Plenary,

Meeting date: Wednesday, May 12, 1999

Official Report 317KB pdf

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Oaths and Affirmations

The following member made a solemn affirmation:

Dr Winnie Ewing (Highlands and Islands) (SNP)

Oath taking by members will take place from 9.30 am and the election for the position of Presiding Officer will take place at 2.30 pm, with the two elections for the positions of Deputy Presiding Officer occurring thereafter. An official photograph of all members will be taken in the chamber afterwards.

The following member took the oath:

Donald Dewar (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab)

The Scottish National party parliamentary group's primary loyalty lies with the people of Scotland, in line with the Scottish constitutional tradition of the sovereignty of the people. I know that all members of this Parliament will share that view.

The following members took the oath:

Mr Alex Salmond (Banff and Buchan) (SNP)

David McLetchie (Lothians) (Con)

Mr Jim Wallace (Orkney) (LD)

I want to make it clear that I believe in the sovereignty of the people of Scotland rather than in the sovereignty of any monarch. My allegiance, therefore, is to the people of Scotland. However, in view of the legal requirement that must be met to enable me to represent my constituents, I shall make the affirmation.

The following member made a solemn affirmation:

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West)

The Green party would have preferred to add the following words to the affirmation:

"and faithfully serve the people of Scotland."

The following member made a solemn affirmation:

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green)

Before making the affirmation, I would like to declare that as a democratically elected socialist, my vision for Scotland is of a democratic socialist republic, where the supreme sovereignty lies with the people of Scotland, not with an unelected monarch. I therefore make this affirmation under protest.

The following members made a solemn affirmation:

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP)

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP)

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab)

Scott Barrie (Dunfermline West) (Lab)

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab)

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP)

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD)

The following members took the oath:

Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con)

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab)

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab)

I assert that my primary loyalty is to the people of Scotland.

The following member made a solemn affirmation:

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP)

The following members took the oath:

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP)

Ms Margaret Curran (Glasgow Baillieston) (Lab)

Cathie Craigie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab)

Ms Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab)

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con)

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con)

Alex Fergusson (South of Scotland) (Con)

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab)

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab)

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con)

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con)

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP)

Ross Finnie (West of Scotland) (LD)

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD)

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab)

Iain Gray (Edinburgh Pentlands) (Lab)

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP)

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)

Mr Sam Galbraith (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab)

Mr John Home Robertson (East Lothian) (Lab)

Janis Hughes (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab)

Gordon Jackson (Glasgow Govan) (Lab)

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP)

Dr Sylvia Jackson (Stirling) (Lab)

Dr Richard Simpson (Ochil) (Lab)

Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP)

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con)

The following members made a solemn affirmation:

Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab)

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP)

Susan Deacon (Edinburgh East and Musselburgh) (Lab)

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP)

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP)

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP)

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab)

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab)

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab)

We will now take a short break. 10.38 Dr Ewing: We will now resume. I should let everyone know that I intend to make a short speech at 2.30 pm. [Interruption.]

I am advised that I should not do that. In order to assist the clerks, it would be far better if I made my speech at the end of the morning. I am very anxious to keep in with the clerks.

The following members took the oath:

Marilyn Livingstone (Kirkcaldy) (Lab)

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab)

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab)

Ian Jenkins (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD)

Mr Nick Johnston (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP)

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP)

Maureen Macmillan (Highlands and Islands) (Lab)

Paul Martin (Glasgow Springburn) (Lab)

Mrs Lyndsay McIntosh (Central Scotland) (Con)

Mr Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab)

Ms Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (SNP)

Angus Mackay (Edinburgh South) (Lab)

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab)

Mr Frank McAveety (Glasgow Shettleston) (Lab)

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP)

Mr Tom McCabe (Hamilton South) (Lab)

Mr John Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD)

Mr Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con)

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP)

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con)

Ms Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab)

Bristow Muldoon (Livingston) (Lab)

Mr George Reid (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP)

Mrs Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab)

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con)

Mr Alasdair Morrison (Western Isles) (Lab)

Euan Robson (Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (LD)

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP)

Mr Andy Kerr (East Kilbride) (Lab)

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab)

Mr Keith Raffan (Mid Scotland and Fife) (LD)

The following members made a solemn affirmation:

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP)

George Lyon (Argyll and Bute) (LD)

Kate MacLean (Dundee West) (Lab)

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab)

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP)

Mr Michael McMahon (Hamilton North and Bellshill) (Lab)

Elaine Thomson (Aberdeen North) (Lab)

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP)

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab)

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP)

Mr John McAllion (Dundee East) (Lab)

Mr Jack McConnell (Motherwell and Wishaw) (Lab)

Henry McLeish (Central Fife) (Lab)

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP)

Mr Kenneth Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab)

Ian Welsh (Ayr) (Lab)

Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP)

Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD)

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab)

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP)

Cathy Peattie (Falkirk East) (Lab)

I would like to announce a short break.

I shall make my speech at the end of the morning.

We shall now resume. When this part of the proceedings is over— which I think will be early—and before we break for lunch, I will say a few words. It will not take many minutes, so do not be alarmed.

The following members made a solemn affirmation:

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP)

Iain Smith (North-East Fife) (LD)

Kay Ullrich (West of Scotland) (SNP)

Mike Watson (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab)

The following members took the oath:

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD)

Elaine Smith (Coatbridge and Chryston) (Lab)

Mr Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD) Mrs Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD)

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP)

Ben Wallace (North-East Scotland) (Con)

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP)

Sir David Steel (Lothians) (LD)

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD) Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP)

Mr John Swinney (North Tayside) (SNP)

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab)

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP)

John Young (West of Scotland) (Con)

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con)

Allan Wilson (Cunninghame North) (Lab)

Nicol Stephen (Aberdeen South) (LD)

We are indebted to the clerks, who have been masters of efficiency throughout this long and difficult day. [Applause.]

I have the opportunity to make a short speech and I want to begin with the words that I have always wanted either to say or to hear someone else say: the Scottish Parliament, which adjourned on 25 March 1707, is hereby reconvened. [Applause.]

I could not say those words until all members had been sworn and the Parliament really had been convened.

This is an historic day and, after a long time in politics, I am aware that we owe a debt to many who are not here, who did not live to see the promised land. I would like to mention a few people from across the parties: Arthur Donaldson, Robert McIntyre, Alick Buchanan-Smith, Johnny Bannerman, Emrys Hughes, John Mackintosh and John Smith—today is the fifth anniversary of his death. I would also like to mention my colleague Allan Macartney, who so nearly lived to see the day. There are many others, but I have been able to mention only the people who have been my friends. Many people are named in the history books; many are not, but all of them have made this moment in history possible. I give my thanks to every one of them.

As everyone knows, I have been a member of two Parliaments. I spent eight years in the House of Commons and I have spent 23 years in the European Parliament—which does not sound so long if it is said quickly. Until July, I will be the mother of the European Parliament. I hasten to add that I am not the oldest member of that Parliament, although I am the oldest one here, which is very disconcerting—I think they must have made a mistake on my birth certificate.

I have several practical and sincere hopes for the Parliament. The first is that we try to follow the more consensual style of the European Parliament and say goodbye to the badgering and backbiting that one associates with Westminster.

Secondly, in the House of Commons, I found that there was a Speaker's tradition of being fair to minorities. I am an expert in being a minority—I was alone in the House of Commons for three years and alone in the European Parliament for 19 years—but we are all minorities now, and I hope that the Presiding Officer, whoever that may be, will be fair to each and every one of us.

My next hope is that this Parliament, by its mere existence, will create better relations with England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and I believe that to be in the hearts of the peoples of all of those countries.

My last practical hope is that everyone who was born in Scotland, some of whom, like me, could not help it, and everyone who chose Scotland as their country, will live in harmony together, enjoying our cultures but remaining loyal to their own.

In Europe and in the wider world, there is a bank of good will towards Scotland. I was privileged to visit 28 third-world countries as a member of my third world committee. I met many heads of state of struggling countries with problems who asked what was taking the Scots so long. I know that there will be a great deal of good will from all those countries.

I have served on the Lomé assembly, which is made up of the European Parliament plus half of the world. One of our proudest moments was when Lomé came to Inverness and we agreed the declaration of Inverness, which became part of international law. In that declaration, we swept away the last vestiges of apartheid. Thus, we played a constructive role on the international stage, earning the admiration of everyone who attended the assembly, from Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific.

On behalf of my party, I pledge to make this Parliament work. All of us here can make it work— and make it a showpiece of modern democracy. It is no secret that, to members of the Scottish National party, this Parliament is not quite the fulfilment of our dream, but it is a Parliament we can build a dream on. Our dream is for Scotland to be as sovereign as Denmark, Finland or Austria— no more, no less. However, we know that that dream can come true only when there is total consensus among the people of Scotland, and we accept that.

I will end by quoting from the debate of 1707. I have chosen a passage by Lord Belhaven, who was an opponent of the treaty:

"Show me a spurious patriot, a bombastic fire-eater, and I will show you a rascal. Show me a man who loves all countries equally with his own and I will show you a man entirely deficient of a sense of proportion. But show me a man who respects the rights of all nations while ready to defend the rights of his own against them all and I will show you a man who is both a nationalist and an internationalist."

It was said that 1707 was the end of an auld sang. All of us here can begin to write together a new Scottish song, and I urge all of you to sing it in harmony—fortissimo. [Applause.]

We shall now break for lunch, which is welcome news. As all members have been sworn, we will resume at 2.30 pm, when the voting period for the election of the Presiding Officer will commence. The nomination period for Presiding Officer runs from 12.30 pm to 2.15 pm.