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Description
Appointment of Junior ScottishMinister
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B
Thank
You
presiding
officer
and
pleased
to
see
Parliament's
approval
of
the
appointment
of
Michael
Russell
as
Minister
for
yukia
negotiations
and
Scotland's
police
in
Europe.
Early
this
afternoon,
I
set
out
a
programme
for
government
a
clear
commitment
to
deliver
on
the
manifest
of
commitments
that
we
were
elected
on,
but
we
have
to
acknowledge,
as
I
did
earlier,
that
we
do
so
in
a
context.
That's
very
different
to
the
one
that
we
expected
in
me
on
the
twenty-third
of
June.
B
The
people
of
Scotland
casts
a
clear
and
decisive
vote
to
remain
in
the
European
Union,
and
this
government
is
committed
to
ensuring
that
Scotland's
interests
are
protected.
It's
part
of
our
respond
to
that
vote.
Parliament
mandated
the
Scottish
Government
to
hold
discussions
with
the
UK
government,
devolved
administration's
EU
institutions
and
other
member
states
on
how
we
do
protect
Scotland's
interests
in
a
relationship
with
Europe
tomorrow.
I'll
provide
a
full
update
to
parliament
on
recent
developments
and
the
work
the
government
is
undertaking.
B
However,
Parliament
is
already
aware
that
we
have
a
commitment
from
the
Prime
Minister
that
the
scottish
government
should
be
involved
in
the
development
of
the
UK
government's
position.
Ahead
of
article
50
being
triggered
and
beyond,
and
the
options
to
protect
a
relationship
with
Europe
will
form
part
of
these
discussions.
We
intend
to
see
that
commitment,
honored,
presiding
officer.
Of
course,
there
is
still
a
woeful
lack
of
detail
from
the
UK
government
and
what
breaks
it
will
actually
mean
whenever
somebody
comes
out
with
any
semblance
of
detail.
B
Somebody
else
in
the
UK
government,
as
is
the
case
today,
seems
to
contradict
them,
but
as
the
position
develops,
it
is
essential
that
Scotland's
voice
is
haired
loudly
and
clearly
so
today,
I
am
seeking
Parliament's
agreement
to
the
appointment
of
a
dedicated
government
minister,
whose
sole
focus
will
be
to
represent
and
potatoes
courtland's
and
chess
at
all
of
Scotland's
and
chess.
Throughout
this
process,
epilating
officer
this
rule
doesn't
require
a
shrinking
violet
and
I
hope.
Parliament
will
agree
that
I
have
not
chosen
one
to
perform
this
role
as
Minister
for
these
negotiations.
B
Michael
Russell
whoa
at
no
doubt
required
to
become
all
as
familiar
with
the
quarters
of
Whitehall
as
years
with
Hollywood,
but
I
have
no
doubt
that
he'll
make
his
presence
felt.
Michael
brings
to
this
position
a
wealth
of
experience
as
a
Scottish
government
minister,
as
cabinet
secretary
for
education.
He
completed
implementation
of
curriculum
for
excellence,
expanded
free
early
learning
and
childcare
and
led
the
charge
to
keep
tuition
in
Scotland
at
free
and
as
Minister
for
culture,
External
Affairs
in
the
Constitution
he
established,
Creative,
Scotland
and
as
Minister
for
the
environment.
B
C
You
presiding
officer
spawned
and
consigned
to
the
back
benches
just
two
years
ago,
cast
out
from
influenced
in
the
public
eye.
Today
he
sees
his
career
resurrected.
Yes,
like
Lazarus,
he
is
the
Che
Guevara
to
the
First
Minister's
Evita.
He
has
the
david
essex
to
her
alene
page.
He
is
the
rebel
returned
to
the
cause,
a
political
romance
reset
by
brexit,
if
only
the
song
they
sang
in
the
balcony.
A
beaut
house
was
a
sweet,
so
mr.
C
Russell
returns
to
the
heart
of
government,
where
he
decidedly
believes
he
belongs,
and
in
truth,
I
find
myself
welcoming
his
appointment.
Sometime,
intellectual
sometime
news
classic
romantic.
Some
would
say:
romanticist
sometime,
tartan,
revolutionary,
sometime,
diplomats,
sometime,
partisan
bruiser.
Mr.
Russell
is
a
big
beast
in
a
job
that
requires
just
that
talent.
Of
course,
the
big
decision
for
the
First
Minister
was
not
his
appointment.
What
was
the
beard
conventional
wisdom?
Has
it
that
no
politician
who
aspires
to
be
serious
and
recognized
as
such?
C
Will
sport
a
beard,
but
this
is
2016
and
we
are
live
in
a
country
surrounded
by
political
bearded
giants
like
Jeremy
Corbyn
like
David
Mandel
and
in
a
rather
half-hearted
cultivated
stubble
sort
of
way
this
afternoon,
mr.
Youssef,
but
this
is
an
unforeseen
appointment
to
an
unforeseen.
Eu
referendum
result
few
of
us
here,
saltless
outcome.
C
Even
if
a
million
Scots
voted
with
the
majority
in
the
United
Kingdom
to
leave,
there
was
undoubtedly
a
leadership
vacuum
at
Westminster,
following
the
resignation
of
the
Prime
Minister
filled
by
the
election
of
Theresa
May
and
in
one
of
her
first
acts,
which
I
hope
all
welcome.
She
came
to
Scotland
to
meet
the
First
Minister,
and
the
substance
of
that
discussion
is
that
Scotland's
voice
demands
our
active
representation
in
the
planning
of
their
UK
negotiating
strategy
and
beyond.
C
Now
this,
of
course
requires
someone
with
the
talent
and
the
guile
to
listen
to
the
broader
and
somewhat
contradictory
voices
in
Scotland.
That
will
require
to
be
represented,
and
let
me
stay
not
just
exclusively
to
the
results
of
any
one
party's
questionnaire.
There
is
undoubtedly
a
variable
deal
for
Scotland
that
can
be
secured,
and
the
tone
and
sincerity
of
mr.
Russell's
participation
in
the
discussions
and
preparation
for
the
mat
now
take
place
will
be
crucial.
We,
unless
this
side
believe
him
to
be
the
man
for
that
job
and
welcome
and
support
his
appointment
this
afternoon.
D
I
colon
lose
mcdonald,
I
know
so
well.
Michael
Russell's
returned
to
government
today
is
not
quite
the
mirror
image
of
that
of
David
Davis
in
another
place,
but
the
parallels
may
be
instructive.
Both
have
been
leadership
contenders
and
their
respective
parties.
Both
have
more
recently
retreated
to
the
back
benches
and
both
have
been
brought
back
to
the
front
line
by
the
events
of
an
extraordinary
summer.
But
do
the
parallels
go
further?
D
The
Secretary
of
State
for
exiting
the
European
Union
and
the
United
Kingdom
government
will
clearly
consider
it
a
success
if
he
makes
brexit
as
definitive
under
the
vegetable
as
he
can,
there
are
perhaps
an
Nicola
Sturgeon
seems
to
have
a
view
Ernest.
There
are
perhaps
some
in
his
own
party
who
hope
he
will
fail
and
not
all
of
them
sitting
on
the
back
benches.
So
what
will
constitute
six
not
is
true
of
David
Davis.
So
the
question,
then,
is
what
will
constitute
success
for
mr.
D
Russell,
who
is
to
enjoy
the
even
grander
title
of
scottish
government
minister
for
UK
negotiations
on
Scotland's
place
in
Europe.
Protecting
Scotland's
place
in
Europe
is
an
objective
we
share
and
we
welcome
the
appointment
of
a
minister
with
that
specific
task.
We
have
said
from
the
outset
that
engagement
with
UK
ministers
and
other
devolved
administrations
will
be
critical
to
achieving
that
end.
D
We
have
also
said
that
the
process
of
engagement
in
both
Britain
and
Europe
must
be
transparent,
I'm
fully
accountable
to
this
Parliament,
and
we
repeat
that
call
today,
so
we
look
forward
to
hearing
from
mr.
Russell
in
due
course
what
he
thinks
success
will
look
like
in
his
new
post
and
how
we
will
go
about
achieving
it,
but
just
as
we
know
that
the
secretary
of
state
for
brexit
is
fully
committed
to
exiting
the
European
Union,
we
expect
the
Minister
for
UK
negotiations
to
be
equally
committed
to
making
a
success
of
those
negotiations.
D
E
You
for
saving
officer
I
congratulate
Mike
Russell
on
his
appointment
on
behalf
of
the
Scottish
greens.
Mezcla
Russell
followed
my
first
speech
in
this
Parliament
by
reviewing
that
he
defied
his
own
party
to
vote
in
in
the
first
vote
and
the
United
Kingdom
on
the
European
Union.
A
sympathetic
reader
of
history
might
say
that
it
was
a
man
ahead
of
his
time
in
the
70s
I'm,
not
going
to
say
anything
about
what
they
might
say
about
the
intervening
decades.
I
think
mr.
E
carlos
a
lot
of
it
up
quite
well
on
this
issue,
though
the
wrong
be
much
room
and
much
need
for
defiance
against
the
party
line.
Achieving
a
common
goal
will
be
a
challenge
enough.
It's
simply
unacceptable
that
we,
as
the
Parliament
of
this
nation,
are
forced
to
contemplate,
which
will
be
the
least
worst
form
of
brexit,
for
our
economy,
for
our
society,
for
our
environment,
and
then
we
must
persuade
another
government,
one
which
we
did
not
elect
to
choose
that
option.
A
government
which
yesterday
showed
just
how
clueless
s
about
what
it's
Unleashed.
E
This
is
a
simply
farcical
situation,
and
it
yet
again
raises
questions
about
where
the
power
over
Scotland's
future
should
lie.
Greens
look
forward
to
working
with
the
scottish
government
and
with
other
parties
who
are
committed
to
a
continued
future
in
europe,
a
future
that
our
electorate
voted
for
with
a
much
larger
mandate
than
for
any
one
party
in
this
Parliament.
E
We
look
forward
to
examining
every
option
which
will
secure
that
future
and
that,
yes,
does
include
our
preferred
option
of
an
independent
Scotland
with
its
own
seat
at
the
European
table,
a
Scotland
which
fights
not
just
to
retain
workers,
rights,
environmental
protections
and
limited
financial
regulation,
but
which
can
fight
to
strengthen
them
here
and
across
this
continent.
I
look
forward
to
working
with
mr.
Russell
and
with
others
for
our
common
goal
of
a
Scotland.
His
European
future
is
secure.
A
A
Motion
1264
and
the
variation
of
standing
order
as
motion
12
65
on
membership
of
the
regional
chamber,
of
the
combo
congress
of
local
and
regional
authorities
of
the
council
of
you
double
committee
of
the
regions
and
motion
1266
and
committee
membership.
The
question
on
the
motions
will
now
put
that
decision
time
to
which
we
come
I
proposed
to
ask
a
single
question
on
all
three
motions:
if
any
member
objects
a
single
question,
reboot,
please
Caesar
now,
no
one
objects.