NICOLA Sturgeon missed FMQs on Thursday because she was having her first in-person meeting with new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Given how quickly Liz Truss was booted out by her party it makes sense for all involved to have gotten that commitment in the diary nice and early.
Oh to be a fly on that wall as the two leaders meet in Blackpool ahead of a meeting of the British-Irish Council.
What do you serve a gazillionaire when they nip round for a chat and a catch-up?
READ MORE: John Swinney reacts to call for Humza Yousaf to be sacked at FMQs
Ferrero Rocher might be a bit on the nose. Maybe champagne and truffles. Or, if you want to be really fancy, a 500g tub of Lurpak.
Over in Holyrood, John Swinney led FMQs on the First Minister’s behalf.
Both Douglas Ross and Anas Sarwar went on the news that, for the first time ever, nurses have voted to stage strikes across the UK.
It turns out clapping and proclamations of gratitude for our hard-working NHS staff doesn’t pay the bills. Who knew?
Douglas Ross said that the strikes weren’t just about pay, they were about the overall “crisis” facing Scotland’s NHS and that it was now “beyond doubt” that the Health Secretary Humza Yousaf “had failed”.
In response, John Swinney said there were “very significant” challenges in the NHS right across the UK.
He went on to say that the Scottish Government had offered health service staff “the best payday of any government in the United Kingdom.”
“Resources are absolutely fundamental, that’s why it is laughable for Douglas Ross to come here and raise these issues with me when only seven weeks ago he wanted me to cut tax in the folly taken forward by Liz Truss which would have damaged public investment in our health service.”
Ross hit back: “Whoever the SNP try to blame, it is obvious that the man responsible is right there, sitting next to the Deputy First Minister. Humza Yousaf has failed. And all he can do is spin that the SNP is in recovery when really it’s at breaking point.”
“Scotland’s NHS deserves better than Humza Yousaf. When will this Health Secretary be sacked?”
You can imagine how John Swinney felt about that comment. He sprung up so fast from his chair his glasses nearly fell off.
"Given the absolutely chaotic turmoil of ministerial resignations and dismissals in the UK Government, what a LAUGHABLE proposition to put to me this morning. I’ve been active in politics for many years - a member of Parliament for a quarter of a century - and you know when somebody has run out of road when they start playing the man and not the issue."
Anas Sarwar was up next.
He said that "the Scottish Government’s failure to workforce plan means 6000 nursing and midwifery vacancies".
He asked John Swinney, "Why have you let it come to this?"
In response, John Swinney reminded Anas Sarwar of the disastrous interview that Keir Starmer did with BBC Scotland at the weekend where he said "I think we are recruiting too many people from overseas into, for example, the health service."
Mr Swinney said he listened to those comments with "incredulity" because "what is hampering us in the NHS is the Brexit that was inflicted on us by the Conservatives, ending free movement of people, which has lost us members of staff from our NHS."
Anas Sarwar must be hoping that Keir Starmer stays away from Scottish journalists ahead of Nicola Sturgeon returning to FMQs next week …
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel