From Paper to Parliament: National Games Debate Confirmed for Tuesday, Feb 3rd

I am incredibly proud to announce that following our launch events in Edinburgh and Dundee – and a week of unprecedented national media coverage – the Scottish Parliament has officially scheduled a debate on the Level Up: Scotland’s Games Action Plan.

On the afternoon of Tuesday, February 3rd, MSPs from across the political spectrum will take to the floor of the Holyrood chamber to discuss the future of the Scottish games ecosystem (exact time TBC).

The Result of a Unified Voice

Last week, over 80 of you joined us at CodeBase Edinburgh and the Abertay CyberQuarter. You showed the politicians and the press that this isn’t just a document – it’s a movement. That energy translated directly into parliamentary action. Michael Marra MSP’s motion (S6M-20521) secured the necessary cross-party support in under a week, and now we have our moment.

The world is watching how Scotland responds to its “secret weapon.” Over the last few days, we’ve seen the Action Plan featured on the front page of the Sunday Herald, on STV News, and in deep-dives by GamesIndustry.biz, The Courier, Scotland on Sunday, The National, and Holyrood Magazine. The games, tech and business sectors also picked it up, with news stories running across DIGIT, FutureScot, PocketGamer.biz and the Videogames Industry Memo.

(Oh and as of writing, this Sunday morning I’ll be on BBC1 Scotland’s The Sunday Show…)

Why Tuesday Matters

This national games debate is the moment where the “Golden Thread” of games technology – from AI and real-time 3D togames engines, simulation and sandboxing – is formally recognised as a national economic priority. This is not just a debate about videogames – we are debating how to build the UK’s first Games Supercluster and how to scale our sector to £1 Billion GVA by 2030.

I will be present in the public gallery of the chamber to represent the Scottish Games Network and the hundreds of you who contributed to this blueprint. It will be a moment of reflection on the two years of work that got us here, but more importantly, it is the start of what I hope will be the implementation phase.

How to Watch and Support

We need the Wall of Support to be visible during this debate. Even if you can’t be in Edinburgh in person, you can join us online.

1. Watch Live: The debate will be streamed on Scottish Parliament TV on Tuesday afternoon. (We will post the exact timing on our social channels as soon as the day’s agenda is finalised).
2. Keep the Pressure On: If your local MSP hasn’t signed the motion yet, there is still time. Send them a quick note today asking them to attend the debate and support the National Games Debate (details here). The MSPs who have currently supported the plan are: Clare Adamson, Colin Beattie, Miles Briggs, Foysol Choudhury, Pam Duncan-Glancy, Patrick Harvie, Craig Hoy, Liam McArthur, Paul McLennan, Pauline McNeill, Paul Sweeney, Mercedes Villalba, Annie Wells, Tess White.
3. Pledge your Support: Join others across the community and leave a comment on the Games Action Plan page (scroll to the bottom of the page).
4. Share the Coverage: Let’s show the world the interest and news coverage from across the national press, games media and beyond. Grab your favourite story from the links above and get them out on your social media channel(s) of choice, with the hashtag below…
5. Share the Momentum: Use the hashtag #LevelUpScotland on Tuesday to share your thoughts, clips from the debate, and why a Games Supercluster matters to you.

This plan was forged by you – the games community. On Tuesday, we see it reach the highest level of government.

Let’s make it count.