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Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 22 December 2024
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Displaying 1830 contributions

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Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee [Draft]

Empire, Slavery and Scotland’s Museums

Meeting date: 28 November 2024

Stephen Kerr

I completely concur with everything that. you just said. It is important that we see the vileness and evil of slavery in the context of what else was happening and the complexity of that issue. That is a vital aspect of education. I am just expressing the concern, which perhaps other people also have, that we should not use this worthy endeavour as a vehicle for political activism, which I personally would not want to see our museum spaces or our schools being used overtly for. That is another point of view.

I started with the question about nuance because I would not like you to think that because I have those concerns, I am a racist or a fascist. In my view, I am neither.

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee [Draft]

Empire, Slavery and Scotland’s Museums

Meeting date: 28 November 2024

Stephen Kerr

That is really good to hear.

Jatin Haria, you said a couple of things that I want to come back to you on, and others can comment. You mentioned the exhibit at Kelvingrove, which I have been to see. I came away with a lot of concerns about the stuff that I saw and what I read in the narratives that went along with the objects on display. That feeds into my broader concern, which I have already articulated.

Let me ask you about your frustration about the vote in Parliament that has not resulted in anything. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that happens quite a lot in the Scottish Parliament. We have votes on all kinds of things and nothing much changes. I assure you that I am as frustrated as you are about that. What would you like to see as the dedicated space? Are we talking about a standalone museum of slavery that tells the whole story of Scotland’s connection with slavery? As I made clear earlier, we all agree that slavery is an evil thing. Are we talking about a dedicated space within an existing institution? I am not sure that the motion was very explicit about what it meant by a dedicated space. What would that look like?

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee [Draft]

Empire, Slavery and Scotland’s Museums

Meeting date: 28 November 2024

Stephen Kerr

That was a very illuminating set of comments—

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee [Draft]

Empire, Slavery and Scotland’s Museums

Meeting date: 28 November 2024

Stephen Kerr

Earlier, when I was listening to you, I must confess that I was concerned that you were not prepared to allow for nuance. I thought that you were describing people who did not quite see the world through your lenses as racist and fascist. That is not the case, is it?

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee [Draft]

Review of the UK-EU Trade and Co-operation Agreement

Meeting date: 21 November 2024

Stephen Kerr

Those are global figures rather than being specifically on exports to the EU.

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee [Draft]

European Union Alignment (Annual Reports)

Meeting date: 21 November 2024

Stephen Kerr

That is certainly not what I am asking, convener.

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee [Draft]

European Union Alignment (Annual Reports)

Meeting date: 21 November 2024

Stephen Kerr

Good point.

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee [Draft]

European Union Alignment (Annual Reports)

Meeting date: 21 November 2024

Stephen Kerr

I should welcome the cabinet secretary to the divergence club, because in his answer to Neil Bibby he made the case for divergence. When something comes from Brussels, Strasbourg or wherever that is not in Scotland’s best interests, you have indicated a spirit of pragmatism, which I wholly support. Have I heard you correctly?

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee [Draft]

European Union Alignment (Annual Reports)

Meeting date: 21 November 2024

Stephen Kerr

I do not think that you need to apologise for being in favour of divergence when it is in the national interest. I think that that is very pragmatic.

Can I ask you not about Greek olives but about the principle that you have raised? We know that, in 2023, there were 576 legislative acts, and 1,222 directives from the European Union. Can you roughly break down how many of those ended up being not about Greek olives but things that were pertinent to Scotland? What resource was involved? You were on the European Scrutiny Committee with Bill Cash, so you must have sat through many hours of him waxing lyrical—

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee [Draft]

European Union Alignment (Annual Reports)

Meeting date: 21 November 2024

Stephen Kerr

I am sure. He was waxing lyrical about unaccountable law coming into this country and fitting into UK law under the direction of the European Union. What is the breakdown of the 576 legislative acts and the 1,222 directives? How many were pertinent to the devolved space?