2,743 days of division
Sturgeon becomes longest-serving First Minister today ++ Critics say legacy will be litany of failure and rift at heart of society
BROKEN pledges and an ‘appalling’ record of failure will define Nicola Sturgeon’s leadership as she becomes the longest-serving First Minister, opposition parties have said.
As of today, Miss Sturgeon has been in charge of the Scottish Government for 2,743 days, having assumed the role on November 20, 2014.
The SNP leader’s deputy, John Swinney, claimed she is ‘helping lay solid foundations for an independent Scotland’ and she could be proud of her time leading the country.
But Holyrood’s opposition parties have set out a litany of abandoned pledges during her time in Bute House. Critics argue the SNP’s record in government is one of ‘missed opportunities’ plagued by scandals and an obsession with independence.
Scotland’s record-high drug deaths, the shamefully wide attainment gap between the richest and poorest children and the ferry fiasco that has deprived islanders of vessels and hit taxpayers with astronomical costs are just a handful of criticisms of Miss Sturgeon’s record by opposition leaders.
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said: ‘Nicola Sturgeon may be Scotland’s longest-serving First Minister but her record is appalling.
‘Across virtually every policy area, hers is a story of failure and broken promises. But the two that stand out to me are drug deaths and the attainment gap.
‘The number of Scots dying from drugs has soared inexorably while Nicola Sturgeon, in her own words, took her eye off the ball. Our death rate is now the highest in Europe, shaming the nation and her in particular. Nicola Sturgeon described closing the education attainment gap between our most and least deprived youngsters as the “defining mission” of her government, yet that gap has widened to such a chasm that her Education Secretary shamefully ditched the pledge last week.’
Suggesting ‘history will look back on her legacy as extremely damaging for Scotland’, he added: ‘Instead of healing Scotland after the 2014 referendum, her constant push for another vote has split the public, distracted her government and left business in limbo.’
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said: ‘Never in the history of devolution has there been a First Minister with so much power and time but who has done so little with it. Under this First Minister’s watch, child poverty has risen, NHS waiting times have soared, rail services have been cut and the attainment gap remains huge.
‘While Nicola Sturgeon is strong on rhetoric and grandstanding, the reality of her failures means that thousands of Scots are unable to receive NHS treatment and even more are being hit in the pocket by the cost-of-living crisis. The legacy of this First Minister will be one of division and building an “us versus them” culture in our country.’
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: ‘There has been no replacement for the unfair council tax, the attainment gap is as stubbornly wide as ever, a decade of poor workforce planning has left us with record waits for A&E and cancer treatment, and she has launched more independence campaigns than ferries.’
But, celebrating the landmark, Mr Swinney said: ‘Her tenure has helped make Scotland a better, fairer country for all who live here.’
‘Hers is a story of broken promises’