(East Kilbride and Strathaven)
(Lab) (Maiden speech):...East Kilbride quickly became a symbol of
progress and a place where working families could find not just
homes, but communities, opportunity and a future. Its modern
architecture, parks and green spaces have made it a model of
post-war urban planning. East Kilbride may have delivered a new
start for many Glaswegians, but folk there did not leave behind
the city's famous humanity and defiance of injustice when they
quit those tenements. One of the most powerful statements of
solidarity that this country has ever seen was made by a group of
engineers from East Kilbride's Rolls-Royce factory.
Ordinary people risked their livelihoods to defy the Chilean
dictatorship in 1974 by refusing to repair the engines that had
been used to destroy the country's democratic Government. There
was no violence, no hatred; just the power of working people
standing together. Only a few weeks ago, one of the engineers who
led that action, Bob Fulton, died at the age of 101, and I take
this opportunity to pay tribute to him and his legacy, which will
live on. Strathaven was also home to another Scottish
revolutionary: James “Purlie” Wilson, who was a prominent figure
in the radical movement seeking electoral reform.
Although East Kilbride is home to 80% of my constituents, it only
accounts for 20% of its land mass. The rural communities of
Stonehouse, Glassford, Chapelton, Sandford and Auldhouse all have
distinctive features and a unique community spirit...
...Other things struck me and were emphasised by the civil
disorder that we saw over the summer. We share serious concerns
across the House about the rise of hate, whether that be
antisemitism, Islamophobia or misogyny, which has infected far
too much of our public discourse in recent years, particularly on
social media. I intend to dedicate much of my time here to
working cross-party to address the alarming upsurge in racism and
bigotry online, particularly in my work as chair of the all-party
parliamentary group against antisemitism. Inspired by the
Rolls-Royce
workers decades ago, we can come together and say, “Nae
pasaran”—they shall not pass...
