 Mae gynlluniau, gyda'r ysgolwgwrs o'r ffordd o'i ddweud o'ch cyfleidio cyflawn i ddweud o'r cyflugio cyflawn o'r ddweud o'i ddweud o'r cwmwyng o'r cymdeithas, ac o'r cwmwyng i'r sefydlogol yng nghymru. Yr ystod y bysfbysig, mae'n golygu i'n ysgolwgwrs. Mae'n golygu i'r ysgolwgwrs i'r ysgolwgwrs i'r ysgolwgwrs i'r ysgolwgwrs i'r ysgolwgwrs i'r Church of Scotland. Residing officer and members of Scottish Parliament, it's a great honour for me to address you this afternoon and I'm grateful for this opportunity. The tragic event of 15 October 2021 in Essex is very much alive in our minds that David M's member of Parliament for South and West was stuck to death in a church during a constituency surgery. While thoughts and prayers are with his family, staff, friends, constituents and colleagues. May I kindly request us to reflect in a moment of silence to honour and remember him for his dedicated service to the public, which of course, as I have learned, was inspired by his faith in God. May he rest in peace, rise in glory and dwell eternally in God's house. My dedicated service to the public matters at a time when all is not well. All is not well when our dwellings are at risk from frequent floods and rising sea levels, when families can't afford to put food on their turbos and pay their energy bills. When there are homeless folk in our streets, when people die waiting for the doctor's service, when substance abuse-related deaths and suicide cases are on the rise. This is not an invitation to despair, but it is a call to action here and now. Coming from a Christian perspective, my mind is drawn to God's message to the Israelites in Jeremiah 29 verse 7, and I quote, But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile and pray to God on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. End of quote. This scriptural passage makes it clear that the welfare of the Israelites depended on that of the city, and the danger to the welfare of the city meant danger to their own welfare. Their status as foreigners and temporary nature of their stay in the city was not recent enough for them not to commit to the welfare of the city. It is equally true that our own welfare as individuals depends on the welfare of our dwellings. For us today, taking the welfare of the city means addressing issues like racism, poverty, homelessness, inequality, substance abuse, crime, health care and environmental crisis. I challenge that brings together leaders from all over the world to the city of Glasgow in the coming few days. No one's welfare is guaranteed until the welfare of all, including that of the planet Earth is guaranteed. End of quote. I end on this note as I invite you to take up the challenge and have your names inscribed in history among the crete who demonstrated an rival commitment to the welfare of their cities and the planet Earth. Thank you. Thank you. Before we move to today's business, I'd like to say a few words to the chamber, after which there will be an opportunity for party leaders to respond. I know that all members will have shared my sense of profound shock and sadness at hearing the news of the death of Sir David Amos. On behalf of the Scottish Parliament, I extend our deepest sympathy to his family, friends and colleagues. I know that the death of Sir David will also have had a devastating effect on his fellow members and all those who worked alongside him at Westminster. Members will wish to be aware that I wrote last year that I was a member of the Scottish Parliament who was a member of the Scottish Parliament who was a member of the Scottish Parliament who was a member of the Scottish Parliament who was a member of the Scottish Parliament who was a member of the European Parliament and Laura Watt was a member of the Scottish Parliament and that I wrote last week to the speaker of the House of Commons assuring him of our sympathy and support. That this attack happened while Sir David was talking about his responsibilities as an elected member seeking to engage in his local community with the people he represented, is horrifying for all of us. the greatest privileges of being an elected member. The Parliament seeks to ensure that you have the support you need to enable you and your staff to carry out your duties as openly and safely as possible. Members have received various updates about security in recent days, both from the Parliament and from Police Scotland. Work is on-going within the Parliament security team. The corporate body will discuss member security at its next meeting, and the Parliament will continue to keep members informed. I would like to join with you in sending my condolences to the family, friends, constituents and colleagues of Sir David Amos. Since his death, we have heard many moving tributes to Sir David from across the political spectrum, and together they speak to what has been lost, a good and decent man and a thoughtful and dedicated MP who served as constituents faithfully for almost four decades. The fact that he was killed while serving his constituents adds an extra dimension to a crime that would have been unspeakable in any circumstances. Because of that, it is a tragedy that all of us in elected office have been shaken by, as indeed we were by the dreadful murder of Joe Cox. No parliamentarian or councillor nor anyone who works with us should ever face the threat of violence as we represent our constituents. There are serious issues to be confronted about the security of elected politicians and our staff, and I know that the corporate body is considering those in consultation with parties. That is of vital importance. Nevertheless, I suspect that we are united across this chamber in our determination not to let our democracy be undermined by those who commit heinous crimes or acts of terror. In the democracy that we all cherish, politicians must be accessible. For all of us, meeting our constituents face-to-face is not just a duty, it is a privilege and often one of the real joys of the work that we do. That came across vividly in the many tributes to Sir David. His death, which is devastating for all who loved him and indeed for our society as a whole, must not diminish our efforts to represent our constituents. Instead, his life and his example should inspire us as we rededicate ourselves to the idea that politics and public service can be a force for good. It should remind us that parliamentarians here across the UK and beyond are often united by more than divides us. All of us are passionate about serving the people that we represent. All of us want to create a better society. If we can remember and summon that sense of common purpose more often, even in the heat of a debating chamber, it will improve politics in Scotland and elsewhere. I think that it would be a fitting further legacy of Sir David's distinguished life and career. Sir David was first elected to parliament in the year I was born, so when I first met him in 2017, he was already more than well established in the House of Commons. However, there are those of us on these benches within the SNP, Labour and the Liberal Democrats, who have served in both this place and the UK Parliament. It did not matter what your intake or what your political party did, David made you feel welcome, and that was what he was all about. He loved Parliament, and he used it to promote the causes closest to him. He achieved far more as a backbencher for 30 years than many ministers will achieve in their entire ministerial career. The fact that South End will now be a city is a lasting legacy to the campaigning of Sir David Amos. There are many heartbreaking elements to the murder of Sir David, but, as you and the First Minister have said, the fact that he was so cruelly taken during a constituency surgery brings into sharp focus the role that we all play as representatives. Whether you are an MSP, an MP or a councillor, you are there to serve your electorate, and you should never be killed for doing that. Far too many politicians in Scotland and across the UK face threats and are abused online on a regular basis. A councillor in Scotland right now is leaving politics because his home has been firebombed three times, and the police are no closer to finding the culprit. Elected representatives receive a torrent of abuse, and, sadly, the worst of this is often directed towards our female colleagues. It has to stop now. However, I want to use the remainder of my time to remember Sir David. As I said, I got to know him in 2017 when I was first elected. I had an office two doors down from him. He made me welcome, he invited me round. I'd been told very strictly by parliamentary authorities what I was allowed in my office. I couldn't even change the colour of the furniture in my office. I went into Sir David's office and it was full of budgies and fish. It was a sight to behold. I also had the cleaners cupboard next to me, and I never ever saw a cleaner going in or out of that cupboard. Then one day I saw David coming out of it, taking Christmas decorations out, because, after Halloween, when he would put up witches and ghoulish ornaments outside his office, it would make a noise as he came out of the elevator. He then put them in the cleaners cupboard and took out his Christmas decorations. It would be very sad that we won't see that Santa figure outside one Parliament Street where his office was for a very long time. I was also his whip for a period, and he was not an easy member to whip. He was always very courteous, but he would never give away which way he was voting. Most recently, I spent a week with Sir David in guitar in a cross-party delegation that he led. I was reminded again of being his whip on guitar, because I sent him a message about something that we were doing, and he responded within a matter of minutes. I then looked further back and I noticed all the message that I had sent him as his whip had never even been open or red, so he clearly paid more attention to me when I was a colleague on a delegation than when I was his whip, but he led that delegation with great professionalism and enthusiasm. I saw him less than 40 hours before he died. When evil visited David's surgery 11 days ago, he robbed us of a true public servant, a colleague, a friend and a passionate campaigner. His staff have lost a kind, caring, considerate Boston in our thoughts today, but worst of all, this tragedy has hit his family hardest. His wife, Julia, was his rock for almost 40 years, and he was a loving father to Catherine, David, Sarah, Alex and Florence. We pray for his family, and we mourn with them. Rest in peace, Sir David Amos. The killing of Sir David Amos has utterly devastated everyone who works in and around politics. David built a reputation for kindness, generosity and decency, and the thoughts of everyone in the Scottish Labour Party are with his friends, his family and, in particular, with his colleagues in the Conservative Party, who I know will be particularly hurting at this difficult time. It also sadly brought back memories of the horror of Joe Cox's murder just five years ago, not least because David epitomised Joe's belief that we have far more in common than that which divides us, a sentiment repeated by the First Minister today. His dedication to public service was driven by the simple principle of helping others, and the outpouring of admiration and grief from his south-end west constituency, from all diverse backgrounds, was just how much he meant to the residents he so passionately campaigned for. In the granting of city status for south-end, his legacy will endure for generations to come. David was killed doing what our democracy is fundamentally all about, meeting with the people. We must ensure that we do not let violence and extremism win, and that we remain steadfast in defence of the very essence of our democracy. David's killing might have been an isolated incident, but his tragic death has also shown a spotlight on the abuse, threats and danger faced by those in public life. It is probably too easy for people to think that that just means directly politicians. There is support mechanisms around politicians in relation to their families, but also their staff. People are just going about their daily work trying to make a difference for people. No one, regardless of what sector they work in or where they work, should feel unsafe at their work, and certainly no one should be killed at their work. This moment has reminded us of the need for greater kindness and compassion in our public discourse. Yes, there is a place for disagreement and anger in politics. We sometimes demonstrate it in this very chamber and in Westminster and indeed on television studios, but there is a difference between disagreement and anger and letting that turn to dislike and hatred. It should never turn to dislike and hatred, because, sadly, too much of our politics, particularly on social media platforms, is about other communities, about dehumanising individuals and about creating division. We all have a fundamental responsibility to call it out and face it down. So, in memory of David Amos and in memory of Joe Cox, let's make a firm commitment that we will never allow those who seek to divide us to everyone. I am very grateful to have this time today to reflect on how sad and horrifying the murder of David Amos is and to offer my sincerest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of this hard-working MP. David Amos was stabbed as he carried out his duties as an elective representative, working for his constituents conscientiously and courageously. This violent attack disrupts our democracy and makes us all question our safety. It is an incident that shakes our democracy to our very core because it breaks the principle upon which we build our prosperity and security, and that is the peaceful transfer of power. We may call loudly and sometimes emotionally for elections and referendums and votes, but not for violence, never for violence. We disagree on many things. The condemnation of violence is the basis of what we all believe and where we all agree. I didn't know David Amos, but I know that MPs and MSPs work very hard for their constituents and embody the service role of public servant. David Amos should not have had to risk his life, give his life to do his job. None of us should have to. I look around this chamber and I think, am I safe? Are you? How often should I look over my shoulder when I am walking around town? When should I press the alarm? I think of David Amos staff and how traumatised they must be, and I think of those who work for us too. I think of all the people, particularly young women, who I have cajoled, nudged and badgered into standing for election, and I wonder, am I putting their lives in danger? How can I ask people to do this job knowing that this job might cost them their life? It was only a few years ago that another MP, Joe Cox, was murdered. Even after that, you all stood. You all had the courage to put yourselves forward and take on this public service. I applaud your courage and I recognise it. After the murder of David Amos, we will do the same. We may look over our shoulders more, and I hope that we will look out for each other more. We will do this job because peaceful Governments, non-violent disagreement and public service are the core of our democracy, the core of our decency, and we will not let this horrific act fundamentally change what is important to us. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I did not know David Amos, but I recognise him. I recognise the descriptions of warmth and generosity with which he greeted members across all parties. I recognise his commitment and work towards good causes such as fire prevention and animal welfare. In particular, Presiding Officer, I recognise the description of the final moments before he was attacked. Sir David was murdered at work in a constituency surgery, not unlike those held by every one of us in church halls, offices and libraries, the country over at weekend and week out. He was killed performing one of the fundamental duties of a representative democracy, making himself available to his constituents, offering them help and receiving their instructions. What happens in those venues is often more important than anything that happens in this chamber, and there is no more important function in the role that we perform as elected public servants. Presiding Officer, we never know exactly what is coming through that door. At times it can seem straightforward at others deeply complex. At face values, those issues are sometimes mundane and others earth-shattering, but the unifying theme in almost every surgery appointment, in almost every casework meeting, however, is that the issue being described to us is the most important thing in that person's world, and for the passage of half an hour or so, we have to make it the most important thing in our world by all accounts, so that David's time revolves around his constituents. Discussions around the safety and the security of our elected members have once again begun in earnest. That is understandable, but that act of remembrance is not a time for such debate. Whatever that gives rise to, it must not make it harder for people to come and see us. Presiding Officer, I hope that, a thousand years from now, those islands will still enjoy the freedom of a representative democracy. Our society at such a time would be unrecognisable to us now, but that fundamental pillar of the social contract will and should remain a person in need seeking help and finding it in the hearing of their elected members. I offer my sincerest condolences and those of my party to everyone who knew and cared about Sir David.