Category: Scottish Politics

Education central to this year’s Programme for Government

Scot Gov News: A nation with ambition Improving the life chances of Scotland’s young people is the cornerstone of the government’s work for the coming year. Education will be the focus of the Programme for Government, the legislative programme for 2017/18. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will present her vision for Scotland’s future when she addresses the Scottish Parliament later today. The First Minister will highlight other areas of focus including the economy and health. And she will outline how she will ensure Scotland continues to demonstrate strong leadership on climate…

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Queensferry Crossing officially opens

First Minister joins The Queen on historic day. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon today accompanied Her Majesty The Queen for the official opening of the Queensferry Crossing. The event marked the culmination of six years work to build the structure, involving more than 15,000 people, at a cost of £1.35 billion – £245 million under the original budget. Following a ribbon cutting ceremony on the south side of the bridge, undertaken by Her Majesty, The Queen was accompanied by His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh to an event on the…

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New £500 million motorway officially opened

M8 journeys cut by 20 minutes First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has officially opened the £500 million M8 M73 M74 Motorway Improvements Project, saving motorists up to 20 minutes on journey times. The project, including the new seven mile stretch of the M8 motorway, aims to tackle congestion problems in central Scotland and is the first part of a combined £1.7 billion investment by Transport Scotland in the roads network. New analysis by Transport Scotland shows journey times are significantly improved, with vehicles now travelling along the M8 at an average…

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Scotland’s economy bounces back

Oil and Gas stabilises as economy grows by 0.8%. (Article via www.gov.scot) Expansion in the manufacturing sector has helped the Scottish economy to grow by 0.8% – the highest rate of quarterly growth in Scotland since the end of 2014, new figures reveal. The positive growth figures show the Scottish economy rebounding from negative growth in the previous quarter – with a growth rate for the first quarter of 2017 that is four times the UK wide rate for the same quarter. Statistics announced by Scotland’s Chief Statistician show: •The…

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First Minister addresses parliament on Manchester attack

Address to Scottish Parliament by Nicola Surgeon FM 23/05/17. This afternoon, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon gave a statement to the Scottish Parliament about the Manchester terrorist attack. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “Presiding Officer, “It is with great sadness that I rise to speak today. “Last night in Manchester we witnessed a horrific attack on innocent people enjoying a music concert. “My thoughts, those of this Parliament – indeed, the thoughts of all the people of Scotland – are with those who have lost loved ones or sustained injuries in…

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Local elections: Full list of Scottish results published

The SNP topped the poll while the Scottish Conservatives finished second. Report From stv News: The full results of last week’s council elections have been published by the Electoral Management Board for Scotland. The SNP came top of the poll with 32.3% of first preference votes cast, with the Scottish Conservatives in second with 25.3%. A total of 1,889,658 valid votes were cast on Thursday with turnout increasing to 46.9%, the highest for a local election not held on the same day as a national poll in Scotland since 1977.…

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SNP win the Scottish Local Council Elections

The SNP has won Scotland’s council elections, winning more councillors, more votes and more councils than any other party. By Liam Furby, 05/05/17 (Article from www.snp.org) Now more than ever, it’s only the SNP that can stop the Tories in Scotland. Here’s what you need to know. 1. The SNP won the election nationally, with the largest number of councillors and the highest vote share of any party. 2. We’ve won more councillors, with 431 elected compared to 425 in 2012. 3. The SNP is now the largest group in…

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Nicola Sturgeon sets out global vision for Scotland

Report: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-39489107 Independence would offer Scotland the best way of making a positive contribution to the world, Nicola Sturgeon has claimed. The first minister was speaking at Stanford University in California as she continued her five-day US trip. Ms Sturgeon also urged the UK government to recognise the “right” of Scots to decide their own future. Opposition parties said she was trying to build support for a referendum which the majority of Scots did not want. The Scottish Parliament last week voted to back the first minister’s call for talks…

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First Minister Requests Referendum

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has written to the Prime Minister asking for early discussions to allow a referendum on independence to take place. BBC REPORT: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-39449459 Scotland’s first minister has signed a letter formally asking for powers to hold a second Scottish independence referendum. The Scottish Parliament voted by 69 to 59 on Tuesday in favour of seeking permission for another referendum. Nicola Sturgeon argues Scotland should have the choice on what path to follow in the wake of the Brexit vote. Published on 31 Mar 2017

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