PARTY leaders will take part in the first televised debate tonight ahead of May’s Scottish Parliament election.
Each party with elected representatives in Holyrood – excluding Reform UK Scotland – has their leader attending the discussion, which will be presented by Sarah Smith.
The broadcaster’s Scotland editor will host as a virtual audience from across the nation puts questions to the leaders.
The debate will kick off at 7.50pm on BBC One Scotland, and will be available to view live on TV or on the BBC iPlayer. The National will also be liveblogging the session.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, Scottish Tory chief Douglas Ross, newly elected Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, Scottish LibDem boss Willie Rennie and Scottish Green co-leader Lorna Slater will take part in tonight’s programme.
The main issues likely to be discussed are Scotland’s Covid-19 recovery, which each party has a different vision for, and of course independence.
The debate follows a busy few days for the Yes movement, with former SNP leader Alex Salmond’s new Alba Party dominating the headlines and winning over SNP councillors and MPs to the group.
READ MORE: Alba Party's Alex Arthur apologises for grossly offensive tweets
Sturgeon is likely to outline why she feels independence is “essential” for Scotland’s pandemic recovery, while Slater may set out similar ideas with a focus on the climate.
Ross is positioning himself as the leading pro-Union candidate, and will probably dismiss another referendum as divisive and inappropriate given the pandemic. However, the SNP have made clear they are not planning on holding a new vote during the Covid crisis.
READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon says indyref2 is 'essential' to post-Covid recovery
Sarwar and Rennie will be hoping to attack the SNP’s domestic record, with a particular focus on health and mental health.
The debate will go on for an hour and 10 minutes. There are plans in place for a second debate to be held towards the end of the election campaign.
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