Keith Raffan: What a silly man.
Keith Raffan: It is a comment on the sorry state of the Conservative party that it was so gullible and so easily misled by the Prime Minister. Another comment on its sorry state is the fact that its only solution to the situation in Iraq is to bring back George Bush senior, John Major and Mrs Thatcher. I thought that we were trying to improve the situation. The Conservative party is politically bankrupt...
Keith Raffan: It would consign the people of Iraq to a precipitous slide into total anarchy and bloody civil war. [ Interruption. ]
Keith Raffan: It would lead to the companies who are working to rebuild Iraq's infrastructure—its hospitals, schools and roads—removing their employees from the country immediately. I thought that the SSP was a party of international socialists. I thought that they believed in the brotherhood of man. I thought that their mantra was that no man is an island and that we are all part of the main. No...
Keith Raffan: I disagree totally with Mr Neil. The forces that could be introduced into Iraq under the League of Arab States would not command any greater support among the Iraqi people than do the western troops. It is crucial that the Iraqi security forces are trained so that they can take over as quickly as possible. Only when both sets of elections have been conducted and Iraq has a democratically...
Keith Raffan: We have heard many minutes of Frances Curran's speech. When is she going to come to the main point of the motion, on withdrawing troops by Christmas? How on earth will that help the situation and the suffering in Iraq?
Keith Raffan: Will she address that point?
Keith Raffan: When the First Minister meets the Prime Minister, will he tell him about another Scottish success story? Will he tell him about the excellent track record of the new futures fund initiative in providing employability programmes for those who are furthest from the labour market, such as those with addiction problems, the homeless and ex-offenders? Is the First Minister aware that more than...
Keith Raffan: I agree with what the minister says, but will he assure us that the Executive will actively intervene to drive school debating forward? It gave a generous contribution to North Lanarkshire Council, but is it prepared to make similar contributions to other local authorities in Scotland and actively to encourage debating, perhaps not least by holding a competition here in the Parliament?
Keith Raffan: I am sure that the minister did not mean to be condescending when he said that we need to refresh the Scottish Youth Parliament. From the performances that I have seen, I think that some of its members could refresh us.
Keith Raffan: I congratulate Brian Monteith on securing this important debate. This is the first occasion on which I have agreed with absolutely everything he said—and it will probably be the only one because it is not likely to be repeated. There is nothing more important for kids, young people and, indeed, adults to develop than the skill and ability to think, speak and argue on their feet. We in the...
Keith Raffan: I join other members in congratulating Karen Whitefield on securing this important debate, which has shown the Parliament at its best, particularly in the speeches by members who spoke from personal experience, such as David Davidson and Mike Pringle. I am glad that the Lord Advocate also took the opportunity to speak in the debate, which is important in raising awareness. My interest in the...
Keith Raffan: I agree with Mr Sheridan that we must have a balanced approach—not an imbalanced one that favours enforcement as opposed to treatment and rehabilitation, or the other way round—but I caution the Executive that there are two ways of tackling drug misuse: one is by cutting supply, the other is by cutting demand. I get a bit concerned, and a bit bored, when ministers—both at the House of...
Keith Raffan: Of course we have to do that. I am glad that the Social Inclusion, Housing and Voluntary Sector Committee's inquiry, during the first session of the Parliament, into drug misuse and deprived communities helped to move the Executive away from an unbalanced emphasis on enforcement and towards a focus on treatment and rehabilitation. I was a member of that committee and Margaret Curran, who is...
Keith Raffan: I will not give way; the member did not give way to me. If Miss Goldie starts to show courtesy to other members during her speeches, I will show courtesy to her. She should sit down and listen and learn, because her speech was outrageous. It undermined the work of many people in the field and it has utterly destroyed her party's credibility with those in this country who are working extremely...
Keith Raffan: We must consider how we will progress the new futures fund initiative after next March.
Keith Raffan: Is Mr Sheridan aware that that evidence also shows that, if we include addicts who use fraud to support their habits, the saving rises from £9.50 to £18?
Keith Raffan: Will the member give way?
Keith Raffan: My point is very brief. The whole point of DTTOs is to reduce the pressure on prisons.
Keith Raffan: Oh, just agree.
