Business of the House

Douglas McAllister Excerpts

Thursday 20th November 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

We have had many such discussions. In fact, opinion was tested on whether or not the people of this country wanted change, and they decided that they did not. The Government have no plans to bring that forward, but that does not mean that the debate will not go on.

[Douglas McAllister (West Dunbartonshire) (Lab)]

Will the Leader of the House join me in again congratulating the Scotland men’s national football team on qualifying for the 2026 world cup? The entire team are heroes, not least John McGinn from my West Dunbartonshire constituency, who is a former pupil of my old school, St Columba’s in Clydebank. Does the Leader of the House recognise that:

“We’ve got McGinn,

Super John McGinn,

He’s Stevie Clarke’s man,

He’s better than Zidane”?

Does the Leader of the House agree that he is, in fact, super John McGinn and will he congratulate the entire team?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I congratulate the entire team, John McGinn and everyone involved. I gently remind my hon. Friend, if my memory serves me correctly, that Steve Clarke was a Sunderland manager who honed his skills when he was there. I remind anyone who did not hear me say this earlier that the last time Scotland qualified was in 1998 and the last time England won the world cup was in 1966—the link is that at both times there was a Labour Government.