the SNP

As the cold winter weather sets in, we should all spare a thought for those working hard in our NHS and our emergency services. As many of us enjoy time off with family and friends over Christmas and the New Year, many of them are hard at work keeping us safe and looking after us if we fall ill.

Young People The budget shows our desire to give young people the best start in life: We are protecting and expanding the Education Maintenance Allowance, to allow more young people from the poorest backgrounds to stay in education.  We are protecting college budgets.  We are ensuring that access to higher education continues to be free,…

Pensioners The budget brings good news for Scotland’s pensioners: We are investing an additional £500 million in the NHS, and £250 million of this will be invested in the integration of health and social care. This will mean that fewer people need to go to hospital, and that where hospital is necessary, people will return…

Women The budget continues our commitment to gender equality in Scotland: We are investing in childcare by providing 600 hours of free high-quality childcare for all 3 and 3 year olds and vulnerable two year olds, and we are committed to increasing that to 1140 hours, which will help ensure that women are able to…

Families The budget continues to protect hard pressed families from the worst of Westminster’s cuts: We have frozen Council Tax for the ninth year in a row.  We are pumping an extra £500 million into Scotland’s frontline health services – meaning our health budget for 2016 will be a record £13 billion.  We are increasing…

In the face of Tory cuts, the Scottish Government’s budget rejects austerity, protects public services and safeguards household incomes. Here’s just some of what the budget for the year ahead delivers: For our health service: An extra £500 million for the frontline NHS budget, taking it to almost £13 billion and representing a real terms…

On Monday Nicola Sturgeon and David Cameron met for the first time since May, and top of the First Minister’s agenda for discussion was the deeply damaging Tory Trade Union Bill.

On Wednesday I will set out the Scottish Government’s budget. I will be doing so against the backdrop of yet more cuts to Scotland’s budget by the Tory government. George Osborne is making these cuts out of choice, not necessity. And taken together with the cuts imposed since 2010, he plans to remove one in…

The recent decision of the UK Government to cut £1 billion in funding for the carbon capture and storage project in Peterhead is just the latest example of their failure to support our energy industry. Coming off the back of inaction on the North Sea and cuts to onshore wind support, it’s clear that our energy industry is being badly let down by the UK Government.

The SNP is committed to ensuring that everyone in Scotland can afford a quality home – we recognise that this is essential to achieving social justice and to supporting our economy. New figures published this week have shown that when it comes to social housing in particular the Scottish and UK governments are streets apart.

As one of the voices opposed to UK airstrikes in Syria, it is important that I put that on the record from the start. There is no significant disagreement between the whole range of political parties in the UK and across Europe as a whole that the extremists of the kind who perpetrated the Paris…

Today is the International Day of Disabled People, and to mark the occasion Communities Minister Marco Biagi represented the SNP Scottish Government at the first Disabled People’s Summit in Edinburgh. The SNP are committed to promoting and protecting equality and human rights for disabled people. We want to make sure that disabled people can take…

Just two years ago the Prime Minister urged the House of Commons to bomb the opponents of Daesh in an ill-conceived plan that would have likely strengthened the terrorist organisation. Today, the Prime Minister has returned to the House of Commons with a similarly ill-conceived motion that would see the United Kingdom engage in a…

Jeremy Hunt finally agreed to go to the Arbitration service ACAS to try and resolve the Junior Doctors dispute and avoid England’s first Junior Doctors strike since 1975. With a day to go before the strike was about to start, an outline agreement has finally been reached. However, this is only a temporary reprieve as the British Medical Association (BMA) has until 13 January to start industrial action if the next round of talks does not reach a permanent deal.

The existing inequality facing women today has been further aggravated by the reforms to the social security system by the Conservative Government at Westminster.

The dramatic u-turn on tax credits by George Osborne in the Spending Review was a welcome surprise.

It was a victory for the 250,000 families in Scotland who would have been hit by the cuts.

There is no moral, economic or military case for Trident, however today saw moral bankruptcy from Labour. The vast majority of their MPs abstained, including their own Scottish MP Ian Murray. This is in direct contradiction to Scottish Labour party policy. Only 6 voted with the SNP with 14 voting with the Tories to support Trident.

Many congratulations to The National on its first anniversary.

Having just marked my own first year in office as First Minister, it’s fitting for me to pass on sincere birthday greetings.

The debate on the UK’s position in Europe is about to become an all-consuming issue. Writing in The World in 2016 special edition for The Economist, Nicola Sturgeon says demand for another independence referendum could be unstoppable.

One year ago, as I was honoured to accept the nomination from the Scottish Parliament to be First Minister. I said that day that my job was to be a First Minister for all of Scotland, regardless of politics or point of view, and I have held to that promise. Twelve months on, I am…

This week marks a year since Nicola Sturgeon became First Minister of Scotland. See some of her favourite moments of the last 12 months.

We have a duty as human beings to do all we can to protect and shelter people who face the very kind of threats and attacks which appalled us so much in Paris in their everyday lives.

The terrorist attacks in Paris on Friday night have caused shock and grief around the world. Today, we mourn the innocent victims – at least 129 of them – who lost their lives. We hope for the recovery of all of those who were injured. And we send our thoughts, prayers and condolences to all of those affected.

Our thoughts, prayers and solidarity are with the people of Paris and France after this unspeakably awful and deeply shocking event. This year France has had to bear more than any country should be expected to and the Scottish Government stands ready to help in any way we can.

On 19 November 2014 I was privileged to stand up in the Scottish Parliament and accept the nomination to become First Minister of Scotland.

SNP representatives in both the Scottish and Westminster Parliaments are standing up for the fundamental rights of workers and voicing our strong opposition to the draconian Trade Union Bill.

Confused about the progress of the Scotland Bill? Let our Storify explain…

The debate this week over tax credits has thrown light onto the challenges and opportunities that come with the new powers proposed by the Smith Commission. If the Scottish Parliament is to properly embrace these responsibilities, then we must all acknowledge that new powers for the Scottish Parliament are about much more than undoing the…