the SNP

Yesterday marked the start of Edinburgh’s International Festival and Fringe Festival for another year. It’s a big year, as 2017 marks their 70th anniversary.

Theresa May has a vision for Brexit – and it’s being driven by the hard right of the Conservative Party. The mantra of “no deal is better than a bad deal” is still the guiding principle of their Brexit strategy, despite the obvious calamitous consequences for the whole of the UK.

Here’s how, in government, we’re supporting creativity and culture in Scotland.

Donald Trump’s announcement that transgender people were no longer welcome to serve in the US military does not belong in the 21st century, never mind the White House.

So much is happening on the Brexit front that it can be difficult to keep up. Here’s a quick run-down of what happened this week.

Corbyn explicitly ruled out Single Market membership. Meanwhile, Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale has supported Single Market membership. And Welsh Labour Leader and First Minister Carwyn Jones has spoken out against Jeremy Corbyn’s position.

Over the next two days it will be my honour to represent the Scottish Government at the UK National Commemoration marking the Centenary of the Battle of Passchendaele, the name most commonly given to the Third Battle of Ypres during World War One. I will join representatives from the UK Government and the other devolved administrations, as well as 4000 descendants of those who fought in the battle, in paying my respects in acts of commemoration.

Here’s just some of the good news from the past week that you might have missed.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney announced that £45 million will be provided to schools across the country to close the poverty-related attainment gap.

I hope everyone is having a good summer and has been able to enjoy some of the fine weather we’ve been having (is it me or has the weather been a wee bit better this year than most? Touch wood).

The House of Commons has just risen for its summer recess, and it’s safe to say that MPs have a lot to reflect on over the next few weeks after a pretty eventful year.

Left-wing Labour supporters are understandably angry that their party’s obsession with attacking the SNP helped the Tories win seats in Scotland at the general election.

A damning new report by the Scottish Labour Campaign for Socialism has hit out at Labour Party chiefs for wasting the entire election campaign attacking the SNP, and opposing Scottish independence, when they should have been focused on holding the most right-wing Tory government in decades to account.

Scotland has one of the strongest economies in the world – with advantages and resources few nations can match. And the fundamentals of Scotland’s economy are strong.

One chance to change one law. What do you decide to do?

It is an extremely difficult decision to make, but that is the position I found myself in after being drawn out of the Private Members’ Bill Ballot this year.

Under the Tories, the gap between rich and poor is expected to grow further. It’s no wonder they don’t want to talk about poverty or inequality.

This week marked a year since Theresa May became Prime Minister. Here’s just some of what her government has presided over.

Over the last ten years, under an SNP Scottish Government, Scotland has become a safer place. Yet we continue face challenges, not least the impact of inequality on the likelihood of someone to be a perpetrator or victim of crime. That’s why we remain absolutely committed to reducing inequality, tackling crime and reforming our justice system.

Here’s just some of the good news from this week – in case you missed it.

The EU Withdrawal Bill has laid bare the Westminster power grab being railroaded through parliament by the UK government.

We’re committed to doing all we can, with the powers and resources we have available to us, to provide as much stability and security as possible – for everyone in Scotland.

For the first time ever the SNP are leading an administration in Edinburgh. This will be a challenging term. Seven years into brutal Tory austerity from Westminster budgets are tight and services are under pressure.

Nicola Sturgeon outline’s how the SNP Scottish Government has been getting on with the day job.

The good news kept coming this week. Here’s just some of it, in case you missed it.

Read an interview with Nicola Sturgeon looking back on ten years of SNP government.

Whether a young person chooses university, college, vocational training or employment, it is important that they get the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Here’s just some of what we are doing to support disabled people in Scotland.

‘Learning from Scotland’s NHS’ sets out the lessons that the NHS in other parts of the UK can learn from Scotland. Here’s what you need to know.

Read the eulogy delivered by Deputy First Minister John Swinney MSP at the funeral of former SNP leader Gordon Wilson in Dundee.

The High Court judgement offered a damning indictment of what so many of us have been arguing for years – that the draconian benefit cap is ideologically driven and serves no purpose other than to harm.

From next year the public sector pay cap will be lifted in Scotland, ensuring that public sector pay increases better reflect rising living costs. Here’s what you need to know.