Backbench debate on Thursday, 11 December 2025, in the House of Commons, led by Graeme Downie. The answering member was Kirsty McNeill.

St Andrew’s Day and Scottish Affairs

Motion that this House has considered St Andrew's Day and Scottish Affairs. Agreed to on question.

Secondary information

Type: Parliamentary proceeding
Reference: 777 cc530-565
Session: 2024-26
Department: Scotland Office
Chamber / Committee: House of Commons chamber
Related items: St. Andrew's day and Scottish Affairs
Tuesday, 9 December 2025
Research briefings
Proceeding contributions: Graeme Downie | 777 c530 (Link to this contribution)
I beg to move,
That this House has considered St Andrew’s Day and Scottish affairs.
I...; Christine Jardine | 777 c530 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the hon. Member for giving way, especially so early in his speech. He talks about Scotlan...; Graeme Downie | 777 cc530-2 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the hon. Member for her intervention and, indeed, for sponsoring my application to the Ba...; Florence Eshalomi | 777 c532 (Link to this contribution)
I am a London MP, but I feel that I must step in for the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon)...; Graeme Downie | 777 cc532-4 (Link to this contribution)
I could not agree more. St Andrews University, which I mentioned at the beginning of my remarks, ...; David Mundell | 777 cc534-5 (Link to this contribution)
I congratulate the hon. Member for Dunfermline and Dollar (Graeme Downie) on securing this debate...; Scott Arthur | 777 c535 (Link to this contribution)
In my previous life as an academic, I got a little bit involved in that project, but that was man...; David Mundell | 777 c535 (Link to this contribution)
I am sure that we do not want to go down the blind alley of a long discussion about this flood pr...; Christine Jardine | 777 c536 (Link to this contribution)
The right hon. Member is giving an impressive speech and a very important speech for Scotland. Do...; David Mundell | 777 c536 (Link to this contribution)
The hon. Lady will be pleased to hear that change in Scotland is the theme of my speech, because ...; Dave Doogan | 777 c536 (Link to this contribution)
I am grateful to the right hon. Member for giving way, but I am struggling a little bit to reconc...; David Mundell | 777 c536 (Link to this contribution)
As Members across the Chamber know, this is a well-used SNP tactic of constant comparison with ot...; Johanna Baxter | 777 c536 (Link to this contribution)
Is it not the case that there are more people waiting more than two years in individual health bo...; David Mundell | 777 cc401-537 (Link to this contribution)
I do. What the hon. Lady points to is the shuffling of figures that we have just seen, so that th...; Dave Doogan | 777 c537 (Link to this contribution)
It is especially generous of the right hon. Gentleman to give way again. He touched on general pr...; David Mundell | 777 cc537-8 (Link to this contribution)
I am afraid we are back to the old record, Madam Deputy Speaker. We have heard it so many times. ...; Chris Law | 777 c538 (Link to this contribution)
The right hon. Gentleman is making a clear case about recruitment in Scotland, which is a fair po...; David Mundell | 777 c538 (Link to this contribution)
One factual point worth making is that one third of those people who supported independence voted...; Christine Jardine | 777 c538 (Link to this contribution)
The right hon. Gentleman is being very generous with his time. He mentioned the problems that we ...; David Mundell | 777 c402 (Link to this contribution)
I agree with the hon. Lady, but there also needs to be fundamental acknowledgment that there has ...; Caroline Nokes | 777 c402 (Link to this contribution)
I call the Chair of the Scottish Affairs Committee.
1.56 pm; Patricia Ferguson | 777 cc402-540 (Link to this contribution)
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer—sorry, Madam Deputy Speaker. When we talk of Scotland, I am a...; Dave Doogan | 777 c540 (Link to this contribution)
I am grateful to the hon. Lady, my colleague and Chair of our Select Committee, for giving way. S...; Patricia Ferguson | 777 c541 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the hon. Gentleman, my colleague and friend, for his comments. I will come on to talk abo...; Caroline Nokes | 777 c541 (Link to this contribution)
Order. I remind hon. Members that if they are going to refer to other hon. Members in the House a...; Wendy Chamberlain | 777 cc541-3 (Link to this contribution)
As the hon. Member for Dunfermline and Dollar (Graeme Downie) highlighted in his opening remarks,...; 777 c543 (Link to this contribution); Caroline Nokes | 777 c543 (Link to this contribution)
Order. It would be very helpful if Members could keep their contributions to around five minutes ...; Torcuil Crichton | 777 cc543-4 (Link to this contribution)
I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Dunfermline and Dollar (Graeme Downie) for securing this de...; Dave Doogan | 777 c544 (Link to this contribution)
Will the hon. Gentleman give way?; Torcuil Crichton | 777 cc544-5 (Link to this contribution)
I do not think I will.
Of course, St Andrew was bilingual, or trilingual or quadrilingual—a...; Dave Doogan | 777 c545 (Link to this contribution)
Will the hon. Member give way on that point?; Torcuil Crichton | 777 c545 (Link to this contribution)
I will, if only because the hon. Member displays the best budget cut I have seen this year.; Dave Doogan | 777 c545 (Link to this contribution)
The hon. Member is very concerned about St Andrew. We should focus on St Andrew today, but in par...; Torcuil Crichton | 777 cc545-6 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the hon. Member for that intervention, which allows me to highlight that some 95,000 chil...; John Cooper | 777 c546 (Link to this contribution)
St Andrew was a guest at my wedding. No, I am not that old— I just look that way. Italia ’90 will...; Caroline Nokes | 777 cc546-7 (Link to this contribution)
I call Julie Minns, to make what I think is a birthday contribution.
2.26 pm; Julie Minns | 777 cc547-404 (Link to this contribution)
Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker—today is indeed my birthday. I thank my Scottish colleagues for l...; Torcuil Crichton | 777 c404 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend may well be right about that clock tower, but she will also know that Carlisle wil...; Julie Minns | 777 cc404-548 (Link to this contribution)
Indeed, and my hon. Friend makes an excellent point. I was just about to mention Bonnie Prince Ch...; Stephen Gethins | 777 cc548-9 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the hon. Member for Dunfermline and Dollar (Graeme Downie) for securing the debate, and f...; Torcuil Crichton | 777 c550 (Link to this contribution)
The hon. Member mentions a national sovereign wealth fund, which the SNP called for, to be funded...; Stephen Gethins | 777 c550 (Link to this contribution)
And the ’90s.; Torcuil Crichton | 777 c550 (Link to this contribution)
And the ’90s, and maybe until today. The SNP Government had the opportunity to put one in place w...; Stephen Gethins | 777 c550 (Link to this contribution)
We focus an awful lot on the Scottish Parliament. I have no problem with that, but Members who si...; Patricia Ferguson | 777 c550 (Link to this contribution)
rose—; Stephen Gethins | 777 c406 (Link to this contribution)
I will give way one more time, out of respect for the Chair of the Committee, if she can tackle t...; Patricia Ferguson | 777 c406 (Link to this contribution)
There is something that has always perplexed me about the arguments around Brexit. I remember cam...; Stephen Gethins | 777 cc406-551 (Link to this contribution)
I fought hard against Brexit in this place, and I continue to fight hard against it. I worked in ...; 777 c551 (Link to this contribution); Caroline Nokes | 777 c551 (Link to this contribution)
Order. There will be a formal four-minute time limit on speeches.
2.45 pm; Scott Arthur | 777 cc551-2 (Link to this contribution)
I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Dunfermline and Dollar (Graeme Downie) for introducing the ...; Johanna Baxter | 777 cc553-4 (Link to this contribution)
On St Andrew’s Day, we honour a Scotland rooted in community, fairness and responsibility—the val...; Kirsteen Sullivan | 777 cc554-5 (Link to this contribution)
I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Dunfermline and Dollar (Graeme Downie) on securing t...; Richard Baker | 777 c555 (Link to this contribution)
I warmly congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Dunfermline and Dollar (Graeme Downie)—how ap...; Caroline Nokes | 777 cc555-6 (Link to this contribution)
That brings us to the Front-Bench contributions.
3 pm; Susan Murray | 777 cc556-7 (Link to this contribution)
It is an honour to speak today at my first St Andrew’s day and Scottish affairs debate as the Lib...; Caroline Nokes | 777 c557 (Link to this contribution)
I call the shadow Secretary of State.
3.8 pm; Andrew Bowie | 777 cc557-8 (Link to this contribution)
It is a great privilege to speak in this debate, and I congratulate the hon. Member for Dunfermli...; Stephen Gethins | 777 c558 (Link to this contribution)
The hon. Gentleman always makes an entertaining speech. He quoted Edwin Morgan, who, after writin...; Andrew Bowie | 777 c559 (Link to this contribution)
Well, it is obviously for Edwin Morgan to determine where he spends his money. I do think that th...; Torcuil Crichton | 777 c559 (Link to this contribution)
Does the hon. Gentleman regret that the Scottish Conservatives propped up the SNP for four of tho...; Andrew Bowie | 777 cc408-561 (Link to this contribution)
In 2007, when the decision was taken by the Scottish Conservatives to ensure continuity and certa...; Kirsty McNeill | 777 cc561-3 (Link to this contribution)
I would like to begin by taking the opportunity to thank my hon. Friend the Member for Dunfermlin...; David Mundell | 777 c563 (Link to this contribution)
In her eloquent description of the importance of cross-border economic activity, the hon. Lady re...; Kirsty McNeill | 777 cc563-4 (Link to this contribution)
I am always delighted to commit to oomph and would be delighted to meet all relevant MPs from the...; Graeme Downie | 777 c564 (Link to this contribution)
I thank everyone from across the House for taking part in the debate. Having listened to the deba...
Subjects: Education Capital investment Cultural heritage Employment Innovation NHS Scotland Cost of living
Contains statistics: Yes
Link: View this Parliamentary proceeding on hansard.parliament.uk

St Andrew’s Day and Scottish Affairs

Secondary information

Librarians' tools