It was put in place by the Tories and it’s been kept in place by the Labour Party, and the answer to all of this is to make sure that Scotland’s energy wealth is in Scotland’s hands and that’s exactly what the SNP, and only the SNP…
John Swinney
The Public Record
this would for me be a far more sensible defence strategy for this country
the Westminster UK Government has failed for years to properly invest in adequate defence provision in our North Sea, leaving our energy infrastructure vulnerable
there should be greater investment in maritime conventional defence forces
Let me begin by expressing the warmest congratulations of everyone in the Scottish Parliament and indeed the whole of our country at the outstanding performance of Steve Clarke, Andy Robertson, and the Scotland team and the Tartan Army who…
It was a particular pleasure for me to see our fans make such a positive impression in Boston and to capture the imagination and the interest of the city.
I think, Presiding Officer, we should all take stock after the weekend and be very, very grateful for the tremendous inspiration given by the Scotland national team and by the Tartan Army, who are a credit to our country.
The removal of tariffs on Scotch whisky is an essential opportunity for the Scotch whisky industry, the Kentucky bourbon industry, and the cask industry to prosper and to expand.
It was important that we got the tariffs lifted with the agreement of President Trump to make sure that trade could flow effectively.
Obviously, we’ve been arguing for some time for an end to conflict and fighting, and the fact that we are now in a situation where there is a peace deal in place is very welcome news.
With that pressure removed, it gives us even greater opportunity to tackle the cost-of-living challenges that are faced by people in Scotland, and which are my absolute priority as First Minister.
I am extremely pleased to be seeking parliament’s agreement to recommend Ruth Charteris KC and BJ Gill KC as Scotland’s law officers.
It’s a win-win on both sides of the Atlantic, but fundamentally, it creates a great opportunity for the Scotch whisky industry to thrive.
Scotch whisky and Kentucky bourbon share a deep, long-standing connection – they’re two of the world’s great spirits and of high value to their respective economies.
My visit to Kentucky aims to build on both that shared heritage and President Trump’s commitment to remove the tariff for whisky, in a very important overseas market for Scotch.
I have consistently made the case to exempt Scotch whisky from the 10% tariff and was pleased by the president’s announcement that he would remove the tariff for whisky following the state visit earlier this year.
Scotland has become like this because people over on that side of this chamber — Malcolm Offord, Thomas Kerr, various others — are inciting racial division in our society and this Government will stand up to all of that.
There is, of course, a democratic right to protest in our society, but at this particular moment, it is ill-advised because of the circumstances that were perpetrated last night by violent thugs, and that type of behaviour has no place in…
During the election campaign I made it abundantly clear I would not cooperate with Reform in this parliament because of the way in which they pursue this issue which incites racial hatred in our society.
Online disinformation and misinformation are a real and present threat to our democracy, and these reports of bad actors attempting to interfere in the Scottish Parliament elections are deeply concerning.
Mr Offord is trying to pursue an issue on immigration at the same time as his party is associated with the stirring up of hatred within our society.
I have seen the comments to which Gillian Mackay refers, and I'm horrified by their contents.
But I'll use all the time that I've got there to try to advance the economic interests of Scotland.
I am optimistic about the team's prospect following their 4-0 win in a friendly over Bolivia last weekend.





