WHAT A WASTE OF TIME
Scotland faces a crisis in its schools, hospitals, economy, transport and policing. So what are the SNP forcing Holyrood to debate for the next TWO days? The referendum they’ve already been told they can’t have...
MSPs w ill w aste t wo d ays of parliamentary time on the S NP’s d oomed b id f or a second independence referendum.
distraction from the need for reform after a decade of Nationalist incompetence.
They said it was pointless as Theresa May has blocked the attempt at a rerun of the 2014 poll, telling Nicola Sturgeon: ‘Now is not the time.’
Last night, Scottish Conservative chief whip John Lamont said: ‘This debate is a waste of time – the SNP needs to get a grip.
‘Its selfish and narrow-minded obsession has come at the expense of almost every area of devolved government – and that is a disgrace.’
Scottish Labour business manager James Kelly said: ‘It is hugely disappointing that questions
The debate, starting today, comes at a time of mounting public services failures. Critics condemned the sessions, which will last five hours, as a
about issues that really matter to Scotland will not be put to ministers while the parliament dedicates two days to debating a referendum the majority of Scots do not want.’
The debate will centre on a Scottish Government motion seeking support to call for Westminster permission for a second independence referendum.
But critics highlighted a catalogue of SNP mismanagement more worthy of Holyrood debate than independence.
Despite a manifesto pledge to limit class sizes, 150,810 children in P1-P3 are taught in classes of more than 18 pupils; while 102,526 pupils are in ‘poor’ quality school buildings.
Larry Flanagan, general secretary of the EIS teaching union, said: ‘Greater investment in education is needed to ensure all young people, no matter what their personal background, have the opportunity to achieve their potential.’
The SNP is also failing on key targets on NHS care, with waiting times for treatment now at a record high.
The number of patients waiting more than 12 weeks for outpatient appointments has rocketed from 22,758 two years ago to 75,028 at the end of 2016.
Only 87.1 per cent of patients urgently referred with suspicion of cancer received their first treatment within 62 days, compared to the 95 per cent target.
Professor Alan Boyter, a former senior manager at NHS Lothian and NHS Tayside, said: ‘We have a tsunami in the health service. The NHS is Scotland’s biggest employer, so staffing issues are critical if we are going to provide more patient care.
‘People are living longer but might have four or five things wrong with them. Elderly patients are presenting with increasingly complex conditions.’
BMA Scotland chairman Dr Peter Bennie said: ‘We must face up to the urgent need to close the gap between constrained resources and rising demand in our NHS.’
Non-sexual crimes of violence have risen by 6 per cent from 5,102 to 5,416, comparing the first threequarters of 2016-17 with the same period the previous year, driven mainly by assaults and robberies.
Calum Steele, general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, said the service is ‘facing a deficit of nearly £200million and has IT systems that simply don’t work’.
Government Expenditure and
‘We have a tsunami in the health service’
Revenue Scotland figures reveal the deficit is almost £15billion or 9.1 per cent of GDP – three times higher than the UK’s.
Finance Secretary Derek Mackay’s Budget will see Scotland become the highest taxed part of the UK.
There are also major problems with the creaking transport network. In 2014, the Scottish Government awarded the £6billion ScotRail franchise contract to Dutch firm Abellio.
Despite promises it would be a ‘world-leading contract to deliver for staff and passengers’, the service has been plagued by cancellations, delays and overcrowding.
The SNP has failed to sanction fracking amid fears it is determined to avoid a backlash from activists and preserve an alliance with the pro-independence Greens.
Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale said: ‘The constant threat of another divisive independence referendum sees Scotland’s economy lagging behind the UK.’
The SNP is certain to win the Holyrood vote after securing the support of six pro-independence Green MSPs.
Miss Sturgeon said: ‘The sovereign right of the people of Scotland to determine the form of government best suited to their needs is a longstanding and widely accepted principle’.