The National:

NICOLA Sturgeon once again showed up Ruth Davidson during today’s FMQs session as the Tory had the “brass neck to lecture the rest of us on scrutiny and accountability” while preparing to take her seat in the House of Lords.

Davidson was gifted a Tory peerage by Boris Johnson earlier this summer and will take her seat in Westminster next year.

In Holyrood today Davidson asked the First Minister why her Referendums Bill, announced during yesterday’s Programme for Government, is “more urgent” than an Education Bill.

The SNP leader defended her government’s work to improve and reform education, adding that this remains a “priority” for ministers.

READ MORE: Independence: Nicola Sturgeon to unveil referendum plans

“But on a basic matter of democracy I believe it is for the people of Scotland to choose their own future,” Sturgeon added. “I’ll argue that case in a democratic election, people will have the ability to decide in the way that they vote and if they endorse my view that there should be a referendum on independence people then will have the right to choose  Scotland’s future.

“Fundamentally, Presiding Officer, I believe in democracy. I think we now know that Ruth Davidson doesn’t.”

Davidson went on criticising the Scottish Government, asking if any additional money to respond to the challenges of the coronavirus crisis in the education sector will go directly to schools and head teachers.

The First Minister replied: “The money is precisely to allow local authorities and teachers and schools to decide the different ways in which they think it is appropriate to let students catch up,” before giving further details of where the funds will go.

But the Tory MSP said Sturgeon’s government seems happy to accept “second-best” rather than try to improve education further and ensure pupils can catch up after months off school, adding that she thinks this is “unacceptable” and parents will agree.

Davidson said she wasn’t sure that accepting students will learn less this year as a result of coronavirus is “good enough”.

The former Scottish Tory leader went on: “I know the First Minister doesn’t like to be asked questions on her record but the fact is she deserves to be challenged on this. Because it was her who said education was her number one priority, not us.”

The First Minister hit back with another blistering attack on Davidson’s “hypocrisy”.

She told her: “Can I say to Ruth Davidson not only am I perfectly willing and happy to have questions asked of me on my record, my policies and my plans, I’m happy to allow the Scottish people to judge that in an election. Instead we have Ruth Davidson who wants to continue to be a politician but without the consent of a single person across this country.

“She’s heading to an unelected parliament but has the brass neck to lecture the rest of us on scrutiny and accountability.

“There is no ermine cloak in the world that will cover up that hypocrisy.

“On the issue of education we decided not to take the time and pass legislation but to get on with all of the things that would have been in that bill  without the need for legislation.

“We are investing record sums in closing the attainment gap. We are supporting young people through this difficult period. And we will work with the SQA unlike other governments we won’t blame a body like the SQA, we will take responsibility and we will work with them to make sure that young people are supported and catch up in their education, that this crucial work to close the attainment gap and raise standards continues.

“We will be accountable for that before the Scottish people in just a few months time.”

Keep it up Ruth and you’ll see support for independence go even higher.