The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Five questions FM faced a day after court ruling
Nicola Sturgeon faced immediate calls to act on areas she controls one day after the SNP’S 2023 referendum hopes were put on ice by the Supreme Court.
These are the big questions she was asked at the weekly First Minister’s Questions yesterday.
1 – Schools
Striking teachers demonstrated outside Holyrood at the same time as Ms Sturgeon fielded questions inside.
Thousands of teachers in Tayside and Fife rallied outside their schools as classrooms across the regions shut for the day.
David Baxter, Dundee rep for teachers’ union the EIS, said staff were left in “disgust” by a pay rise offer of 6.85%. They want 10%.
SNP education chief Shirley Anne-somerville said the latest offer was “fair and progressive”. She claimed an improved deal would lead to budget cuts.
2 – Health
Nurses are preparing for their first strike in history.
In Parliament, the first minister was grilled over the impact of squeezed budgets and long waiting times.
It emerged earlier in the week that NHS board executives even discussed creating a two-tier system where some patients pay.
Ms Sturgeon insisted she remained fully committed to GP appointments and operations remaining free.
On Wednesday, Forth Valley health board was brought under government control because of management concerns.
Meanwhile, latest figures show that less than 60% of people who attended A&E in Fife were seen within four hours.
In Tayside, pressure has also been mounting on the Scottish Government to hold an inquiry into disgraced Dundee doctor Professor Sam Eljamel.
The SNP will also be expected to do more to tackle Dundee’s ongoing drug deaths tragedy.
3 – Justice
Scotland’s justice system was put in the spotlight yesterday as Ms Sturgeon was urged to ditch a scheme giving mobile phones to prisoners when budgets are so tight.
MSP Russell Findlay branded the £4.1 million policy “costly and dangerous”. He said funds should go to frontline services instead.
The first minister admitted budgets are being stretched, but defended the scheme and said it was vital inmates are able to communicate with loved ones.
In October, police chiefs in Dundee came under scrutiny over the force’s response to shocking riots in Kirkton ahead of Bonfire Night. It was warned last month that cuts to Police Scotland’s budgets could put the public at risk.
4 – Transport
SNP transport chief Jenny Gilruth was quizzed on the delayed A9 dualling project days after another tragedy on the road.
Perth Tory MSP Murdo Fraser said the 13 fatalities this year demonstrated the need to speed up the programme.
Ms Gilruth said work was under way to see how the scheme can be delivered most efficiently.
Elsewhere, Ms Sturgeon has been under frequent pressure to explain massive delays to ferries.
5 – Constitutional row
Opposition leaders pushed the first minister to fix areas of devolved responsibility.
But the SNP and Ms Sturgeon also want to push the case for independence.
Perth SNP MSP Jim Fairlie asked the first minister how Scots who want to end the union will be able to “exercise their democratic right”. Ms Sturgeon said there was an “undeniable” mandate and accused the UK Government of “democracy denial” – controversial phrasing which caused an entirely new argument.
Backbench nationalists and campaigners who rallied in Dundee on Wednesday will want her to keep pushing for a rerun of the 2014 vote.
A new poll has underlined how the debate will continue to dominate.
Half of Scots would vote SNP at the next general election if a victory for the party could lead to Scottish independence.
The snap poll of 1,006 voters was carried out by Find Out Now for Channel 4 News after the Supreme Court ruling.