To say thank fuck for Nicola Sturgeon

[Chippednailvarnish]

I can't stand her anti English stance, but at least one political leader is doing something for the refugees...

[prettybird]

My experience differs.

I'm very happy with ds' education and have been on/chaired School Boards/Parent Councils at both primary and secondary level - very mixed demographic (high proportions of FSM and EAL) so not a nice comfortable middle-class enclave.

In work I have done with the NHS (both clinicians and managers), in England they look with envy at the Scottish NHS.

[SheSparkles]

My contempt for Nicola Sturgeon was confirmed a few short weeks ago when she said that Stephen House had her full backing.
That would be Stephen House who announced his resignation about 10 days ago then.

[Hamiltoes]

Dealt with both Police Scotland and the NHS in the last year- NHS many times- and have recieved a generally really good service.

[unlucky83]

And from what I can see on this thread it is people who actually are seeing the outcomes that are speaking up...not the ones sitting reading the paper thinking 'gosh that's good' with no cause to think any different until they need to deal with Police Scotland or the NHS for anything more than a repeat prescription for paracetamol ...

[unlucky83]

pretty - that just proves the point ...all things to all men ...smoke and mirrors...from the headlines they appear to be doing a good job - but delve a little deeper into the actual policies, the implications and look at the effectiveness and the story is very very different.

[ClearBlueWater]

I am 'blaming the Govt' for the appalling literacy and numeracy 'teaching' at my children's Primary School which has been CfE, devolved for 8+ years, budgets being UNDERSPENT in a wealthy rural area where kids should be thriving.
I hear our High School is little better.
I read The Scotsman.
I pay attention to the concerns of relevant professional bodies and watchdogs.

[prettybird]

If you want to "blame" the government for problems with numeracy and literacy amongst graduates, it's not the current government you should point the finger at. They'd have been c.13 when the 1st (minority) SNP administration as elected.

Interestingly, apparently some of my dad's Tory voting friends voted SNP in 2011 because they'd been impressed by how effective the SNP had been in power, despite being a minority administration - contrary to the impression of some on here.

[tabulahrasa]

Which I know is nitpicking as yes, anyone under secondary age has had most of their school time under it...but it definitely isn't a factor for 20 yr olds.

[tabulahrasa]

It was implemented 5 years ago, so for anyone who has been in school longer than that, they had some time with 5-14 first.

[ClearBlueWater]

ds was the 1st year of CfE in our area.
His year is P7, so coming out of Primary now

[tabulahrasa]

Anyone in the third year of a degree finished school before the curriculum changed, in fact this year's first year undergraduates will be the first that didn't do standard grades, though they'll still have done the 5-14 at primary.

Pupils who have only ever experienced CfE are currently still in the middle of primary school.

[Tomorrowisanewday]

I don't have children, but own a business. We take on degree students as part of their course each year, where they have to gain experience of our industry. Given that what we do involves mostly numbers, I'm shocked at the decline in the general numeracy and literacy standards (we issue reports to clients, so literacy is important as well) over the last 5 years. This is from degree students, in the third year, so 21-22, and some of them cant string a sentence together, or do mental arithmetic.

The SNPs record on education and health are both shocking, they are remarkably silent on the amounts they have managed to under spend from their budgets since these areas has been devolved to them.

[WankerDeAsalWipe]

Exactly DrDre!

[DrDreReturns]

Oil is a finite resource in any event. You shouldn't make long term decisions like independence based on a resource that is going to run out, or become impossible to extract, in a matter of decades.

[WankerDeAsalWipe]

Even if oil was at the accepted previous average price the deficit would still have been 7-8bn.

They couldn't tell us what currency because they couldn't or didn't want to answer the Euro membership question and were aware that we would probably have been forced into the Euro and that that wasn't a selling point in order to achieve their only stated objective.

[derxa]

ds's speech therapist in America would never have dreamed of suggesting his speech problems are because his parents have (two differing) English accents. Because that is so unprofessional. I am sorry you were treated like that As a former SALT I want to second that. It's disgusting.

[QueenLaBeefah]

We didn't even get a straight answer to what currency we would be using.

Let's not forget that the price of oil has tumbled by 70% since the referendum.

Strangely enough sturgeon seems very quiet on independence or even FFA.

[WankerDeAsalWipe]

Deficit was around 12bn - that's the same as they have budgeted to spend on the NHS in 15/16 - I'm sure its not only me that thinks that is enormous?

[WankerDeAsalWipe]

I'd like to see the plans they have for closing the fucking massive budget gap between what Scotland brings in and what it spends whilst simultaneously giving us more than we currently have.....

When I see how that is all going to work then I will consider the emotional and social argument of whether we should be independent or not.

[Hamiltoes]

Of course she does, which she has said many times.

But what you expect the SNP to do is in effect like asking UKIP to run the country but completely forget about the fact they all joined UKIP because they want to leave the EU?

[ALassUnparalleled]

GE results

[ALassUnparalleled]

Your comparison makes no sense. 55% of those who voted do not want independence. We are not stupid. She should stop treating us as if we were. She knows the GERMAN result was not a vote for independence

[Hamiltoes]

Can you not see how wanting them to "respect the will of the Scottish people" is a bit like having a ref on immigration where 55% of the people say they want to stay in the EU and are happy with current levels of immagration, and then almost every seat in the UK is won by UKIP?

If anything, it screams we need a better system than FPTP (which the SNP actually want, even though they will probably be the losers).

[ALassUnparalleled]

I want her to respect the settled will of the Scottish electorate and stop behaving as if we were stupid for disagreeing with her.

Why on earth a year later is she still whinging about BBC bias?

By the way I completely agree with your rather telling remark about it being "the sole purpose". That's really the problem - never mind what irreversible damage occurs we'll have our freedom.

[Hamiltoes]

ALass what do you want her to do, admit she was wrong and agree with you? She makes no secrets she wants independece, its her sole purpose. And naturally she thinks those who don't are wrong.

I'm off to hold my breath on those Tories thinking up a new benefit to give all single mums and disabled people... oh wait, thats not what they stand for is it?