First Minister refuses to say sorry over axed children’s ward

niCoLA Sturgeon was yesterday accused of lying to voters in 2016 over plans to shut a children’s ward she promised was not under threat.

The SnP leader refused to apologise for saying during a televised leaders’ election debate that there was ‘no proposal’ to axe Ward 15 at the royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley.

Health Secretary Shona robison announced the closure last week, saying it had been a ‘difficult’ decision but was in the best interests of children.

At First Minister’s Questions yesterday, Miss Sturgeon refused to apologise over the pledge she gave in the TV debate, when she had assured Paisley father-of-two gordon Clark that the ward was safe.

Miss Sturgeon said the decision to axe Ward 15 was made following advice from experts at the hospital.

But Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie rennie said: ‘The First Minister hides when she has been found out. She usually hides behind the nHS in England or Wales. Today it is a new low. She is hiding behind Scotland’s doctors.

‘Doctors may have advised her to close the children’s ward. They did not force her to lie in an election TV debate. is she not ashamed of blaming doctors for her broken promise?’

Miss Sturgeon snapped back: ‘yes, we listened to the doctors. i’m sorry if that upsets Willie rennie, but i am not prepared to apologise for listening to doctors who know best about how to treat sick children.’

Mr Clark, 57, was in the Scottish parliament’s public gallery

‘It is totally disgusting’

yesterday. He said: ‘i’m absolutely furious that the First Minister lied to me.

‘She tried to deny it was a lie but it was a total lie and the least i expect is an apology. This isn’t about an apology for me, it’s an apology for the people of renfrewshire, Paisley, inverclyde, Vale of Leven – they all use Ward 15 and i want to know why she didn’t tell me.

‘The fact she was prepared to lie for gain at the election, i think, is totally disgusting.’

Scottish Labour pointed out that a leaked nHS board paper in January 2016 had included a proposal to close the ward.

Labour leader richard Leonard asked Miss Sturgeon if she would apologise to Mr Clark ‘for misleading him’.

He added: ‘The First Minister needs to understand the depth of anger about the decision. This is not just about party politics – it is about her integrity. People feel betrayed, with good reason. Campaigners were accused of lying. SnP politicians were more interested in saving the local McDonald’s than they were in saving the local children’s ward.

‘When a decision was finally made, it was sneaked out on a Friday afternoon. The government tried to bury bad news in the middle of a snowstorm.’

Presiding officer Ken Macintosh later told MSPs he was ‘disappointed’ by the behaviour at FMQs, telling them ‘it is never acceptable to use words like lies, liar or lied’ in the chamber.

Stephen Daisley – Page 14