to briefing from the National Security Adviser, been participating in four nations discussions on how we deal with the range of domestic impacts that we may experience.
Presiding Officer,
The final point I want to make today is this – this crisis is fundamentally about Russian aggression against Ukraine, but there is also a far wider international and indeed moral dimension to this crisis.
Putin wants to dismember, essentially to obliterate, Ukraine as an independent, democratic nation.
If he is allowed to get away with his aggression, the international community will have failed – and that failure will give encouragement to other countries, and other so-called ‘strong man leaders’ who consider acts of aggression in future.
So this crisis is a test for all nations. It is a test of how prepared we are to support not just the principle, but the reality of an international order based on law, rules and peaceful co-existence.
It is a test of how prepared we are to protect freedom, peace and democracy.
All of us must speak out against Putin’s aggression and we must stand up for the values of democracy, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and peace.
First and foremost as the best chance of deterring aggression against Ukraine, and standing in solidarity with the people of Ukraine. But we must do so also for the sake of other countries across the world, we must do so for the sake of our world.
We must not accept this as a moment that bloody and prolonged war returns to our continent.
Today Parliament can add Scotland’s voice to all of those now standing up for peace, freedom, and democracy.
We can add this Parliament and Scotland’s voice to all of those standing with the people of Ukraine, in this, the darkest of hours.
For that reason, Presiding Officer, with a sombre sense but with pride, I move the motion in my name.
A new Report warns that draft UK Government legislation on online harms would fail to prevent the sharing of some of the most “insidious” images of child abuse and violence against women and girls.
Scrutiny by the DCMS Committee of the Government’s Draft Online Safety Bill has found that in its current form, the legislation is neither clear nor robust enough to tackle certain types of illegal and harmful content on user-to-user and search services.
In the Report published today, MPs call on the Government to address types of content that are technically legal – including parts of child abuse sequences like “breadcrumbing” and types of online violence against and women and girls such as tech-enabled “nudifying” of women and deepfake pornography – by bringing them into scope either through primary legislation or as types of harmful content covered by the duties of care.
MPs reject a recommendation made by the Joint Committee to include in the Bill the establishment of a permanent Committee of both Houses on the grounds that such a development would duplicate the existing constitutional role of the DCMS Committee.
Chair of the DCMS Committee Julian Knight MP said: “In its current form what should be world-leading, landmark legislation instead represents a missed opportunity.
“The Online Safety Bill neither protects freedom of expression nor is it clear nor robust enough to tackle illegal and harmful online content.
“Urgency is required to ensure that some of the most pernicious forms of child sexual abuse do not evade detection because of a failure in the online safety law.
“These are matters of important public debate to which we will return as the Bill makes its way through Parliament.”
Two people from Edinburgh feature in the next episode of European Current Affairs programme, Eòrpa, which is about the proposed Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill and will air onBBC ALBA tonight (Thursday, November 18) at 8.30pm.
Dr Donald MacDonald – from Edinburgh – practiced as a doctor, and as a minister, for many years, both in the UK and in India and he’s had MS for almost 40 years. He is against the assisted dying Scotland Bill because it goes against the age old medical ethic of not ending a life deliberately. He’s concerned that people would feel like a burden on their family, friends or caregivers and due to this they might opt for ending their life via assisted suicide or euthanasia.
And Leighanne Baird-Sangster from Edinburgh. In May 2020, her wife Gill was terminally ill with melanoma cancer and when she reached the end-of-life stage they had a very difficult 10 days before she died when she suffered a lot of pain. Leighanne supports the Assisted Dying Scotland Bill, so that no one else goes through what her wife did.
Assisted dying has always been a divisive, and deeply controversial topic. Those in favour may see it as a compassionate way to end suffering. Many people come to support it due to their own personal experience. But on the other hand, many of those against changing the law see it as gravely immoral, and as something which could be used to undermine the rights of the most vulnerable in society.
Any new change in the law in Scotland would not make it easy for someone to go through the assisted dying process. Anyone who wishes to go through with it must have a terminal, incurable illness, and must be deemed to be near the end of their lives. Although the proposed bill currently contains no recommendation on exactly how long someone might naturally have left to live.
Spain is the latest country to pass an assisted dying bill, giving people the option to end their lives when they choose. From March this year, those living in Spain who suffer from incurable illnesses can begin the process to end their own lives.
In Spain, a doctor can administer the final drug – something which would not be allowed were the law to change in Scotland.
Other Contributors include:
Dr Gordon MacDonald, Chief Executive Care not Killing, believes it would put people who are vulnerable in a very dangerous situation, that they would come under pressure to end their lives prematurely and rather than that we should be investing in proper palliative care.
Ally Thompson, Director – Dignity in Dying – says the current blanket ban is unfair and unjust, and causes so many dying people and their families to suffer needlessly. He believes legalising assisted dying for terminally ill, mentally competent adults, would be better.
Liam MacArthur MSP for Orkney Islands – he thinks people have increasingly come to the conclusion that having this choice of an assisted death is compassionate, it’s what a progressive country ought to aspire to,
Rev Domhnall Michael Macinnes – he believes that passing this Bill would open Pandora’s Box and we should be encouraging life for people because it’s a precious gift from God. Mr MacInnes, who is minister of Gairbraid Church in Maryhill, Glasgow, is originally from Lewis. He is also a former minister at St Columba’s Church in St Vincent Street, Glasgow.
Javier Serrano Martin from Spain – was the first person in Madrid to die under the new assisted dying legislation. He suffered from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and spoke to Eorpa shortly before his death.
Leading figures, including Will Travers OBE, Dominic Dyer, Deborah Meaden and Pen Farthing, to debate the importance of habitat, wildlife protection and animal welfare
“The time for talking is almost over. CoP26 is our last and best chance to discuss, agree and invest in the bold, decisive actions needed to reverse biodiversity loss, wean ourselves off fossil fuels, reach carbon neutral by 2030 (not 2050), clean up our oceans and our air, end the exploitation of the many by the few – and save ourselves. Born Free remains positive, but I believe it is now or never.” – Will Travers OBE. Exec President and Co-Founder, Born Free
As part of the Cabinet Office Green Zone event programme at the COP26 Climate Change Summit in Glasgow, leading wildlife charity, Born Free, is hosting a key debate on the ‘State of the Earth’, in the format of a Question Time event at the IMax Cinema at the Science Centre, Glasgow, on Sunday 7 November from 12.30 to 2.30pm.
The event will be chaired by Born Free Policy Advisor and Wildlife Advocate Dominic Dyer, based on the format of the BBC current affairs programme, with questions for the panel being submitted by the audience of over 400 delegates and attendees.
Dominic Dyer, Chair of the event and Born Free’s Policy Advisor, said: “The climate emergency is not just a crisis for the future of human civilisation, it also endangers the future of the natural world and all animal life on this planet.
“In our lifetime, we have seen a 68% global decline in animal population sizes around the world, largely due to deforestation, unsustainable industrial agriculture, illegal wildlife trade and the growing impact of climate change.
“It’s time to end the exploitation and destruction of the natural world and usher in a new era where we re-wild landscapes, restore our oceans, and create a new world where wildlife and people can live in harmony and thrive together.”
Dragon’s Den’s Deborah Meaden, businesswoman and passionate animal welfare campaigner commented: “There is a huge focus on Net Zero going in to COP26, but it is important we also consider the wider issues which feed into the health of our planet, including biodiversity, animal welfare, plastics and pollution.
“I am delighted to be sitting on such a knowledgeable and diverse panel to discuss how we can best tackle these hugely important issues.”
Craig Bennett, CEO Wildlife Trusts concluded: “COP26 represents an import moment in time when we all need to question and reflect how well we are doing in tackling the climate & ecological emergency.
“This Question Time event provides a great opportunity for anyone to ask questions of the panel about any issues and to participate in this timely and urgent debate.”
Born Free’s Head of Policy, veterinarian Dr Mark Jones, added: “The biodiversity and climate crises are inextricably linked. Nature acts as a natural carbon store and a buffer to global warming and the effects of extreme weather events.
“Addressing global warming is key to ensuring species can continue to survive and thrive in the habitats they have evolved to live in. This event is a real opportunity drive home the message to decision makers that we need to act, and act now, to limit global warming and protect nature and wildlife, for the sake of all life on earth.”
Pen Farthing, CEO and Founder, Nowzad, added: “The Born Free ‘State of the Earth’ Question Time is an important opportunity to engage with a live audience on how we can make this world a better place for people, nature and animals, at home and abroad.”
The sold-out panel discussion will be held in front of a live audience of over 400 delegates as well as livestreamed to a large global audience here:
Yesterday, Lothian MSP, and Scottish Greens Co-leader, Lorna Slater joined the overwhelming majority of MSPs in voting to oppose the cruel Tory £20 cut to universal credit that is being inflicted by Westminster.
The cut will impact tens of thousands of families in Lothian, cutting their income by £1,040 per year.
Lothian MSP and Scottish Greens Co-leader Lorna Slater said:“The Tories have shown their true colours. This is one of the biggest social security cuts ever seen in this country and could plunge tens of thousands of families in Lothian into despair.
“It is particularly unwelcome at a time when so many people are still struggling with the impact of the pandemic.
“£20 a week may not be a lot to the Prime Minister and his colleagues, but for far too many families it is crucial to their budgeting and their wellbeing. For many people across this city, it could be the difference between a warm home and a cold one this winter
“Many people claiming universal credit are in fact in work. The so-called uplift was not an act of generosity, but an admission of failure – an admission that the system had been so damaged by cuts that it was no longer able to provide adequate support for people needing help with their incomes for reasons beyond their control.
“The cut is symbolic of a UK government that knows the price of some things but the value of nothing. It shows why Scotland needs the powers to chart a different path that prioritises human need and builds a fairer, greener recovery for all.”
Holyrood Social Security Minister, Edinburgh Northern & Leith MSP Ben Macpherson, closed yesterday’s debate:
We are very pleased to announce that the Tolpuddle Martyrs’ Festival 2021 will be hitting your screens again this weekend.
With Covid restrictions still uncertain for large events, together with our unions and sponsors, we are organising yet another packed agenda online.
From Friday 16th – Sunday 18th July 2021, we will be bringing you discussions, debates, radical history lessons, lots of music and all the best of the Festival straight into your living room.
We believe the Oxford Economics report, ‘Raising Scotland’s Economic Growth Rate’ underscores the need for inclusive debate across political parties, Government, trade unions, business, the third sector and the media, indeed all concerned parties, to determine a new economic strategy for Scotland.
Radical and ambitious policy changes are required if Scotland’s economic performance is to be transformed and significantly boosted within the next 15 years and there must be no sacred cows as we determine those changes.
We must, as a necessity not a choice, address Scotland’s low productivity, poor business birth rate and lack of success with scale-ups that mean Scotland’s GDP per head is a mere 44% of Singapore’s level, 48% of Ireland’s, 68% of Norway’s and 75% of Denmark’s.
As the report states “it is not realistic to think that the current economic policies of either the UK or Scottish governments will produce a transformation of Scotland’s economic performance”.
Hence we must act now, in collaboration not conflict, to support and deliver a strategy that takes us up the ladder of GDP and drives innovation and scaling not just within business but across the whole of the public sector.
Achieving significant growth in our GDP is not just in every single persons’ interest, it’s an imperative if we are to maintain and indeed enhance our public services and drive the jobs that are so desperately needed post-pandemic.
We owe it to our young people that we create a vibrant economy for them to inherit and we need to be exceptional custodians of Scotland’s future for their sakes. To do so we cannot simply do what we have always done, tinkering on the edges, Scotland needs to think big and it needs to think fast.
Our opportunity is our size, we are a speed boat compared to the super tanker economies and we are a nation that has historically invented the modern world, its not beyond our ken to do that again.
We implore a rational, national debate on our economic future to then deliver a strategy and an operational implementation plan for Scotland’s growth.
Signed:
Andrew Parfery, Company Director, Caresourcer
Andrew Wilson, Founding Partner, Charlotte Street Partners
