Two new Scottish MPs, elected on the same day as Andy Burnham, have delivered their maiden speeches in the House of Commons. Lara Bird, who won the Arbroath and Broughty Ferry seat for the SNP with a majority of 5,278, and Douglas Lumsden, who took Aberdeen South for the Conservatives with a majority of 6,050, addressed the chamber on Tuesday.
Lara Bird Defies Criticism Over Appearance
Ms Bird faced online criticism for her outfit when she took the oath last week, with one X user calling her “such an embarrassment” over her “tattoos on show, knee-high boots, mini skirt.” In her speech, she declared: “Your boots do not define you.” She promised to “always stand up for” young women in her constituency, saying: “I am here to show young people in my community not to be afraid of the backlash or resistance that you might be met with.”
Turning to “young women in particular,” Ms Bird added: “You have my word that I will always stand up for you – I will lift you up.” She also recalled that as a 16-year-old in 2014, her “whole world focused around advocating for Scottish independence.” She mentioned meeting a 16-year-old activist named Erin, who was four during the independence referendum, and said to the Secretary of State for Scotland: “That sounds like a generation to me.”
Douglas Lumsden Calls for Action on Oil and Gas
Mr Lumsden, who took the seat from the SNP, said: “The people of Aberdeen have had enough of the wilful destruction of the oil and gas industry, destruction of their jobs, and destruction of the local economy.” He urged First Minister John Swinney to “get off the fence and finally defend our oil and gas.” According to the UK Government, North Sea oil and gas production “is in natural decline, with a 72% reduction in production occurring between 1999 and 2023.”
Labour’s 2024 manifesto pledged not to issue new licences for exploring new oil and gas fields, instead promising to manage the industry “in a way that does not jeopardise jobs.” Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has vowed to “liberate Britain’s oil and gas industry,” including ending the ban on new licences. Mr Lumsden also said: “The divisive force of nationalism still seeks to set us apart but we on this side of the House know the enduring value of our United Kingdom.”
By-Election Context
The by-elections were triggered after the previous incumbents, Stephen Gethins and Stephen Flynn, took their seats in the Scottish Parliament. On the same day, Labour’s Andy Burnham won the Makerfield by-election in Greater Manchester, a path to No 10 after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced his resignation.
