SNP secrecy on European talks

As a Member of the Scottish Parliament, I consider that one of my first jobs is to hold the SNP government to account.

Before Parliament went into recess I tabled written questions to the government on the meetings the First Minister had conducted in a glare of publicity with the presidents of the European Parliament and European Commission back in June.

The meetings were attended by civil servants and a minute was taken. I asked that the minute be published so that both the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish people can see what was put forward and the response received.

I also asked that the SNP government publish the terms of its discussions with other European member state governments and enquired if the terms would be considered in advance with leaders of other parties in the Scottish Parliament.

This was certainly the spirit of the mandate the SNP government sought and received from the Parliament. The First Minister herself even spoke of a spirit of unity and national purpose.

Therefore I was dismayed to receive a reply from a government minister in which she claimed, on both counts, these were diplomatic discussions and neither the other party leaders nor MSPs, let alone the people, would be told anything.

This wall of secrecy leads me to believe that, rather than a spirit of unity behind a national purpose, this is an exercise of a nationalistic purpose in a spirit of division.

The Scottish Parliament did not give the SNP government complete freedom of action. It should not act as though it did.

We need a more open government, not less. I will not let the matter rest, not as long as the First Minister gallivants across Europe at our expense.

Another important aspect of my job is meeting local groups so that I can represent their views in Parliament.

Last week I had the privilege of meeting the Airdrie Active Community of Empowered People (ACE) Group; a group of young adults with learning disabilities.

It is a shocking fact that only 7 per cent of adults with a learning disability are in employment, yet almost two-thirds want to work and are capable of working.

What makes this worse is the decision by the Conservative government, with support from the Liberal Democrats, to find 20 per cent savings in the social security budget. This has led to cuts in the income of this most vulnerable group.

I will be raising questions with the SNP government about how much of its public procurement it is steering towards supported employment workplaces, which under European rules it can do.

And I’ll be pressing for better treatment of disabled citizens now the Scottish Parliament has the power to improve social security payments.

Equality is a founding principle of the Labour movement, as is collective action to achieve it, so it is great to see a group of people locally coming together to make their voice heard.

They have been ignored for too long.

We need a more open government, not less. I will not let the matter rest.

Held to account Nicola Sturgeon