21 Mar 2017

The Scottish Parliament has been diverted by a “pointless” two-day debate on independence – when it should be debating on key issues like the NHS and education, the Scottish Conservatives have said today.

The criticism was sparked following the SNP’s decision for Holyrood to spend two days debating whether or not to have a divisive referendum rerun.

It comes amid further evidence that the Nationalist government is ignoring the day job over its own responsibilities.

The debate today comes as:

• Only 54 per cent of muscoskeletal patients have been seen in the four-week target timescale.

• Figures showed that Scots are drinking up to twice as much alcohol as they admit – amplifying Scotland’s unhealthy relationship with alcohol.

• The Scottish Chambers of Commerce warned that that the SNP “needs to begin focusing on mitigating business costs and boosting consumer confidence over the next two years.”

• Reports revealed that the staffing numbers in schools are so low, students may be forced to learn from videos instead of qualified teachers.

Scottish Conservative deputy leader Jackson Carlaw said: 

“The pointless two-day debate has frustratingly delayed the potential to address issues that are in great need of being discussed.

“The SNP has continuously stated that it is not obsessed with independence, but its actions certainly show otherwise.

“It’s clear people don’t want another referendum, they want a government that spends its every waking hour improving standards across all areas.

“When issues like health and education are crumbling under SNP leadership, Nicola Sturgeon and her party is completely failing Scotland by neglecting these issues and instead focusing on an unwanted referendum.”

A copy of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce release:
http://www.scottishchambers.org.uk/press-policy/press-releases/2017/03/898

A group of Officer Trainees of the 70th Batch of Indian Revenue Service called on the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee today (March 21, 2017) at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Rebecca
Long-Bailey MP, Shadow Secretary for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, following the
Competition and Markets Authority’s recent drive to crack down on Cartels,
commented:

“The
Government have for too long not given enough attention to the rights of
consumers whose interests have been inadequately safeguarded. This is why we
very much welcome the new drive by the Competition and Markets Authority,
‘Cracking Down on Cartels’, which seeks to raise public awareness of the
problem and offers £100,000 to whistle-blowers. 

“Cartels are illegal and deeply damaging to both consumers and other
businesses by stifling competition and raising prices. By making people more
aware of what cartels look like, the consequences of joining one and how to
report it, ‘Cracking Down on Cartels’ makes a valuable contribution to the
fight against cartels. 

“However, the
government should not be complacent and needs to do more to safeguard the
interests of consumers against unscrupulous practices.”

Ends

21 Mar 2017

The people of Scotland are “sick to death” of nationalist games on independence, Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson has said.

Speaking as part of a marathon Holyrood debate on whether or not there should be a second independence referendum, she blasted both the SNP and the Greens for their “hypocrisy” on the issue.

She said the previous referendum was agreed legally and decisively under the Edinburgh Agreement, a process the SNP had described as the “gold standard” for referendums.

However, Nicola Sturgeon’s latest attempts indicate a “tin pot approach”, she said.

The First Minister announced last Monday that she wanted to hold a referendum re-run sometime between the autumn of 2018 and the spring of 2019, a timetable which has been rejected by the UK Government and the Scottish Conservatives.

And far from this being an attempt by the SNP to have a fair referendum, Ruth added, it was instead part of a “well-rehearsed game” to stoke grievance between Scotland and the rest of the UK.

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said:

“Most people in Scotland are sick to death of the SNP’s games.

“They don’t want another referendum any time soon, just three years after the last one.

“But let’s cut to the chase: the SNP’s plan was not actually about trying to hold a fair, legal and decisive referendum.

“It was about a well-rehearsed game to put forward unworkable proposals, wait for Westminster politicians to point that out, then rush to any nearby microphone – angry face attached – to trot out the same old tired complaints.

“This bull-dozer approach is completely at odds with the way the 2014 referendum was held.

“The UK and Scottish governments worked together on proposals for a fair, legal and decisive referendum.

“The Edinburgh Agreement was then signed – with both sides promising to respect the result.

“How different things are today.”

You can read the text of Ruth’s speech here:

Ruth’s Scottish Parliament speech on IndyRef2

Shri Piyush Goyal, Union Minister for Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy and Mines, Government of India and Ms. Ségolène Royal, Minister for Environment, Energy and Marine Affairs Government of France jointly