I, too, begin by congratulating Joan McAlpine on securing this important debate on Burns. Mr Stevenson should definitely keep Chase Lindemann on in the speech-writing department. I say that as someone who is standing up to speak with only a few notes, so I ask members to bear with me.

I would like to point out that I am proudly wearing my Robert Burns tie for tonight’s occasion, but that comes with a confession because, although the tie was bought in Scotland, thereby contributing to our Scottish economy, I noticed this morning when putting it on that it says “Made in England” on the back. Other parts of the United Kingdom definitely also benefit significantly from Robert Burns’s global influence and reach.

Other members have touched on the big Burns supper in Dumfries, which is a greatly welcomed initiative that has brought in audiences of up to 9,000 people to more than 100 shows across 50 locations in Dumfries and Galloway. Every year, the big Burns supper goes from strength to strength. This year, I am particularly delighted that Camille O’Sullivan, one of the mainstays of the Edinburgh festival, is appearing in Dumfries, and that I secured tickets for that just before they sold out. There is something for everyone at the festival, and I am sure that, like me, Joan McAlpine and others will enjoy seeing performers such as Eddi Reader, who has a close affinity with Burns. Burns’s universal nature and ability to unite people certainly goes a long way towards bringing together people who perhaps do not always agree politically.

For me as the MSP for Dumfriesshire, where Burns has really close connections to many local communities, there can be absolutely no denying his central importance to the local economy. I find it amusing when I am out and about at places such as the Brow well, which is just outside Ruthwell, and bump into all sorts of people from all parts of Scotland and the world who have been visiting sites along the Robert Burns trail. It is important that we work harder and pull together on a cross-party basis and that we get as much support as possible from the Scottish Government and VisitScotland to ensure that the trail is easy to follow and well promoted and that people know just how much there is to see across what is a very interesting part of Scotland.

For those from Dumfries, it is often tempting to think that Ayrshire tries to steal Robert Burns from us, but we still have him—he is still in the mausoleum. However, in the south-west region, we have to work better to promote the shared link that we have and to make the most of the visitors who make their way to Burns’s birthplace by encouraging them to follow the trail through his life and getting them to travel to Dumfries.

There are more modern influences. Last year, I was delighted to attend the reopening of the Annandale distillery after 99 years. We can see how important Burns is to the area and his significant economic draw from the fact that the distillery chose to name one of its two new whiskies Man o’ Words after the bard.