Graeme Downie MP: speeches

Speeches

• 22 Jan 2026 · Digital Identity Scheme · Hansard source

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  7. What recent progress his Department has made on implementing a digital ID scheme.

• 22 Jan 2026 · Digital Identity Scheme · Hansard source

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  At the beginning of the year, I visited Estonia to see how 100% of public services are delivered via its digital ID system. It is done safely and securely, and as the Minister said, citizens now have better access to and control over their data, including over who sees what, when and where. The system also saves Estonia about 2% of GDP, which has allowed it to re-energise its system and continue to evolve for the future. Will the Minister reassure me that, despite the news last week, we will continue to press forward strongly with a digital ID system and show the people of the UK that it can be beneficial to their lives and make things much better for them?

• 20 Jan 2026 · ADHD Diagnosis · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend is being incredibly generous with giving way. Oddly, I was told by a Scottish Education Minister on the BBC recently that a diagnosis was not required in Scotland either to get the right support—we all know from our experiences that that is not the case. In Fife, we have more than 40,000 children waiting for neurodevelopmental assessments and there are no pathways at all for adults. Does my hon. Friend agree that it is important that we get this right across the United Kingdom, and that the Scottish Government also need to get their skates on and take some action?

• 19 Jan 2026 · Arctic Security · Hansard source

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  Last week, I was delighted to lead a debate on the very topic of the High North and Arctic security, highlighting that, because of our geography, the UK should be considered a frontline nation in the ongoing war with Vladimir Putin and that we cannot afford to sleepwalk unprepared into a geopolitical High North and Arctic. Does the Foreign Secretary agree that, as a frontline nation, we must urgently increase public awareness of the threat we face and the effect that will have on our constituents? Will she discuss with the Defence Secretary and our allies the possibility of urgently increasing the capability of the joint expeditionary force to defend both the UK and our High North allies? I know that would be welcomed by countries such as Estonia, which I visited at the start of the year.

• 14 Jan 2026 · Offshore Wind · Hansard source

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  I welcome the Secretary of State’s statement. In particular, the Government are delivering for Scotland once again with more renewable energy investment. He also talked, rightly, about Vladimir Putin’s actions in Ukraine and why they have had a direct impact on ordinary people in this country, who we must protect now and in the future. We must protect both these new projects and existing infrastructure from outside attacks, so can the Secretary of State say a little bit more about how he is ensuring that as much as possible of the technology for these excellent projects will be made in the UK, and how he will protect them, as well as existing infrastructure, from foreign actors?

• 13 Jan 2026 · Arctic and High North · Hansard source

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  Once again, I could not agree more. Going back to the poisonings in Salisbury, the UK public need to be very aware that Vladimir Putin is now a threat to our shores—he has been in the past, and he will be in the future. It will be the most vulnerable people in the UK who will pay the price of that aggression, which is why we must ensure that we respond with force and clear action, not merely words. Vladimir Putin’s regime is undoubtedly a criminal enterprise masquerading as a Government, and its aggression must be met with strength. Putin’s ambition is clear: to dominate and rebuild Russian influence across his perceived empire, and he reacts to action, not mere talk. Delay is not defence. We cannot wait for threats to emerge before we act. I look forward to hearing from the Minister what the UK Government are doing to meet those threats today.

• 13 Jan 2026 · Arctic and High North · Hansard source

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  I beg to move, That this House has considered the impact of the Arctic and High North on UK security. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Vaz. I am delighted to introduce this debate and emphasise the importance, as we have seen in the past week, of the Arctic and the High North to UK security. The UK’s geographic position, distance from fighting in Ukraine, and Russian airborne or drone incursions in Estonia or Poland can lead to people feeling that the threat from Vladimir Putin is someone else’s problem. However, we sit at the gateway to one of the most vital pieces of real estate on the planet: the High North and the Arctic. That gives us outsized importance, but also puts us at potential threat. The Harvard Arctic Initiative’s new report on power shifts and security in the region highlights how the rules-based order is being challenged in the Arctic, just as it is elsewhere around the world. Melting ice is opening new shipping routes and unlocking potentially vast reserves of oil, gas and minerals.

• 13 Jan 2026 · Arctic and High North · Hansard source

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  I believe that that is what I did—or I certainly hope that is what I did. I would certainly like to see things move much faster, and in a way that is much clearer about the UK’s defence posture and intentions. However, to justify that action, the British people need to understand the threat that we face, and that must start from the very top of Government and carry on continually. More effective defence spending is, in some ways, the ultimate in preventive spending. The cost of not being prepared will lead to increased instability and hybrid attacks on the UK, or encourage future Russian aggression in Europe, all of which will increase the day-to-day costs of Government and the bills of ordinary people. It could also lead to an armed conflict with Russia that would be truly devastating for our country and the world. Acting with strength now is the only way to prevent those awful consequences. With the increased threat to the High North, the Arctic and the North sea, I also ask the Government to consider the increased use of assets on the east coast of the country, such as Rosyth or Defence Munitions Crombie in my constituency. That would improve response times and resupply capability and deterrence posture, and such a move would demonstrate that the UK is serious about defending its northern approaches and critical infrastructure. We should value our relations with the US, but Europe must also show that it is able to respond alone, or with only limited US support. In a piece last week, titled “Greenland is Europe’s strategic blind spot—and its responsibility”, Justina Budginaite-Froehly of the Atlantic Council said that Europe must have a “presence capable of monitoring the GIUK gap”— my hon. Friend the Member for Leyton and Wanstead referred to that earlier— “and denying Russia and China the ability to encroach further on the Arctic region.” Action is already being taken by both Norway and Denmark, while across Europe Poland is laying mines and digging trenches in preparation for a Russian invasion; Germany has recently confirmed £50 billion of spending on new conventional military equipment; and we have had instances of Russian aircraft encroaching on NATO airspace in Estonia, with Estonia triggering article 4 consultation from NATO as a result. The UK must match the urgency of our European allies. I come back to the point I made at the very beginning: we are not a country distant from conflict. Just like Estonia or Poland, the UK is a frontline nation—that frontline is in the High North and the Arctic.

• 13 Jan 2026 · Arctic and High North · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for that excellent intervention. Those are two points I will come on to, as to why the UK must act independently but also with our European allies in the High North and the Greenland-Iceland-UK gap in particular. We must always remember that Putin will respond to actions, not words, and we cannot afford to sleepwalk unprepared into a geopolitical High North and Arctic. Secondly, as with any bully, Putin will feel the need to retaliate after the actions last week, but it might not be against the big kid of the USA; he could act against the UK. That is not something that should make us scared, but it should highlight that we must be ready for a response from Russia in one domain or another and make sure that we are able to respond and defend ourselves effectively. I commend Ministers for initiatives to strengthen our armed forces, including raising the service pay, bringing housing back under public control and strengthening industrial partnerships across the UK. As my hon. Friend the Member for Leyton and Wanstead (Mr Bailey) mentioned, we have also increased investment in the joint expeditionary force working with High North allies. In both visits to Estonia and the US, that was mentioned as something that the UK should continue to do to implement effective security measures as actions, not merely words.

• 13 Jan 2026 · Arctic and High North · Hansard source

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  I totally agree. I will cover those points about the challenges that we face in the Arctic from both those powers.

• 13 Jan 2026 · Arctic and High North · Hansard source

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  I could not agree more. The UK’s position should be very clear: Greenland’s future is to be determined by people in Greenland and absolutely no one else. Initiatives in the UK must be matched with urgency and sustained funding. We must see a clear path to the 3.5%, plus the 1.5%, of defence spending agreed at the NATO summit in The Hague. We need a defence investment plan as quickly as possible, and one that commits the UK to force development that will truly give Vladimir Putin a moment of pause. Failure to do both those things will leave the UK and our people at risk.

• 13 Jan 2026 · Arctic and High North · Hansard source

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  I absolutely agree that we must do more on all those points. Russia seeks to dominate the Arctic routes militarily and economically, while China positions itself as a near-Arctic state investing in infrastructure and shipping lanes to secure influence over future trade corridors. We must understand our geography and prepare ourselves to reflect our position as a frontline country in a new, unstable and increasingly violent world. We must help the British public to understand that what Vladimir Putin chooses to do anywhere will harm their lives on a daily basis. When he illegally and brutally invaded Ukraine in 2022, it was our most vulnerable constituents who paid the price through increased energy bills. Any action he takes in future will hurt the same people the most, and it is the first duty of Government to protect them. The subsea cables and energy assets in the North sea are not abstract; they are national lifelines underpinning energy supply, jobs and our digital economy. Disruption to those systems would have immediate consequences for households and businesses across the UK. I have asked written questions of both the Ministry of Defence and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero about steps to defend physical energy and infrastructure assets. As a senior member of the energy industry put it to me, “If a Russian submarine appears next to one of our installations, who do I call?” We know that Russia understands the importance of the High North and Arctic because we are seeing a new and unprecedented military build-up. There have been reports of new air bases in Murmansk, increased deployment of air defence systems and a new fleet of ice-capable vessels for Arctic power projection. Vladimir Putin is not retreating; he is acting deliberately to rebuild what he sees as a large Russian empire. During a recent visit to Estonia, I heard that Russian land and maritime forces, cyber-capabilities and other hybrid tactics threaten the Baltic nations. Estonians were also clear that peace in Ukraine, while of course welcome and something that we should all be working towards, would not end the threat to Europe. Putin will not exist as a quiet European neighbour. As he sees it, he must maintain Russia’s prestige by joining the global competition alongside the US and China. He will not allow Russia to be seen as a secondary power. He will redeploy and reinforce in what he sees as his sphere of influence. As the upgrades that I mentioned made clear, one of Putin’s priorities will be in the UK’s own backyard of the High North. The peace that we all want to see in Ukraine would not reduce the threat to the UK; it could increase it, and we must be prepared for that. That brings me to the action in the north Atlantic last week to seize the Russian-flagged tanker, Marinera. I fully support that, and hope that we see additional action in the future over the Russian shadow fleet. That demonstrated the effective co-operation between the US and the UK and the increased capability that we can bring to bear. However, it also comes with warnings. First, the UK must show that it can defend its interests in the area alone as well as with our allies.

• 17 Dec 2025 · INEOS Chemicals: Grangemouth · Hansard source

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  In common with colleagues, I thank all the Members on the Government Front Bench for their work on this investment, including the former Secretary of State for Scotland, my right hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh South (Ian Murray), and the current Secretary of State. Grangemouth can be seen from the Fife coastal path in my constituency, and many of my constituents work at Grangemouth. While the site was totally ignored by the SNP and the Tories for years, this Government have dutifully and quietly gone about their work of finding an effective solution that will not only protect 500 jobs, but create more in the future, showing the commitment that this Government have to the Forth valley. Does the Minister agree that this shows what can happen when we have a constructive Labour Government, and that we could do even more with Anas Sanwar as the First Minister next year?

• 16 Dec 2025 · Transgender People: Provision of Healthcare · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for highlighting the waits that transgender people face in Scotland, which are far too long. I recently met a group from the transgender community in Dunfermline who are concerned about their safety when they are out on the streets, whether going out on a Saturday night or doing anything else that they would like to. Does my hon. Friend agree that we must work with the police across the UK to make sure that transgender people feel safe on the streets?

• 11 Dec 2025 · St Andrew’s Day and Scottish Affairs · Hansard source

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  I thank everyone from across the House for taking part in the debate. Having listened to the debate, I am reminded of a comment made by a colleague shortly after the general election in a similar debate in Westminster Hall, when he reflected on what it must be like for someone to walk into the room during a debate involving Scottish politicians. He referred to it as being like walking in at the end of a wedding when everyone has had far too much to drink, just as the first fight starts to break out. That is possibly a very helpful way to think about it. Indeed, as my hon. Friend the Member for Glenrothes and Mid Fife (Richard Baker) and the Minister said, it is unusual for football in Scotland to be a unifier and not a divider, as it so often is. I thank everyone else for taking part in the debate, the Minister for responding, the Opposition spokespeople and yourself, Madam Deputy Speaker— I hope you have enjoyed the entertainment on show this afternoon. Question put and agreed to. Resolved, That this House has considered St Andrew’s Day and Scottish affairs.

• 11 Dec 2025 · St Andrew’s Day and Scottish Affairs · Hansard source

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  I could not agree more. St Andrews University, which I mentioned at the beginning of my remarks, is the heart of education in Scotland, along with institutions in Edinburgh, Glasgow and elsewhere across the country. [ Interruption. ] I see that university arguments are breaking out already among Opposition Members—or is this a rare moment of agreement between the SNP and the Lib Dems? I should add, as someone who went to Stirling University, that we have many universities across the country that are able to contribute. More employers should co-design curricula; colleges must be funded to deliver practical, modern teaching; and learners of all ages must be supported with opportunities, transport and clear progression routes. There is so much more that we can do to make it as easy for a care worker to earn a digital health certification as it is for a technician to gain offshore safety accreditation, or for a veteran to translate military skills into civilian qualifications. I turn to the uncertainty that young people face in their future. Most people now approaching retirement have never seen world affairs so unstable, never dreamed of a land war in Europe, and never saw global power politics of the sort we have today, but that is the future that young people are navigating. A continuing series of once-in-a-generation crises affect this generation of young people. The war in Ukraine, which is fuelling rises in the cost of living, is one of the most long lasting they will see, in a world that has spent the resources that are needed to tackle the problem. That gives me the opportunity to talk about my favourite topic: the contribution of the defence industry to Scotland. It will come as no surprise to anyone in the House that I am talking about this. Not only do young people have to face the security, technological and economic threat from Iran and China, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but they are the ones who will be asked to fight it—hopefully only in economic and social terms. Scotland’s defence footprint—in shipbuilding, aerospace, cyber and logistics—is both strategic and local. From the yards that turn steel into hulls and the bases that secure our airspace, to the small and medium-sized enterprises that supply components and services, defence sustains skilled employment, supports innovation and anchors communities. We should celebrate the engineers and fabricators, and the logisticians and technologists—world-class workers whose labours keep our nation safe and advance our industrial capability. When it comes to energy, Scotland stands at the crossroads of legacy and leadership. The North sea still matters for investment, jobs, tax revenues and world-class expertise. At the same time, renewables are no longer a promise; they are a present reality. We have offshore wind, onshore wind, tidal, hydro, solar and emerging hydrogen technologies. The lesson of the first energy era is plain: if we export raw resource and import finished value, we risk missing wealth multipliers. In the second energy era, Scotland must build, service, innovate and train our workforce for the new jobs—good-quality, well-paid jobs—that follow. Thanks to this Labour Government, our ports, fabrication yards and grid infrastructure are being upgraded, but the benefits will not be felt for years, and it is likely that costs will rise by far less than they otherwise would, rather than being reduced in absolute terms. As in the financial crisis, we are asking young people to thank us for avoiding a not-experienced counterfactual, rather than for real improvements. Despite the challenges, I believe that Scotland stands on a solid foundation—we are outward-looking, innovative and compassionate—but to be future-focused, the promise of real and practical opportunity must be renewed for everyone: the nurse in Dunfermline, the apprentice in Dollar, the graduate in High Valleyfield, the veteran retraining in Rosyth, the parent seeking a second chance at college, and the care leaver negotiating their first tenancy. If St Andrew teaches us anything, it is that influence need not be loud to be profound. Tradition tells us that he was a bridge-builder, a bringer of people to a higher calling, and a man whose life spoke of hospitality, humility and service. In a divided age, Scotland could choose to lead by those virtues—welcoming, learning, working, serving—not as slogans, but as social habits. Scotland talks a great deal about those virtues, but we should remember that we face the same challenges in making them real as people in other parts of the United Kingdom and the rest of the world. We are not alone, nor are we exceptional. The rules apply to us as much as to others. We must build a settlement in which older generations can contribute their wisdom, mentor apprentices and access retraining at any point without stigma, and in which younger generations find and build dignity through quality careers that help them to secure housing, develop skills and find stability and progression, so that they have the opportunity to build their life, and to hand the world on in a better state than it was in when it was given to them. We can design skills pathways that reflect our national character by being practical, rigorous and humane. Imagine an ecosystem in which Carnegie’s legacy of free libraries becomes a digital learning commons, college workshops are connected to local firms, defence apprentices rotate into civilian advanced manufacturing, and energy sector traineeships are co-delivered by colleges, employers and unions. Credentials should be stackable and portable, so that a 19-year-old turbine technician can later specialise in grid management or hydrogen systems, or any other sector, without the need to start from scratch. In celebrating St Andrew’s Day, we should always embrace our civic and cultural soul. Let me take the House back to St Margaret’s cave in Dunfermline, where Queen Margaret—whose saint’s day is on 16 November, just two weeks before St Andrew’s—came to pray over 900 years ago. It is a reminder that reflection and service are not opposites. Carnegie’s legacy tells us that public learning multiplies across generations. Our local institutions —schools, colleges and voluntary groups—prove that community is built by hands, hearts and habits. If we want Scotland as it could be, we must sustain the places where Scotland is: the library, the workshop, the youth organisations, the working man’s club, the community centre, the church hall, the café, the sporting venue and, yes, the pub, the bookies, the chippy and the bingo. The quiet networks of trust are the strongest parts of our infrastructure. We must build a fairer society, with more opportunity, more dignity and more security for every young person starting out, and for every older person seeking to contribute anew. Scotland as it was gave us our foundations. Scotland as it is demands our fidelity. Scotland as it could be awaits our work.

• 11 Dec 2025 · St Andrew’s Day and Scottish Affairs · Hansard source

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  I thank the hon. Member for her intervention and, indeed, for sponsoring my application to the Backbench Business Committee. She has anticipated one of the points that I will make later, and I should say that my speech does not mention either of those key figures in Scottish history she mentions, but it does mention many others. In this speech, I will embody some of those names that are particularly associated with my part of the world, such as King Malcolm, St Margaret and Mary Queen of Scots, through to Andrew Carnegie and beyond. I do not intend to start a civil war this afternoon, so I will perhaps not dwell on the most famous person to be born in Dunfermline: a certain Charles I—a name well known in these parts, of course. When we talk about Scotland as it was, we should be proud of our history, but we should also acknowledge the difficulties and errors that have led to our present. As well as celebrating Scots abroad in every corner of the world, every airport people land in and every bar, we must remember Scotland’s past—the past we see when we look up in cities like Glasgow and across the country and see the remnants of the slave trade that Scotland also profited from. When we talk about the British empire and its legacy, both positively and negatively—as we rightly should—Scotland must also be part of all sides of that conversation. We must weigh the legacy that older generations built, the conditions they enjoyed and the sacrifices they made against the obligations we owe to younger people today. In my constituency, Dunfermline is a place where the past walks with us. It is simultaneously Scotland’s newest and oldest city, and beneath our streets lies St Margaret’s cave, a place of reflection linked to a queen whose charitable deeds still resonate. It reminds us that the spiritual heart of our country rests not in institutions, but in the everyday acts of care for neighbour and stranger. Few names loom larger than Andrew Carnegie. Born in Dunfermline, Carnegie’s journey from a weaver’s cottage to global philanthropy is the essence of the Scottish ladder of opportunity: education, enterprise and duty to community. Carnegie understood that libraries, learning and practical skills were not luxuries; they were the engines of mobility and civic confidence. The more a society invests in open knowledge, the more its people can change their lives. Beyond Fife, Scotland’s identity was also forged in its coalfields. In Lanarkshire, Ayrshire, the Lothians and beyond, coal powered our factories, heated our homes and drove our railways and ships. Coalfield communities were not just clusters of employment; they were webs of support, with co-operative societies, miners’ institutes, working men’s clubs, brass bands—the social infrastructure that turned wages into lives. Yet we must be honest. Older generations grew up in an era when the opportunity of a path from school to a skilled job was more certain, when housing was more affordable and when public spaces were continually endowed. For many, the apprenticeship or the training scheme led to stable employment and social housing, and the state, industry and unions wrestled—however imperfectly—towards fairer settlements. That does not mean life was easy. The safety net was less secure, working conditions were tougher, child poverty was higher and life expectancy was shorter, but the stability and prospects for generational improvement were clearer. Let me move on to Scotland as it is, in my eyes. Where has the Scotland of the past led us? What do we see around us? I will focus on the support that we provide to older people in need, compared with what we provide for the young. We see an intergenerational gap in assets, wages and housing security. Graduates and non-graduates alike report difficulty finding stable, well-paid work in their field. The cost of renting has increased, a deposit for a mortgage remains out of reach for many, and the certainty associated with long-term careers is less common. For the first time since world war two, our children’s generation is projected to be poorer than that of their parents. Younger people come from an uncertain past. The financial crisis of 2008 left deep scars. Brexit—a decision made by older people—has reduced young people’s opportunities. The pandemic not only affected the people who were also hit hardest by the crash, but, by hitting their children, became intergenerational. In that pandemic, we asked young people to sacrifice their tomorrow to protect the today of their elders. St Andrew spoke of the importance of service to others, respect and compassion. What better example can we find of those values than our nation’s young people? Is it any wonder, though, that those young people, with their uncertain past and present, look around and wonder why older people are the ones with the skills that the economy needs, and which young people have never had the opportunity to get; with the wealth that young people have never had the opportunity to gather; and with the security of their own home, while young people languish in childhood bedrooms? On top of that, successive Governments have granted older generations certain and increasing income—something that younger generations will likely never know. This is not intended to be a counsel of despair; it is a call to rebuild the ladder with more rungs and stronger rails, and a call for clearer signposts. The answer lies in a proper economic strategy and skills. The UK Labour Government have acknowledged mistakes of the past, in which a university education was presented as a guaranteed path to securing higher income—a myth blown truly and utterly wide open. The Government have sought to place apprenticeships on the same level of importance and pride, because our economy desperately needs technical and professional skills. We need both learning by doing, and learning by the book. To misquote slightly a book that many of us read at school—I am sure that our teachers will be delighted to know that we still remember it—we need the Chris of the land and the Chris of the book. Scotland should be the best place in the UK to learn a trade, upgrade a qualification or pivot mid-career.

• 11 Dec 2025 · St Andrew’s Day and Scottish Affairs · Hansard source

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  I beg to move, That this House has considered St Andrew’s Day and Scottish affairs. I thank the Backbench Business Committee for the opportunity to mark St Andrew’s day and to discuss Scottish affairs. As a Fife MP, I begin by noting that the town of St Andrews is at the opposite end of the kingdom from my constituency, and it is always a pleasure to see the hon. Member for North East Fife (Wendy Chamberlain) in her place. St Andrews is obviously not as important or beautiful as anywhere in Dunfermline and Dollar, but it is a place long associated with Scotland’s patron saint and, of course, famous for being the home of golf. Across Scotland, we celebrate not only our connection to St Andrew, but the thread that runs through our national story: a generous spirit, a quiet strength and a belief that community, work and learning can change lives. As the Member for Dunfermline and Dollar, I see those qualities every day in the people and places that have shaped our history and will build our future. Today I want to speak in three parts: Scotland as it was, Scotland as it is, and Scotland as it could be. In doing so, I will speak to the opportunities that different generations have experienced, the prospects that Scotland now must champion, the importance of our infrastructure and the lessons we can take from St Andrew’s life itself. I will also celebrate organisations—

• 11 Dec 2025 · US National Security Strategy · Hansard source

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  Last week, I was pleased to take part in a cross-party delegation to Washington to discuss matters of defence, security and development. At every one of those meetings, which were with both Republicans and Democrats and from across the political spectrum, the importance of the UK-US relationship was emphasised, particularly on defence and security, with a clear sense that that would outlast any one Administration or President. That was demonstrated again this week with the excellent news that, in my constituency, Virginia-class submarines for the United States will be constructed partly at Rosyth in Fife. Does the Minister agree with me that the relationship we have with the United States is so deep and so long standing that it will outlast any one Administration or President? Will she continue to work with the United States wherever possible to be constructive?

• 27 Nov 2025 · Budget Resolutions · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for raising the issue of family farms; I have a number of them in my constituency. Does he agree that it is important to strike a balance in his part of the country, as well as in the devolved Administrations, and to put the tax burden in the correct place, while protecting small family farms?

• 27 Nov 2025 · Budget Resolutions · Hansard source

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  Did the hon. Gentleman have a similar conversation with his constituents after Liz Truss’s disastrous Budget, which he supported? What did they say?

• 27 Nov 2025 · Budget Resolutions · Hansard source

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  I was going to say that it is a privilege to follow the hon. Member for Esher and Walton (Monica Harding). At the beginning of the debate, we talked about films with the shadow Chancellor, and the hon. Lady reminds us of “Back to the Future”, as that really was 2010 all over again. Perhaps a couple of steps to the right, so to speak, may well be in order. My constituents in Dunfermline and Dollar tell me every week what matters to them, and that is what the Chancellor has delivered in her Budget speech. She delivered on the main issues that affect people by bringing down the cost of living, ensuring that working people in every corner of the country keep more of what they earn. It is a Labour Budget in every sense of the word, focused on helping the people who need it most, lifting families out of poverty and creating new opportunities for the future. I am proud to be one of the founding members of the living standards coalition on the Labour Benches. We hear every day how important these issues are, and we have pressed for these changes simply because we know that these are the actions that matter most to the people in our constituencies and will make their lives better. The alternative proposed by Opposition Members is also something out of a film, except that film is “The Wolf of Wall Street”—a failed ideological lurch back to hated austerity: the cruel experiment that shattered public services and pushed millions of people across the country into poverty and despair. Yesterday in the Budget, the Chancellor announced that there will be no return to those dark times. We will see responsible choices that stabilise the economy and put money back into people’s pockets. With the increase in the national living wage and the national minimum wage, the Chancellor has shown yet again that the Government are laser focused on making work pay, ensuring that those who work hard to get ahead feel a sense of fairness. To the 10,000 Fifers who will benefit from these measures, I say, “The Labour Government are fighting for you now and will go on fighting for you day in, day out.” The Government have shown what matters most to the British people: no more fear and uncertainty from Tory mismanagement, bills down, wages up, pensions up and more money in people’s pockets. That was a promise made by Labour and kept by this Labour Government. We have already seen the Government deliver trade deals. Just last week, a £4 billion agreement with Indonesia secured hundreds of jobs at Rosyth in my constituency. Today, the Chancellor confirmed that the Budget will see no return to austerity in Scotland, with the Scottish Government receiving a further £820 million, putting Scotland at the heart of the Budget. Sadly, Scots have seen lengthened NHS waiting times, delayed trains and struggling schools, but the Budget has laid the foundation that will allow Anas Sarwar as First Minister in Scotland to rebuild north as well. Keeping fuel costs down is vital for my constituents— I have led campaigns on that during my time in Parliament —so I very much welcome the Chancellor’s fuel duty freeze and the other measures to support people and small businesses in Dunfermline and Dollar. We are also looking after the older generations—particularly people who have served our country and powered our past. One of the Government’s first acts was to right a historic wrong by overturning the injustice that diminished the mineworkers’ pension scheme and returning pension funds to the pockets of retired miners. The day after the previous Budget, I discussed with the then Chief Secretary to the Treasury the need to support members of the British Coal staff superannuation scheme. Thanks to me and coalfield MPs from across the Labour party, the Chancellor announced that change, which will benefit 176 families in my constituency and almost 700 across Fife. I pay tribute to BCSSS campaigners across the country, including Alan Kenney in my constituency. Justice for BCSSS members means more money in the pockets of the retired workers whose labour quite literally kept the lights on in this country, ensuring that they have financial flexibility and security, which inevitably boosts the local economy. This Budget supports working families and lifts them out of poverty. As others have said, we cannot allow a false choice to exist; we must always remember that 70% of children in poverty come from working families. Those are hard-working people who are trying to support their children but who need just a little more help from this Labour Government. The scrapping of the two-child limit will benefit an estimated 1,400 children in my constituency alone. While we are talking about righting historic wrongs, something about which I have not heard much in this debate is the Labour Government’s covid counter-fraud commissioner recovering £430 million of our money from scammers enabled by the Conservative party. Fife will also benefit from £40 million of pride in place funding thanks to this Government’s support for local communities, which will build local infrastructure, improve skills and increase community capacity where it is needed most. That funding is available only because of the choices made by this Government and the Chancellor. We will use the funds we have to support the people who need it most, bringing down bills, putting more money in people’s pockets and creating a prosperous economic future. This Budget is about fairness, stability and hope. It delivers for Dunfermline and Dollar, for Scotland and for the United Kingdom. Promises were made, and promises have been kept. This is a future we can believe in, and the Budget will have my full support.

• 26 Nov 2025 · New Nuclear Sites · Hansard source

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  Last week, I spoke with trade unions in Scotland. They argue that the ideological ban on nuclear power is costing young people career opportunities for well-paid and long-term jobs. In my constituency, an SNP councillor is spreading misinformation and arguing against highly skilled nuclear jobs in the safe dismantlement of nuclear subs at Rosyth. Does the Secretary of State agree that that pervasive misinformed approach is holding our country back, and will he urge the First Minister to distance himself from the comments of that councillor and welcome those jobs in Rosyth?

• 25 Nov 2025 · G20 and Ukraine · Hansard source

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  I thank the Prime Minister for his continued support of Ukraine. Going back to the announcement about the £4 billion deal with Indonesia at the G20, may I thank the Prime Minister for his efforts in securing that maritime partnership programme for Babcock? It will benefit people in my constituency and secure hundreds of jobs. Does the Prime Minister agree that the partnership is testament to the skills and experience of the workforce at Rosyth, and will he continue to do everything he can to support shipbuilding in Scotland, and at Rosyth in particular?

• 18 Nov 2025 · ExxonMobil: Mossmorran · Hansard source

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  I thank the Minister for his statement, and I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy (Melanie Ward) for exposing the frankly ridiculous lack of transparency from ExxonMobil. My constituents certainly know exactly where the blame for today’s announcement lies: with ExxonMobil. I wish to bring one issue to the Minister’s attention. A constituent—one of a number who work at Mossmorran —has contacted me with their concerns about the effect on opportunities for young people in the area. Given that we have also seen the SNP’s shocking failure on skills, including its cutting of college budgets by up to 20%, will the Minister reassure me that he will do everything he can work with the Scottish Government, Fife College and others to ensure that skills in the area are maintained and young people in Fife have the opportunities they deserve?