Minister
Good morning. The first item of business today is a debate on motion S3M-5313, in the name of the First Minister, on the appointment of a minister. Members should note that the question on this motion will be put immediately after the debate, and not at decision time.
I am pleased to seek the Parliament's approval of the appointment of Michael Russell as a minister in his new capacity, through this motion in my name.
First, however, I would like to pay tribute to Fiona Hyslop, who—among her many other achievements in the post of Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning—reintroduced the principle of free higher education in Scotland. Restoring the principle that education should be available based on the ability to learn, not the ability to pay, is a substantial achievement for any minister, but Fiona Hyslop also played a central role in the delivery of the economic recovery plan. I will give the chamber two examples of that. Earlier this year, she found £20 million of new investment to provide much-needed additional places in our colleges, an investment that was described by Linda McTavish, the convener of the Scotland's Colleges principals convention, as "great news"; and, last month, she announced the latest element of the ScotAction initiative, which allows apprentices to complete their apprenticeship and was described by Andy Wilcox, of the Federation of Small Businesses, as vital for the success of small companies and Scotland's future.
Fiona Hyslop has an enormous amount to be proud of in her role as the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning over the past two and a half years.
Michael Russell is a worthy successor to Fiona Hyslop and will bring substantial enthusiasm and panache to his new role. I know that Michael Russell has enjoyed great support from across the chamber in a number of his activities. In yesterday's Herald, he was described by a Labour MSP as being "highly competent and intelligent", which Mr Russell suggested was damning him with faint praise. He will bring to his new post the energy and enthusiasm that he has displayed as Minister for Culture, External Affairs and the Constitution. He not only arranged the largest and most successful St Andrew's day celebrations in our nation's history, but he has been instrumental in bringing forward the white paper on the constitution, which was launched on Monday, and ensuring that the people of Scotland have, as this Government believes that they should have, the ability to have a say in their own country's constitutional future.
Fiona Hyslop will take on the culture, Europe and external affairs brief, and will be responsible for liaison with the Westminster Government and Europe. Fiona Hyslop and I have just returned from Brussels, where we held a series of excellent meetings to promote Scotland's interests in Europe. She will be a powerful and effective voice for Scotland in that role.
I move,
That the Parliament agrees that Michael Russell be appointed as a Minister.
I fear that this morning's debate on the position of Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning will be slightly less exciting than might have been the case, had the First Minister not blinked on Tuesday and made the change that brings us to Parliament now.
I wish Mr Russell well in his new post, although being moved the day after his last major project—the referendum paper—has flopped and having that project removed by his boss must smack rather of his being kicked upstairs. We will not oppose Mr Russell's progress, although I cannot say the same of his referendum, which we will oppose and which is, of course, going nowhere.
Let us not forget the seriousness of the task that Mr Russell now faces. Under the Scottish National Party, Scottish education is in crisis—failure to sustain teacher numbers at the promised level; failure to cut class sizes; failure to provide promised free school meals; and failure to deliver the promised physical education in our schools. The curriculum for excellence is in chaos; the Scottish Futures Trust has brought the new schools programme to a grinding halt for more than two years; and new teachers cannot find posts and many are leaving for greener pastures in England or further afield. All of that culminated last Friday in the complete breakdown of relations between the Scottish Government and local authorities on schools.
Changing the cabinet secretary is not going to be enough. We need a change in policies and approach, but the auguries are not good. In 2006, Mr Russell wrote in The Times Educational Supplement that
"arrogant councils think they know best"
and that
"what Scotland needs less of is self-serving, mealy-mouthed advice from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities".
Those comments are sure to smooth things over with Pat Watters and our councils.
Of course, Mr Russell's support for educational vouchers, which he proposed in his book in 2006, might smooth things over with the Tories, although not with the Scottish public. Neither would the public like Mr Russell's suggestion that they pay for the national health service, so it is just as well he is not the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing—yet.
When the Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture failed, the SNP called Michael Russell. When the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning failed, the SNP called for Michael Russell. The way that this Government is going, it might not be long until Michael Russell is moving again. Until then, let us hope that he at least tries to sort out the mess that his party has made of our schools. Scotland depends on it.
I welcome this opportunity to make a few brief remarks on the sad demotion of Fiona Hyslop from the Cabinet and the elevation of Michael Russell to be her successor.
It is right that we recognise the contribution, albeit modest, that has been made by Fiona Hyslop to education in Scotland. Just two weeks ago, I warmly congratulated her in this chamber on seeing through Parliament the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Bill, which implements additional protections for rural schools, a cause that she and I have championed. Beyond that, I think that it is fair to say that she did not have the happiest of times as Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, being lumbered by the First Minister with having to implement policies on class sizes, teacher numbers and school buildings without being given the tools or the support to do so.
Indeed, the signing of the concordat with local government—a concordat that no longer seems to deserve the adjective "historic"—meant that poor Ms Hyslop's hands were tied. Frankly, even the angel Gabriel as education secretary could not have delivered the SNP's manifesto pledges.
Instead of the angel Gabriel, we now have Michael Russell. Mr Russell is well known across the Parliament and, indeed, Scottish public life for his modest and self-effacing manner, except when it comes to discussing his own abilities. He certainly has a huge challenge on his hands with the education brief and, in the debate to follow, I will be setting out some of the hopes and aspirations that we have for his new office, particularly given some of the interesting positions that he has taken in the past. I am sure that the remainder bookshops of Edinburgh have seen a remarkable uplift in sales of "Grasping the Thistle", just in time for Christmas.
We should reflect for a moment on the extraordinarily rapid rebirth of Michael Russell's political career. After all, this is a man who lost his seat in Parliament back in 2003, when the ungrateful SNP membership decided that he was not worthy of a high-ranking position on the regional list. Following his time in the wilderness, he came back to Parliament a mere two and a half years ago, immediately finding himself in ministerial office. Today, his advancement takes him one step further, as he joins the Cabinet. There is, as I am sure that the First Minister is painfully aware, just one more step to go.
Michael Russell's career to date is a living inspiration to all those who aspire to the top job in politics. It shows them that they should not worry about such trivial concepts as diligence, serving one's time or loyalty to one's leader. The fastest way to promotion is to stir, mix, cause trouble and indeed even go so far as to stand for leader against the man who is bound to become your boss. The First Minister should be sleeping in his bed just a little less soundly tonight, now that he has brought Mr Russell into the Cabinet.
We in the Scottish Conservatives wish Mr Russell well in his new appointment. We will be watching his every move with close interest, but not, I suspect, as closely as will his own colleagues.
Politics is a harsh place and being a cabinet minister in charge of a Government department is a hard job, but it was clear that the previous minister could not continue as the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning. We need a fresh approach on education. In one respect the First Minister was right, as we need a fresh education minister, but it is a matter of regret that he was the last person in this Parliament to know that, the last to admit that, and the last to take action.
Action is needed, so the new minister will be assessed on how he meets these challenges. Children in primary 7 across Scotland face the start of the new curriculum for excellence next August. Despite the groundwork laid by the previous Administration, teachers tell me that they have still not had the details of the assessments and the exams that they need. That must change.
There are 1,300 fewer teachers in Scotland than there were at this time last year. This Government has fundamentally broken the relationship between central and local government by issuing the ill-considered threats of last week. Nobody believes that the minister in Edinburgh can possibly run every single school. The new minister needs to rebuild that bond of trust and create a working relationship between councils and schools that will help children and teachers. What the new cabinet secretary and the Government should do today is support the Liberal Democrat motion, which gets that fresh start under way.
Mike Russell has no choice but to act, but his track record is not good. As the Minister for Environment, he left the privatisation of Scotland's forests and the crofting bill for his successor to sort out. As culture minister, he has left creative Scotland, the digital switchover and regional broadcasting for his successor to sort out. As constitution minister, we saw on Monday the mess that he has left his successor as the junior minister in charge of the referendum. He has also managed to leave a lower level of support for independence than when he started the job.
I have children in primary, secondary and tertiary education, so let me say on behalf of all Scottish parents that the First Minister needs to make it plain that Mike Russell, as the new Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, has to sort out the mess that he inherited from his own Government. He cannot leave this one half-finished; he must concentrate on raising standards in Scotland's schools, not lowering them online.
We will propose an agenda for action on education this morning, and we will be back next week, next month and next year to ensure that the change of minister means that there is a change of direction and there is real delivery on education for Scottish pupils, Scottish parents and Scottish teachers.
I know that the other parties have had a lack of practice in responding to ministerial changes in this session of Parliament, as there have been only three in the past two and a half years, compared with 17 in the first session of the Labour-Liberal Administration and 11 in the second session of the Labour-Liberal Administration. I am surprised and disappointed that we have not managed to conjure up for the Labour and Liberal parties, in particular, such excitements as late-night resignations, piegate or even calling public service workers expletive deleteds. We have not managed to conjure up any of that excitement in respect of ministerial changes.
I am surprised that Iain Gray, when he criticised Michael Russell's work as a journalist and author, did not recall that people do interesting things when they are dumped by the electorate and no longer have a parliamentary seat—after all, he went to work for Alistair Darling when he lost his seat. It was not a strong line of argument for Iain Gray.
In respect of the debate over the past few days, we should remember that average primary class sizes in Scotland are at a new record low of 23.1 pupils. We freely concede that the historic concordat has not permeated its way through every local authority in Scotland. For example, I note that, in its current reduced circumstances, Labour controls only 10 out of Scotland's 32 local authorities, but those 10 authorities seem to have managed to become responsible for two thirds of the decline in teacher numbers in Scotland.
Murdo Fraser may have noticed that I spoke to John Swinney as he was speaking; I was trying to get my facts exactly right when he complained about Mike Russell not being elected to a parliamentary seat. Mr Swinney informed me that he has beaten Murdo Fraser no less than three times in parliamentary contests. In most walks of life, if someone beats somebody else three times, they get to keep them, but Murdo Fraser may continue in his post as deputy leader of the Conservative party.
It was extremely unwise of Tavish Scott to quote an opinion poll—an opinion poll that I have here, which shows the Liberals at their lowest level of support in recorded polling by the MORI organisation.
It is with great pleasure that I support Mr Michael Russell as the new Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning.
That concludes the debate on the appointment of a minister, and we now move to the question on the motion.
The question is, that motion S3M-5313, in the name of the First Minister, on the appointment of a minister, be agreed to. Are we agreed?
No.
There will be a division. There will be a five-minute suspension, after which we will move to the vote.
Meeting suspended.
On resuming—
Members should cast their votes now.
For
Adam, Brian (Aberdeen North) (SNP) Allan, Alasdair (Western Isles) (SNP) Brocklebank, Ted (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Brown, Keith (Ochil) (SNP) Brownlee, Derek (South of Scotland) (Con) Campbell, Aileen (South of Scotland) (SNP) Carlaw, Jackson (West of Scotland) (Con) Coffey, Willie (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP) Constance, Angela (Livingston) (SNP) Crawford, Bruce (Stirling) (SNP) Cunningham, Roseanna (Perth) (SNP) Don, Nigel (North East Scotland) (SNP) Doris, Bob (Glasgow) (SNP) Ewing, Fergus (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP) Fabiani, Linda (Central Scotland) (SNP) FitzPatrick, Joe (Dundee West) (SNP) Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Gibson, Kenneth (Cunninghame North) (SNP) Gibson, Rob (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) Grahame, Christine (South of Scotland) (SNP) Harvie, Christopher (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP) Hepburn, Jamie (Central Scotland) (SNP) Hyslop, Fiona (Lothians) (SNP) Ingram, Adam (South of Scotland) (SNP) Johnstone, Alex (North East Scotland) (Con) Kidd, Bill (Glasgow) (SNP) Lamont, John (Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) Lochhead, Richard (Moray) (SNP) MacAskill, Kenny (Edinburgh East and Musselburgh) (SNP) Marwick, Tricia (Central Fife) (SNP) Mather, Jim (Argyll and Bute) (SNP) Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP) Maxwell, Stewart (West of Scotland) (SNP) McKee, Ian (Lothians) (SNP) McKelvie, Christina (Central Scotland) (SNP) McLaughlin, Anne (Glasgow) (SNP) McLetchie, David (Edinburgh Pentlands) (Con) McMillan, Stuart (West of Scotland) (SNP) Milne, Nanette (North East Scotland) (Con) Morgan, Alasdair (South of Scotland) (SNP) Neil, Alex (Central Scotland) (SNP) Paterson, Gil (West of Scotland) (SNP) Robison, Shona (Dundee East) (SNP) Russell, Michael (South of Scotland) (SNP) Salmond, Alex (Gordon) (SNP) Scanlon, Mary (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Scott, John (Ayr) (Con) Smith, Elizabeth (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Lothians) (SNP) Stevenson, Stewart (Banff and Buchan) (SNP) Sturgeon, Nicola (Glasgow Govan) (SNP) Swinney, John (North Tayside) (SNP) Thompson, Dave (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) Watt, Maureen (North East Scotland) (SNP) Welsh, Andrew (Angus) (SNP) White, Sandra (Glasgow) (SNP) Wilson, Bill (West of Scotland) (SNP) Wilson, John (Central Scotland) (SNP)
Abstentions
Alexander, Ms Wendy (Paisley North) (Lab) Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Baker, Richard (North East Scotland) (Lab) Brankin, Rhona (Midlothian) (Lab) Brown, Robert (Glasgow) (LD) Chisholm, Malcolm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab) Craigie, Cathie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab) Curran, Margaret (Glasgow Baillieston) (Lab) Eadie, Helen (Dunfermline East) (Lab) Ferguson, Patricia (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab) Finnie, Ross (West of Scotland) (LD) Foulkes, George (Lothians) (Lab) Gillon, Karen (Clydesdale) (Lab) Glen, Marlyn (North East Scotland) (Lab) Godman, Trish (West Renfrewshire) (Lab) Grant, Rhoda (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) Gray, Iain (East Lothian) (Lab) Henry, Hugh (Paisley South) (Lab) Hume, Jim (South of Scotland) (LD) Jamieson, Cathy (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab) Kelly, James (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab) Kerr, Andy (East Kilbride) (Lab) Lamont, Johann (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab) Livingstone, Marilyn (Kirkcaldy) (Lab) Macdonald, Lewis (Aberdeen Central) (Lab) Macintosh, Ken (Eastwood) (Lab) Martin, Paul (Glasgow Springburn) (Lab) McArthur, Liam (Orkney) (LD) McAveety, Mr Frank (Glasgow Shettleston) (Lab) McCabe, Tom (Hamilton South) (Lab) McConnell, Jack (Motherwell and Wishaw) (Lab) McInnes, Alison (North East Scotland) (LD) McMahon, Michael (Hamilton North and Bellshill) (Lab) McNeil, Duncan (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab) McNeill, Pauline (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab) McNulty, Des (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab) Mulligan, Mary (Linlithgow) (Lab) Murray, Elaine (Dumfries) (Lab) Peacock, Peter (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) Pringle, Mike (Edinburgh South) (LD) Purvis, Jeremy (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD) Rumbles, Mike (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD) Scott, Tavish (Shetland) (LD) Simpson, Dr Richard (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Smith, Margaret (Edinburgh West) (LD) Stephen, Nicol (Aberdeen South) (LD) Stewart, David (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) Stone, Jamie (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD) Tolson, Jim (Dunfermline West) (LD) Whitefield, Karen (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab) Whitton, David (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab)
The result of the division is: For 58, Against 0, Abstentions 52.
Motion agreed to,
That the Parliament agrees that Michael Russell be appointed as a Minister.
I ask members who are leaving the chamber to do so quietly, because we must move straight to the next item of business.