Results 141–160 of 2263 for speaker:Ian Blackford

Scottish Independence and the Scottish Economy ( 2 Nov 2022)

Ian Blackford: On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. I am delighted that the House has voted on a motion “that Scotland cannot afford to be part of the failing state of the UK and must be independent for economic stability”. This indeed is a historic moment. This House has voted in favour of a motion on Scottish independence—this is the first time that that has happened—with a clear majority of...

Scottish Independence and the Scottish Economy ( 2 Nov 2022)

Ian Blackford: rose—

Scottish Independence and the Scottish Economy ( 2 Nov 2022)

Ian Blackford: I am very grateful to my right hon. Friend—I will see him later. He is making a powerful speech. It is worth pointing out to the House that the UK has a current account deficit of more than 8% of GDP. If there is a country that cannot pay its way, it is the UK.

Scottish Independence and the Scottish Economy ( 2 Nov 2022)

Ian Blackford: I commend my hon. Friend on his excellent speech. In essence, there are three components of growth: population, productivity and participation. One thing that has been ascribed to the Union since 1850 is the relative decline of the Scottish population, because there has been a lack of economic opportunity to drive up wages and productivity. We are being held back by the migration policies of...

Scottish Independence and the Scottish Economy ( 2 Nov 2022)

Ian Blackford: rose—

Scottish Independence and the Scottish Economy ( 2 Nov 2022)

Ian Blackford: Let me commend the hon. Gentleman for the way that he is going about this. May I say to him respectfully that this is not to do with identity. There is the phrase, “It is not a question of where you are from, it is where you are going.” It is about that shared identity that we have for the country. On the question of the demand for independence, will he not acknowledge that there is an...

Scottish Independence and the Scottish Economy ( 2 Nov 2022)

Ian Blackford: Will the Secretary of State give way?

Scottish Independence and the Scottish Economy ( 2 Nov 2022)

Ian Blackford: On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. On the day of the referendum, the pound-dollar rate was 1.64. The Government have crashed the pound over the course of the last few years. That is the harsh reality and the Secretary of State might actually recognise that.

Scottish Independence and the Scottish Economy ( 2 Nov 2022)

Ian Blackford: I beg to move, That this House regrets the economic damage the Government has caused since the mini-budget on 23 September 2022, with the pound hitting a record low against the dollar, mortgage rates at their highest level since the financial crash and inflation at a forty-year high; calls on the Government immediately to reinstate the bankers’ bonus cap, increase benefits in line with...

Scottish Independence and the Scottish Economy ( 2 Nov 2022)

Ian Blackford: From a sedentary position, the hon. Gentleman says, “Too long,” and of course he is right—Scotland has been stuck in this Union for too long. I look forward to the opportunity for my colleagues to leave this House for the last time when Scotland becomes an independent country—it has indeed been too long. It is fair to say that Westminster has been no stranger to chaos and crisis over...

Scottish Independence and the Scottish Economy ( 2 Nov 2022)

Ian Blackford: Mr Speaker, if anybody is letting themselves down, it is the hon. Gentleman, because the Scottish Parliament has done its best to mitigate the effects of Tory austerity, thank goodness. We can applaud what the Scottish Government have done with child payments—introduced at £10, increased to £20 and now up at £25—but we cannot stop the damaging effect of austerity on our country,...

Scottish Independence and the Scottish Economy ( 2 Nov 2022)

Ian Blackford: My hon. Friend is quite correct. When we look around the world, we see small countries thriving. Small countries tend to do better than larger ones. There are no economies of scale for large countries, and it is Westminster, the UK, that is holding Scotland back. Let me return to the economic situation we face today: the pound is still down against the dollar and euro, mortgage rates are at...

Scottish Independence and the Scottish Economy ( 2 Nov 2022)

Ian Blackford: My goodness, Mr Speaker, I hate to point out to the hon. Gentleman that 62% of those who voted in Scotland voted to stay in the European Union. I am proud to say that my right hon. and hon. Friends and I were up and down Scotland during the Brexit campaign, leading the people of Scotland and making the case for Scotland to stay in Europe.

Scottish Independence and the Scottish Economy ( 2 Nov 2022)

Ian Blackford: This would be funny if it was not so tragic. It used to be the case—[Interruption.] We have many hours of debate, and if Labour and Liberal Democrat Members calm down, I am sure that they will get the opportunity to speak. Maybe I should point out to the hon. Lady that the Liberal Democrats used to proclaim staying in Europe—

Scottish Independence and the Scottish Economy ( 2 Nov 2022)

Ian Blackford: No, you don’t. If the Liberal Democrats wanted to stay in Europe, as the hon. Lady suggests, they would have that in their manifesto. The Labour party and the Liberal Democrats have run away from Europe, just as they have run away from their responsibilities to the people of Scotland.

Scottish Independence and the Scottish Economy ( 2 Nov 2022)

Ian Blackford: My hon. Friend is quite correct that every local authority area in Scotland voted to remain. Not only did people across Scotland vote to remain, but that demand to stay in Europe has increased over the past few years. In fact, recent polling shows as many as 72% of Scots wish to remain in Europe. I say to those watching in our own country that there is a clear way to achieve this. If Scotland...

Scottish Independence and the Scottish Economy ( 2 Nov 2022)

Ian Blackford: On a point of order, Mr Speaker. I have just been called a liar.

Scottish Independence and the Scottish Economy ( 2 Nov 2022)

Ian Blackford: I give way to my hon. Friend.

Scottish Independence and the Scottish Economy ( 2 Nov 2022)

Ian Blackford: My hon. Friend is correct. It is 1.10 pm; we have until 7 o’clock to debate the issue. To hon. Members in other parties on both sides of the House, I promise that we will respect the importance of the subject, because this is about Scotland’s future. To friends and colleagues—Conservative, Labour and Lib Dem Members—I say, let us have that debate about Scotland’s future and let us...

Scottish Independence and the Scottish Economy ( 2 Nov 2022)

Ian Blackford: I thank the right hon. Gentleman. I think he is genuinely trying to be helpful, so I will respond in kind. We are suffering from an enormous increase in energy costs. I applaud the fact that we have the energy cap, but let us remember the harsh reality that for people up and down these islands, energy costs have doubled in the last year. People will face genuine hardship. [Interruption.] I...


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