The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.
All Official Reports of meetings in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament.
All Official Reports of public meetings of committees.
Displaying 4623 contributions
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
Meeting date: 25 November 2021
Edward Mountain
On that basis, if the UK Government wants to bring in voter ID for UK parliamentary elections, it is not for you to decide.
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
Meeting date: 25 November 2021
Edward Mountain
I say at the outset that, as we all accept, there are significant differences between UK and Scottish elections. To my mind, that is a benefit of devolution, and I am proud that Scotland is leading the way on aspects such as 16-year-olds being given the vote.
However, what I want to talk about is voter ID, which the UK Government has identified as a problem in UK elections. Do you accept that view or do you take the view that, because it is not a problem in Scotland, it is not a problem in the UK?
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
Meeting date: 25 November 2021
Edward Mountain
Thank you for your opinion on that, but it was not the question that I asked. What I asked was, because you do not see voter fraud as being a problem in Scotland, do you therefore not perceive it to be a problem across the UK? That is the specific question that I asked.
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
Meeting date: 25 November 2021
Edward Mountain
It could be part of the consultation in 2022 for the bill in 2023.
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
Meeting date: 25 November 2021
Edward Mountain
No, no—I am helping you.
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
Meeting date: 25 November 2021
Edward Mountain
I absolutely understand that what I was asking for was an opinion. Mr Adam has given various opinions this morning, but he is not prepared to voice an opinion on this matter.
My question to you is this, Mr Adam. It is likely that the Scottish elections will be in 2026, as you have said. You said that it would only be in extremis—in a situation that you could not predict—that they would happen before then. The UK elections will happen before then. Your timescale of consulting in 2022 and introducing proposed legislation in 2023 would probably mean that you would end up in a different position from that of the UK Government on intimidation. Do you think that that would be a good position to be in?
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
Meeting date: 25 November 2021
Edward Mountain
You are saying that you are going to put everything else out to consultation but, because you fundamentally disagree with voter ID, you are not going to put it out to consultation, and that you personally want a separate decision to be made in Scotland regarding UK elections that is not part of the devolved settlement. Have I got that wrong?
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
Meeting date: 25 November 2021
Edward Mountain
Of course you may, convener, if you can hear me.
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
Meeting date: 25 November 2021
Edward Mountain
Minister, I am sure that you agree with me that skewing elections by intimidating people or any such means is completely unacceptable.
Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee
Meeting date: 25 November 2021
Edward Mountain
Convener, it is not just frustration—