Summary

  • Humza Yousaf faces questions from opposition party leaders and backbench MSPs during FMQs

  • Douglas Ross asks if the FM will sack Fergus Ewing after he voted against the circular economy minister in a vote of no confidence

  • Humza Yousaf says he will not be taking any lessons in leadership from Douglas Ross and says it is actually Alistair Jack who is in charge of the Scottish Tories

  • Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar highlights Labour's green energy plans which it says will cut bills and create jobs

  • Humza Yousaf hits back, saying the plan to end North Sea exploration was "panned" by the industry, climate change activists and unions

  1. FMQs - The headlinespublished at 13:44 British Summer Time 22 June 2023

    That brings our live coverage of FMQs to a close. Here's a reminder of the headlines:

    • The news that Winnie Ewing has died has overshadowed today's FMQs, emerging as it did just after the weekly question session ended
    • During FMQs, when no-one had heard the tragic news, her son Fergus Ewing was the focus of the interchanges between Douglas Ross and Humza Yousaf
    • Yousaf rejected accusations that government policy was being driven by the Greens
    • The Scottish Conservatives claimed the first minister was "dancing to the tune" of his power-sharing partners in opposition to the views of the Scottish public. Ross questioned the future of Fergus Ewing in the SNP
    • Yousaf dismissed this accusing the Scottish tories of being controlled from Westminster and of opposing any progressive polices coming from Holyrood
    • Douglas Ross said the SNP had lost their way because of the Greens
    • Anas Sarwar accused Humza Yousaf of not accepting what was good for Scotland by not supporting Labour's new green energy plans, but the FM said they were "style over substance"
    • The first minister hit back, saying Labour sees the north east as a "cash cow" to fund tax freezes for the rest of the UK, after criticism of the SNP not taking a public stake in ScotWind
    • Yousaf said his thoughts were with everyone affected by the lost Titanic sub, after it emerged during FMQs that the teenager trapped in the submersible is a student at Strathclyde University

    That's all from the live team today. Catherine Lyst was the editor and Debbie Jackson and Craig Hutchison were the writers.

  2. Reports that Winnie Ewing has diedpublished at 13:32 British Summer Time 22 June 2023
    Breaking

    We're hearing reports from PA that Winnie Ewing has died.

    Read our breaking story here

  3. Student on board Titan submersible is student in Scotlandpublished at 13:12 British Summer Time 22 June 2023

    Ms Duncan Glancy comments on breaking news that a teenager trapped in a submersible that went missing during a dive to the Titanic's wreck is a student in Glasgow. She expresses that her thoughts are with his family and friends.

    Mr Yousaf agrees saying his thoughts are with everyone who has been affected.

    READ more: Suleman Dawood: Teen on stricken Titanic sub is Strathclyde University student

  4. Background: Marking boycotts in higher and further educationpublished at 13:11 British Summer Time 22 June 2023

    The marking boycott is part of industrial action being taken by members of the University and College Union (UCU) at 145 UK institutions in a dispute over pay and working conditions.

    Some students at UK universities may not receive their grades this summer because of the boycott.

    Union members are refusing to mark university exams and assessments.

    The boycott began on 20 April and will continue until employers make an improved offer on pay and conditions, the UCU says.

    The UCU claims it could affect more than half a million graduations this summer.

    However, not all university staff are UCU members.

    A poll by the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) suggests fewer than 10% of students will be affected by the boycott.

    Universities are taking independent decisions about how to minimise the impact at each institution, so the effect on students will vary.

    Read more: Students to graduate without knowing final results

  5. Yousaf urges unions, colleges and universities to resolve marking boycottpublished at 13:11 British Summer Time 22 June 2023

    protestImage source, Getty Images

    Labour's Pam Duncan-Glancy asks the FM how the Scottish government is responding to the ongoing industrial disputes in further and higher education.

    It emerged this week that university students were facing graduating without knowing their exam results due to the ongoing marking dispute.

    Humza Yousaf says the administration has no direct role in resolving industrial disputes in the sector but expects unions and insitutions to work together to resolve issues.

    He says the miister for higher and further education has met all the parties and urged them to resolve their issues.

    He expects mitigations will be put in place to minimise disruption due to boycotts.

  6. Clash over road safteypublished at 13:05 British Summer Time 22 June 2023

    Jamie Greene asks for update on whether the Scottish government is fully committed to improving the safety and condition of all of Scotland's major roads.

    The Tory MSP says right across Scotland there are far too many roads that are "actually costing lives" with 450 deaths in the last year.

    He asks: "Are there any major and vital road building projects or upgrades that were promised and pledged by the SNP government, which will no longer go ahead as a direct result of the Bute House Agreement?

    The first minister replies the Scottish government's capital budget has been cut by the UK government over the years.

    Yousaf insists the SNP has a strong record in investing in the road network.

  7. Background: Scotland misses greenhouse gas emissions targetpublished at 12:52 British Summer Time 22 June 2023

    Domestic transport was the biggest source of emissionsImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Domestic transport was the biggest source of emissions

    Scotland's target for cutting planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions has been missed after a bounce back following the pandemic.

    Total emissions were 49.9% lower in 2021 than in 1990 but the target for the year was a 51.1% cut.

    It is the eighth time in 12 years that the legally binding target has been missed.

    The Scottish government said it was disappointed but that it was "not far behind" where it should be.

    Read more here.

  8. Call for a 'climate conversation'?published at 12:52 British Summer Time 22 June 2023

    Ruskell accuses the Tories of being "extremist and increasingly climate denying" and he calls for the commitment to a "climate conversation" later this year.

    Sarwar says he is happy to consider the proposal and he reiterates that the Tories oppose any action taken to tackle climate change.

  9. Is the leadership in place to tackle the climate emergency?published at 12:51 British Summer Time 22 June 2023

    Green MSP Mark Ruskell asks how the Scottish government will recommit to the leadership needed to tackle the climate emergency.

    This is indeed a very topical question with Scotland's greenhouse gas emissions target having been missed this week.

    "This government will lead on that," replies Humza Yousaf.

    The FM says: "I'm absolutely committed to tackling the climate emergency urgently and fairly."

    He concedes it is disappointing the 2021 greenhouse gas emissions target was missed and he points to the forthcoming climate change plan.

  10. Analysis

    FMQs used as a platform to advance election campaignspublished at 12:50 British Summer Time 22 June 2023

    Philip Sim
    BBC Scotland political correspondent

    Labour are very keen to promote their plan for more green jobs, which Sir Keir Starmer announced in Edinburgh on Monday.

    It was in a way a bold topic for Anas Sarwar to reach for, given one of his councillors in Aberdeen quit the party over the proposal to end new exploration for oil and gas.

    But Labour is very keen to push attention to the idea of a “clean energy superpower”, and the potential for 50,000 jobs in Scotland.

    Mr Sarwar continues to use FMQs essentially as a campaigning platform for the next election.

    And Mr Yousaf continues to take the attacks quite personally – hitting back at Mr Sarwar as being “style over substance”.

    Both of these leaders see each other as their main opponent at the ballot box, and see this as a key platform for advancing their campaigns despite the fact it could be more than a year until the voters actually have a say.

  11. FM: Labour sees north east as a cash cowpublished at 12:49 British Summer Time 22 June 2023

    The Labour leader says Labour's plans will avoid the mistakes of Margaret Thatcher and the SNP government.

    He details what he sees as its failures - scrapping their promised energy company, a promise of 130,000 green jobs, not taking a public stake in ScotWind.

    He says that he and Sir Keir Starmer believe Scotland and the UK will be a world leader in the clean energy revolution, why doesn't the first minister and the Tories?

    The first minister hits back, saying Labour sees the north east as a "cash cow" to fund council tax freezes for the rest of the UK.

    He says Anas Sarwar should listen of the trade unions, quoting the GMB union's Gary Smith who has warned of "cliff-edge" policies on North Sea oil and gas.

    Smith said the UK would need oil and gas until 2050 and a ban on new licences ignores that reality.

    He ends by saying the SNP believes in a just transition which will not leave a single worker on the scrapheap and "it is a shame Labour don't feel the same way".

    Read more: ScotWind offshore auction raises £700m

  12. Sarwar: Yousaf can't accept what is good for Scotlandpublished at 12:45 British Summer Time 22 June 2023

    Sarwar calls it a "terrible answer" and lists what the first minister is opposing.

    • investment in carbon capture and storage on and offshore wind and hydrogen
    • 50,000 jobs
    • 17,000 jobs upgrading homes
    • 1.4 million homes upgraded
    • 1000 local power projects
    • a public energy company headquartered in Scotland

    He accuses the FM of not being able to accept what is good for Scotland.

    Yousaf says he has "far more ambition for the country" than the Scottish Labour leader.

    He accuses Anas Sarwar and Labour of being prepared to abandon every single worker in the North East.

  13. Background: Starmer pledges to end North Sea explorationpublished at 12:43 British Summer Time 22 June 2023

    Sir Keir StarmerImage source, PA Media

    Labour will end new North Sea oil and gas exploration, but help communities profit from clean power projects, Sir Keir Starmer has pledged.

    Speaking in Edinburgh, the Labour leader vowed to "cut bills, create jobs and provide energy security".

    He also said that a previously announced publicly-owned green energy company would be based in Scotland.

    Sir Keir is under pressure from environmentalists and the oil industry over the scale and pace of change.

    Climate campaigners have criticised the party for rowing back on a pledge to invest £28bn a year in green industries.

    In England, planning rules which effectively ban new onshore wind farm developments would be scrapped if Labour won the next election.

    Read more here.

  14. Yousaf: Labour's energy plans 'style over substance'published at 12:39 British Summer Time 22 June 2023

    oil platformImage source, PA Media
    Image caption,

    Labour plans to end new North Sea explration

    Scottish Labour's turn now and leader Anas Sarwar leads with Labour's new energy plan, announced on Monday.

    He says it will deliver lower bills, more jobs and make Scotland a climate leader.

    He asks the FM if he welcomes the "significant and transformative investment".

    Yousaf accuses Labour of having "five different positions" in five different weeks on the policy and of being "more style over substance".

    He says the problem is the substance of the announcement has been panned by the industry, climate change activists, trade unions and members of his own party.

    He says when it comes to Scotland's renewable energy, why should Scots trust the Labour Party that has scrapped its green prosperity fund and been part of taking funding from the North East?

  15. Analysis

    Ross taunts Yousaf over the case of Fergus Ewingpublished at 12:36 British Summer Time 22 June 2023

    Philip Sim
    BBC Scotland political correspondent

    The Conservatives are thoroughly enjoying the case of Fergus Ewing - the former minister who broke the party whip to vote against Lorna Slater on Tuesday.

    Penny Mordaunt was in the Commons this morning urging Mr Ewing to join the Tories.

    That is wildly unlikely, but the possibility of him being suspended from the SNP gave Mr Ross the chance to weigh up Mr Yousaf’s strength as a leader.

    The idea of the government prioritising support for Lorna Slater over Mr Ewing is potentially a sore point for some in the SNP.

    That is quite aside from the fact he is part of a noted party dynasty, the son of legendary nationalist Winnie Ewing.

    He can be seen as representing a more rural pro-business tribe within the SNP, a tribe which may not be inconsiderable in number when you consider how close the rural pro-business campaign of Kate Forbes came to winning the membership.

    Humza Yousaf hit back with a quote from NFU Scotland chief Martin Kennedy about the impact of Brexit.

    But he walked straight into a trap - because Mr Kennedy had issued a statement only this morning stating that the “hardening of the green agenda” was losing the support of farmers.

    How all of this impacts on Fergus Ewing’s upcoming disciplinary action from his party remains to be seen.

  16. Tories morphing into 'climate change deniers', says Yousafpublished at 12:35 British Summer Time 22 June 2023

    Yousaf points out the Tories are in third place in the polls.

    The FM says Westminster has undermined Holyrood and he says the SNP are in a co-operation agreement with the Greens to work together in the national interest.

    He adds that the Tories oppose every single measure to tackle climate change, as they are "morphing into climate change deniers".

  17. Further clashes over SNP agreement with the Greenspublished at 12:32 British Summer Time 22 June 2023

    Humza Yousaf points out that the SNP represent most of rural Scotland.

    The FM accuses Douglas Ross of having "plenty of brass neck" after Boris Johnnston was sanctioned this week.

    He accuses the Tories of betraying rural Scotland with a hard Brexit and a Tory cost of living crisis.

    Ross hopes that Yousaf will listen to NFU Scotland when he visits the Royal Highland Show.

    "The Green tail is wagging the SNP dog," he says.

  18. 'Doesn't this show that the SNP have abandoned rural Scotland?' - Rosspublished at 12:27 British Summer Time 22 June 2023

    The Scottish Tory leader says Yousaf "won't suspend Nicola Sturgeon whose under police investigation, looks like he will suspend Fergus Ewing for challenging Green incompetence".

    Ross quotes NFU Scotland saying they have serious concerns about the SNP pact with the Greens.

    He says they doubt very much that solutions to key rural issues will be possible while the Bute House Agreement continues.

    "Doesn't this show that the SNP have abandoned rural Scotland?," he adds.

  19. 'The blame squarely lies with the UK government ' - Yousafpublished at 12:20 British Summer Time 22 June 2023

    The FM reminds the chamber that the parliament voted to back Lorna Slater on Tuesday night.

    Yousaf says: "The blame squarely lies with the UK government when it comes to the sabotaging of the deposit-return scheme."

    He adds that it was the UK government's eleventh hour intervention that torpedoed the DRS.

    Glass was included in two Tory manifestos, says the FM, who goes on to highlight the damage Brexit has caused in farming.

  20. Background: Scottish National Investment faces up to £9m Circularity Scotland losspublished at 12:18 British Summer Time 22 June 2023

    The chairman of the state-owned Scottish National Investment Bank says he expects to lose more than half of a £9m loan given to Circularity Scotland.

    Willie Watt told MSPs that the whole sum could be lost after the firm set up to administer Scotland's deposit return scheme called in administrators.

    Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater said she was forced to delay the scheme until 2025 after being put in "impossible position" by Westminster.

    The UK government rejected this claim.

    A spokesperson said the decision to delay was entirely made by the Scottish government.

    Read more here.