WILLIE Rennie was told it was a core job of the First Minister to “explore opportunities for investment in jobs” as he sought to put pressure on Nicola Sturgeon yesterday on a potential £10 billion deal with two Chinese firms.
At the first session of the weekly question and answer session in Holyrood since the election, the Liberal Democrat leader pressed Sturgeon on why she had signed an agreement with the companies when one of them had been criticised by Amnesty International over human rights issues.
“Why would the First Minister bother signing this agreement if it didn’t mean anything?” he asked.
The SNP leader responded: “Hold the front page: First Minister of Scotland seeks to explore opportunities for investment in jobs in Scotland—shock, horror!
“That is part of the First Minister’s job, and the fact that Willie Rennie does not recognise that that is one of the job’s core responsibilities is probably part of the reason why he will never stand here as First Minister.”
She added “not a penny of investment” had been agreed.
“If proposals for specific investment are brought forward, they will be subject to full due diligence, and all the issues that Willie Rennie has just cited will be fully examined and taken into account,” she said.
“As First Minister, I will always seek to act in the best interests of this country. That partly involves encouraging investment that will then support job creation, and I will continue to do that to the best of my ability.”
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