The Scotsman Political Editor Alistair Grant chats with Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party Douglas Ross ahead of this weekends Scottish Conservative Party Conference in Aberdeen.
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00:00 I'm Alistair Grant, the Political Editor of the Scotsman and I'm here with Douglas Ross,
00:08 the Scottish Conservative leader, sitting in Douglas Ross's office speaking just days
00:12 before the Scottish Conservative Conference kicks off in Aberdeen. It could be the last
00:17 Scottish Conservative Conference before the election. I think it's fair to say the narrative
00:22 of this election is very much that Labour is on course for victory and that in Scotland
00:26 it's a fight between the SNP and Labour. Where do you see the Scottish Conservatives in this
00:33 and do you think there's a risk of them being squeezed out of the story of that election?
00:36 Well I think it's a really important election that's coming up and we've got a very strong
00:40 message as Scottish Conservatives. We are defending six seats across the country at
00:47 the moment and we're looking to make gains. So I think this is certainly part of the United
00:51 Kingdom that can be a very positive story for the Conservatives because I've been out
00:56 knocking on doors in the areas that we currently hold and where we're hoping to win some of
01:00 these seats and there is absolutely no appetite for people supporting the SNP. They feel they've
01:06 been failed and let down by this SNP government for years and in the continuity First Minister
01:13 with Humza Yousaf, they see no change from what they didn't like about Nicola Sturgeon's
01:17 time in office. And in many of these areas there's not a belief that Keir Starmer's the
01:24 right man to lead the country, there's not a huge amount of support for Labour when I've
01:28 been out knocking on doors. So I'm very confident that we can get the focus on the real issues
01:33 that matter to people across Scotland. So when I speak to people in my own constituency
01:38 in Moray and across the Highlands and Islands and with our candidates, they want to speak
01:42 about improving the NHS in Scotland, they want to get education back up the international
01:46 rankings, they want to see the roads that they use every day be properly maintained.
01:51 They don't want a focus to be on independence and we know Humza Yousaf has been very clear
01:55 on this. Page one, line one of the SNP manifesto is going to be about independence with the
02:00 Scottish Conservatives it's going to be about the real priorities for people right across
02:04 Scotland. Do you see this as an election that's fought on that independence issue then? Well
02:08 sadly every election since 2014 has had the constitutional argument dominating a lot of
02:15 what we are discussing. That's despite the SNP promising that they would respect the
02:19 referendum result ten years ago now. We know they've never respected that result and I
02:25 want the focus to be on the issues that really affect people in Scotland. That is one in
02:30 seven Scots being on an NHS waiting list. It's people in Scotland having to pay for
02:34 private treatment because they can't wait in pain any longer. I want my two boys to
02:39 have as good an education at Forest Academy and Avis Primary School that I had but at
02:44 the moment it doesn't look like they would achieve that because our education standards
02:49 have plummeted down international rankings. So these are the things I want to focus on
02:53 and I will be focusing on and it will be a lot about what we are speaking about at conference
02:58 but so long as the First Minister says that he wants to use every vote for the SNP as
03:03 a mandate to separate Scotland from the rest of the UK and the fact that he is going to
03:06 put that front and centre of his manifesto and the SNP manifesto is going to be part
03:12 of the debate that we have. I don't think it should be the priority, I don't think it
03:15 is the priority for people across Scotland and that's why I will be speaking about our
03:19 alternative plans. We have already launched our Grasping the Thistle paper last year about
03:24 boosting Scotland's economy. Just a few weeks ago we launched our health paper about recruiting
03:28 a thousand additional GPs across Scotland. These are all positive policies the Scottish
03:32 Conservatives are taking forward while the SNP continue to be focused and obsessed with
03:37 independence.
03:38 And on the issue of making gains, there are currently seven Scottish Conservative MPs
03:42 obviously after Lisa Cameron defected from the SNP. How many seats are you realistically
03:47 targeting going into this general election in Scotland?
03:49 I have been asked this question a lot up until now and I will be asked it a lot up until
03:53 the election. I never put a number on things. I have got my own thoughts on what I would
03:59 like us to achieve and I think we can have a really good election result here in Scotland.
04:03 I think we can hold on to what we have got. I think we can make some gains across Scotland
04:07 as well because people can see in the seats that we hold at the moment, the SNP are in
04:11 second place and in I think all but maybe one or two seats where the SNP are currently
04:19 the MPs and we are second place in a lot of those seats, there is one three-way marginal
04:24 somewhere as well.
04:25 So where there is that competition between the SNP and the Conservatives, it is very
04:28 clear that if people unite behind us, vote Conservatives, they can get rid of an SNP
04:33 MP who will be obsessed with independence and nothing else and they can vote for a Scottish
04:37 Conservative MP to stand up for their local area, to champion local issues and get the
04:42 focus back on to their priorities.
04:44 You don't want to talk numbers but what about specific seats? Is there any seats you are
04:47 particularly keen to win?
04:48 Well, see if I then give you specific seats, you are a very good journalist Alasdair, you
04:51 will be able to count up how many there are and then come up with a number.
04:54 But there must be one you would look at and be like that would be very satisfying to win
04:57 that seat.
04:58 There are lots of seats that I have already been campaigning in, I will continue to campaign
05:02 in between now and the general election and I do think Scottish Conservatives can have
05:06 a good result up here and I think people want to send a very clear message to Humza Yousaf
05:11 and the SNP, they have not been impressed with the way he has handled things as First
05:15 Minister, we know he was a failure as Transport Secretary, as Justice Secretary, as Health
05:19 Secretary, now he is failing on a national level as First Minister and it is all our
05:24 constituents who are suffering and at this election there is a real opportunity for people
05:27 to vote Scottish Conservative, elect Scottish Conservative MPs and send the strongest possible
05:32 message to Humza Yousaf that he is not delivering for people across Scotland.
05:35 I have been having a look at recent polling such as the Ipsos Scottish Political Monitor
05:39 and it shows that out of the Scottish Conservatives, Scottish Labour and the SNP, your party is
05:44 the least trusted by quite some distance on issues such as growing the economy, managing
05:50 the NHS, managing education and schools, tackling the cost of living crisis.
05:54 Why do you think your party is so little trusted?
05:57 Well I think we are the party that is coming forward with a lot of the ideas here, you
06:01 were at the launch of the health paper that I promoted with Sandesh Gulhane just a few
06:07 weeks ago, no other party is coming up with solutions to our GP shortages.
06:12 People are speaking to every MSP in this building and I know every Scottish MP about the difficulties
06:18 they face seeing a GP, well let's look at the parties that are offering to deal with
06:23 that, the SNP have a commitment to recruit 800 additional GPs, we are not on target to
06:28 meet that at the moment, but of course we have gone further than that, we want to shift
06:32 some of the NHS budget into general practice to recruit 1000 additional GPs and that will
06:37 make a tangible difference to people who are struggling to see their GP at the moment.
06:42 On the economy, again, for years we have had this debate about increasing taxes in Scotland
06:49 to pay for public services, that is what the SNP and Labour and the Liberal Democrats have
06:54 done in the past, we are the only party that is saying actually it is wrong that Scots
06:58 are being taxed more to do the exact same job north of the border than those south of
07:03 the border and we are seeing the impact of that now.
07:05 We are speaking today when the budget looks like it is going to be passed on the back
07:08 of SNP and Green votes, but it is our economy and finance spokespeople Liz Smith and Murdo
07:15 Fraser who have been saying this is the wrong approach, we shouldn't be continually increasing
07:19 taxes in Scotland because ultimately we are going to see a reduction in the amount of
07:24 tax paid in here in Scotland and that has an impact on public services.
07:28 So I want to see us growing the economy, we have come forward with these plans and we
07:32 will keep seeking to convince people that we have alternative, positive visions for
07:36 the future of Scotland.
07:37 What about your own popularity ratings, you are behind Anna Sarwar, behind Humza Yousaf,
07:42 why do you think they are more popular than you?
07:44 Well I don't know, I never take part in these polls so I don't know what people make those
07:50 assumptions on but it is something I will continue to work as hard as I can to get that
07:55 positive message for the Scottish Conservatives out there.
07:58 It is important that after 17 years now of the SNP being in power in Scotland we can
08:04 show that there are alternative views, there are alternative solutions because the SNP
08:10 are not coming up with the solutions to the challenges we are all facing at the moment.
08:15 If we look at health, it is one I have spoken a lot of during this interview because it
08:19 is the top issue that comes into my mailbag as an MP and an MSP.
08:24 For months we have had a disgraced Health Secretary, Michael Matheson, who was more
08:27 interested in saving his own job than he was in saving the NHS.
08:32 You had Humza Yousaf backing him to the hill, he couldn't see the clear failures in Michael
08:36 Matheson and why he had to go back in November, let alone earlier on this year.
08:41 I think we need to see a change in the way politics is done in Scotland and get that
08:45 focus back on to the real priorities people have.
08:48 The NHS, education, the economy, infrastructure, they are the issues that are coming up time
08:53 and time again that people want to focus on.
08:55 Another big issue linked to the fact your party conference is happening in Aberdeen,
08:59 there has been a huge amount of debate around the future of the North Sea, the future of
09:04 the energy sector, it has been quite a prominent issue in recent days.
09:08 You have accused Labour and the SNP of lacking credibility in this area.
09:13 Humza Yousaf has said that your party wants to bury its head in the sand and pretend that
09:18 North Sea oil can last forever.
09:20 What do you say to that kind of criticism?
09:22 Like so many other things he is just making it up.
09:25 He doesn't have a strong argument to make against Scottish Conservatives because we
09:29 are proud champions of the oil and gas workers in the north east of Scotland, indeed right
09:33 across the United Kingdom.
09:35 But there is a very clear dividing line here.
09:38 The SNP and Labour both support a windfall tax.
09:41 Now they might spend it differently but they both support that windfall tax, indeed it
09:46 was the SNP that called for it first, Labour are now calling for it.
09:50 We know from Offshore Energies UK what impact that would have on jobs and the economy in
09:56 the north east of Scotland if that windfall tax was to be introduced.
09:59 We know there is still a demand for oil and gas in this country.
10:03 So surely the best thing is to get it from the North Sea as close to home as possible
10:08 and then that stops us having to import it at greater cost with a greater carbon footprint.
10:14 But both the SNP and Labour oppose the Rosebank field for example and both now have a presumption
10:20 against any new oil and gas drilling in the North Sea.
10:24 I support the jobs in the North Sea and the north east of Scotland at the moment but I
10:28 also support that transition to renewable greener forms of energy.
10:33 But we need that highly skilled workforce in the north east at the moment to get us
10:37 through that transition.
10:38 Labour and the SNP plans would see a cliff edge to the exploration of oil and gas, it
10:43 would see an end to tens of thousands of jobs.
10:46 Grampian Chamber of Commerce has predicted 42,000 jobs could be lost as a result of Labour's
10:51 windfall tax.
10:52 Of course we know the SNP's windfall tax is the same.
10:54 So both these parties could be culpable for the loss of tens of thousands of jobs whereas
10:59 it's the Scottish Conservatives that are standing up for those jobs.
11:02 I voted for the oil and gas licensing bill a couple of weeks ago in the House of Commons
11:07 because I know how important that is.
11:08 I listened to industry, I listened to the sectors who are saying we support this bill,
11:13 we want to see more security for oil and gas going forward.
11:17 So I absolutely believe it's got a strong role to play in our just transition to net
11:22 zero but we don't do that by getting rid of these highly skilled jobs in Scotland and
11:26 across the UK which is what would happen under the SNP and Labour's plans.
11:30 Looking ahead to Holyrood and that Holyrood election in 2026, what are your realistic
11:35 ambitions there because you could be knocked back into third place behind the SNP and Labour.
11:41 So I didn't give you numbers with the question about the general election, I'm not going
11:43 to start predicting an election that's in 2026.
11:49 There is an awful lot to happen between now and the general election and then between
11:52 the general election and the Scottish Parliament election.
11:54 I think it's a really exciting time in Scottish politics and what we have here with our 31
11:59 MSPs is a group of MSPs here in Holyrood who people outwith the chamber can see are the
12:06 only party that are challenging this failing and tired SNP government.
12:10 Because we know on an awful lot of the issues, be it taxation, be it gender recognition reform,
12:16 be it some of the Covid restrictions that were put in place during the pandemic, the
12:22 Labour Party supported the SNP every inch of the way.
12:25 So if people are looking for that distinct, challenging voice here in Holyrood, they can
12:30 see it's coming from the Scottish Conservatives and I think we will see that continuing over
12:34 the next few years and that's why I've launched this paper on the economy, we've launched
12:38 one on the NHS, we've got our plans for education, for rural Scotland, for agriculture.
12:43 I really think it's an exciting time if we can focus on these issues rather than be dominated
12:48 by the constitutional issue that has taken precedence over too much of Scottish politics
12:52 for far too long.
12:53 Do you see a route to power in Holyrood?
12:55 Do you think of yourself as a potential future First Minister?
12:58 Well I'm going to work as hard as possible to secure every single vote I can for the
13:03 Scottish Conservatives to make sure we return as many MPs as possible, as many MSPs as possible
13:09 and continue this development of policy because I think we have had this situation where actually
13:15 when politicians, when others speak about different ways of doing things, that gets
13:20 overshadowed by another statement or another comment about independence or another referendum.
13:25 Let's have that mature, grown-up debate about the policies that we're all elected here to
13:30 deliver.
13:31 It's our health system, our education system, justice, agriculture, rural issues, these
13:36 are vitally important to people the length and breadth of Scotland and I don't think
13:40 we've had a thorough, rigorous debate on different policies that the various parties
13:44 would take forward in these areas.
13:46 As well as being an MSP, you're also obviously an MP.
13:49 There's been quite a febrile, chaotic atmosphere in Westminster recently and concerns have
13:55 been raised about the safety of MPs.
13:57 I wondered what your views were on this issue of safety and whether you've ever had any
14:02 concerns about your own safety as an MP or any concerns about the safety of your family?
14:08 I have and I don't speak about it a lot.
14:14 I try to deal with it individually but we've had to make our house a lot more secure.
14:21 I'm away from home a lot and it's a worry that my wife and our young kids are at home
14:28 a lot when we know there are groups that say they're going to target the properties of
14:34 members of parliament.
14:36 We know with the Just Stop Oil protests, they are looking to target MPs and we know with
14:42 the current situation in the Middle East that tensions have been raised significantly.
14:49 I viewed the proceedings from the House of Commons last week in despair.
14:55 I thought that was the worst possible look of the House of Commons.
14:58 Whatever side of the argument you're on with the situation of should there be an immediate
15:02 ceasefire, a pause to the conflict, parliament descended into farce and looked more interested
15:10 in the process of how we do things in Westminster rather than the situation between Israel and
15:16 Palestine.
15:19 For as long as I've been in elected office, there's been people who don't like what I
15:24 said as a councillor, as an MSP, as an MP but it's never felt as difficult as this.
15:31 My biggest worry is that it puts very good people off seeking to stand for elected office.
15:37 If you are someone who could contribute greatly to public life in Scotland or across the UK,
15:41 you will look at the threats and intimidation that MPs, MSPs and others are facing at the
15:46 moment and think, why bother?
15:48 Our democracy will suffer as a result of that.
15:51 I also have, my number one priority is keeping my family safe.
15:58 Just before we had this discussion, I had an update from my local police about the operation
16:04 to keep MPs safe.
16:06 That's good, it's good that they're in contact but it also reminds you very clearly that
16:12 these threats are genuine.
16:15 People have gone to court and been punished for death threats against me in the lead up
16:19 to the 2021 election but nothing seems to change it.
16:23 I've lost a friend and colleague in David Amos, murdered at his surgery and if anything,
16:30 things have got worse since then.
16:31 I just don't understand how we can get ourselves in a situation where people currently in elected
16:35 office can feel threatened and vulnerable, particularly their family and my staff who
16:42 are at the front line of my constituency office, when we should be able to have what are very
16:47 serious and important debates without those threats and intimidation coming to the forefront.
16:55 I wish that had improved over my time as an MP as I look to stand down from Westminster
17:02 but there's no doubt it's got considerably worse since I was first elected in 2017 and
17:07 that brings an awful lot of fear for me about what that does for our politics going forward.
17:12 You mentioned that contact from the police, what kind of precautions do you have to take?
17:17 I can't go into every detail but my house is an awful lot more secure than it probably
17:26 needs to be as a traditional family home.
17:30 Myself and my staff have obviously been issued with panic buttons and such like when we're
17:34 out and about.
17:35 I read all the emails that come in to me and people who disagree with me and who have every
17:41 right to take a different opinion on the future of the Middle East.
17:46 The language they use about me and my family and how my family must think about how I voted
17:52 or not voted or taken a position on a certain issue, they could make the exact same argument
17:58 without using language that I think goes beyond the pale at times about what I personally
18:04 think and what others think.
18:06 I've got surgeries coming up, we're just getting them advertised again, go out and
18:10 about in communities who've elected me to represent them and I want to make myself as
18:14 available as possible to hear from them.
18:16 But I know some people are going to use those surgeries to make political points.
18:21 My colleagues David Mindell and John Lamont in particular recently have had constituency
18:27 surgeries impacted by people who disagree with our stance on Israel and Gaza.
18:36 And that's impacted constituents going to see John and David and other MPs about other
18:41 really important issues.
18:43 That's not democracy.
18:44 If one group thinks their voice can be louder and more violent than the other group, then
18:50 that is not right.
18:51 We can't have that in our politics and the fact that the police had to contact me today
18:55 on the back of threats that MPs have had just shows how serious it is.
18:59 And I've got to explain to my wife who puts up with an awful lot, I'm away from home a
19:03 lot, she gets spoken to about things I've said or done at work and when she's out socially,
19:09 to also tell her we've had another update about MP security and we might have to do
19:12 this and that differently, I think is wrong.
19:15 I chose this role, I chose to be involved in politics, that doesn't mean my wife and
19:21 my family have to be dragged into it.
19:24 I said at the beginning of this, I don't speak about this much, I'm not trying to get any
19:28 sympathy or anything like that, but I think people do have to realise the impact it has.
19:33 OK on the politicians, we put ourselves front and centre, but the people who work for us
19:37 are only trying to help our constituents and our family are only there to support us, but
19:41 when they're getting dragged into this, and I think this is across the political spectrum,
19:45 it's completely wrong.
19:46 I wondered actually what the situation was like in Holyrood, because presumably as a
19:51 party leader you've had to deal with safety concerns with MSPs, presumably it's not that
19:55 much different from Westminster, or is it?
19:58 I would say it is in terms of, certainly with the current conflict, I get an awful lot more
20:03 emails as an MP than an MSP.
20:05 Now that's understandable because foreign affairs are reserved to the UK Parliament
20:09 and some of these issues are being voted on in Westminster, but not in Holyrood.
20:14 So the level of interaction I've had is far bigger as an MP than an MSP.
20:19 But I have in the last week raised severe concerns about the security here in Parliament.
20:26 So I returned to Parliament last Wednesday from an event that I'd been at, came round
20:33 the corner and there was a large number of protesters outside the entrance I was due
20:37 to come in.
20:38 So we went further up to the Queensbury House entrance and I got an OK.
20:42 By the time we went to leave later on that evening, that entrance was then blocked.
20:46 Eventually I was able to get out but there were protesters still there, a man came up
20:49 and shouted at me, I kept on walking and got away.
20:52 But that is going to become more common and I absolutely respect the right for people
20:57 to protest and express their views.
21:00 But when our Parliament is affected for MSPs getting in and out, but crucially for me,
21:04 I was also at an event last week supporting apprentices in the defence industry.
21:10 Now there were people outside, encouraged by an MSP, Ross Greer, I'm not going to shy
21:15 away from it, who were protesting at these 16, 17, 18, 19 year olds coming into their
21:22 Parliament to celebrate what they are doing with their lives, getting an apprenticeship
21:27 and the future career that they want.
21:30 They are absolutely entitled to come into their Parliament without fear or favour.
21:36 And the fact that some of them were verbally and some physically abused on their way into
21:40 the Scottish Parliament is completely unacceptable.
21:44 And it's been raised with the Presiding Officer, I'm having further discussions with security
21:49 this week, and all for freedom of speech.
21:53 But we cannot have a situation where people feel intimidated coming into their Parliament,
21:57 where they are welcome, where they are respected and where they are celebrated.
22:01 And that's what we've seen in recent weeks.
22:02 What would you like to see the Parliament do?
22:04 Well they have to take it a lot more seriously.
22:07 The security of MSPs coming in and out of Parliament and our guests has to be of utmost
22:14 importance.
22:15 And I felt there were significant deficiencies, particularly last week, to the extent that
22:20 on my way home I was in contact with the Chief Executive of the Parliament.
22:25 So we have to address it.
22:26 There was a point of order at the end of FMQs last week from Stephen Kerr.
22:30 The Presiding Officer said she was aware of some of the issues.
22:34 According to her, everyone got into Parliament.
22:36 I understand that wasn't the case.
22:37 Some people felt they couldn't wait in the queue under that intimidation any longer.
22:42 So if we are in a situation where people in Scotland are invited into their Parliament
22:47 to meet MSPs, to explain what they are doing, to discuss the success of apprenticeships
22:54 across Scotland, if these young people think their Parliament is not a welcoming place
22:58 for them, that gives me huge concerns for the future.
23:01 And that's why I think we have to deal with this seriously.
23:03 I should say, just for the sake of balance, I'm sure Ross Greer would dispute some of
23:07 your characterisation of the involvement.
23:10 Well he can dispute it, but he was filmed with a megaphone outside Parliament encouraging
23:17 these protests.
23:18 So I don't see any defence in that at all.
23:20 And that's why I think we've got to be very clear on this.
23:23 But I understand your role, you've got to give balance.
23:26 Just very quickly on the Gaza ceasefire vote and some of the chaotic scenes we saw there,
23:32 do you back the Speaker?
23:33 I know you've been asked this before, but obviously there's a lot of calls for his resignation,
23:37 for him to step down.
23:39 Do you support him?
23:41 So I'm going to start off by saying yes.
23:43 But I don't think now is the time to change the Speaker.
23:48 That's why I say yes.
23:49 I'm not going to come away from that.
23:52 I said last week when I was asked about it, leaving the Commons Chamber, I would reflect
23:56 on that over the weekend, and I have reflected.
23:59 I think the Speaker made a huge mistake.
24:04 He ripped up the rulebook, knowing the consequences of that, and that's why we ended up with the
24:10 scenes that we did last Wednesday.
24:13 I don't think that's the only reason, but there is no doubt, if he had followed the
24:17 rules, if he had done as his clerk had advised him to, then we would have had the process
24:24 that we were all acquainted with, and that would have gone through.
24:28 Now, people would have been troubled by that, in particular the Labour Party, and there
24:32 are huge questions here for Keir Stammer.
24:34 I've read some reports today that he may be investigated by the Standards Committee for
24:39 the role he played and his party played in putting pressure on the Speaker.
24:43 Others will look into that.
24:44 But the Speaker made a mistake, but he came to the Parliament and accepted he had made
24:49 a mistake, and he apologised for it.
24:53 We would never have seen that with the former Speaker, John Bercow, who I also served under.
24:57 I think for me the biggest disappointment is if John Bercow had been in the chair last
25:01 week, it would not have been a surprise.
25:02 We would all have expected it.
25:03 It was a surprise because Sir Lindsay Hoyle has been a very good Speaker.
25:07 He has largely, fairly worked for both sides, government and opposition.
25:13 He's been very good at encouraging the smaller parties to get involved, and I think one major
25:20 error should not be the end of your career.
25:23 But I also think he's in a period now that he's got to rebuild the trust.
25:29 So I am one of the MPs that is still concerned about how he took that decision and why he
25:35 took the decision last week, and I will be interested to hear from him directly and through
25:40 the discussions that he continues to have with other parties how he will rebuild that
25:44 trust.
25:45 But I think right now he has been elected as Speaker, he has apologised for a mistake
25:50 he made, and we should see how he is now going to work to rebuild the trust that's been lost
25:54 across the House.
25:55 That said, I understand many of my colleagues, I think we're now over 80 colleagues across
26:00 the whole of the House of Commons.
26:02 That's a significant number.
26:04 A previous Speaker has gone for a lot less support in terms of confidence in the Speaker,
26:09 but you're asking me directly, do I support him?
26:10 I do support him, but he's got work to do to rebuild trust.
26:13 Do you think the SNP were playing politics?
26:17 Some have accused them of that.
26:19 I noted how disappointed the First Minister was when that was even put to him.
26:26 Opposition days are always about politics.
26:29 An opposition party never chooses an easy motion for the government or other parties
26:34 to support.
26:35 Of course, in an opposition day debate, the SNP wanted to highlight the split within the
26:41 Labour Party, and they were able to do that under the rules of the House of Commons on
26:45 an opposition day debate that would not have allowed Labour to put in an amendment to what
26:51 the SNP had put forward.
26:52 So yes, I believe the First Minister and others have strongly held some very personal views
26:58 on the situation in the Middle East.
27:01 But the point I always come back to is, and we had a motion passed last week, despite
27:08 there being no division, there's no ceasefire in the Middle East.
27:11 It was never going to lead to an immediate ceasefire.
27:14 And unless we have a situation where Hamas are willing to release all the hostages, to
27:19 put down their arms and not seek further attacks on Israel, then we can't have a genuine ceasefire.
27:29 And anything that's done in the House of Commons from opposition parties bringing forward opposition
27:34 votes, SO24s that we were discussing yesterday in Westminster, is not going to change the
27:39 situation.
27:40 So I fully support, and I'm absolutely behind the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary
27:45 who are looking to a sustainable solution to the conflict that we've seen in the Middle
27:50 East since the atrocious terrorist attacks last year.
27:54 Douglas Ross, thanks very much.
27:56 Thank you.
27:57 Thank you.
27:58 Thank you.
27:59 Thank you.
27:59 (upbeat music)