Live webchat with Scotland's first minister Alex Salmond, Tues 15 Feb, 1-2pm

[GeraldineMumsnet]

Scotland's first minister Alex Salmond is our guest for a live webchat on Tues 15 Feb.

Mr Salmond, who is MSP for Gordon, was first elected as MP for Banff and Buchan in 1987, and went on to become leader of the SNP in 2004 and an MSP in May 2007. He stood down as a Westminster MP in the last General Election to concentrate on his role as first minister.

His minority government has just got its final budget before the Scottish elections through the Scottish parliament, after striking a deal with the Lib Dems to boost student funding.

When he's not working, Mr Salmond enjoys horse racing, football, golf and reading.

We're very pleased to welcome him to Mumsnet. Please come and put your questions or, if you can't join him on Tues lunchtime at 1pm, post your question on this thread, as per usual.

Thanks
MNHQ

@twinky

Hello Mr Salmond. Can you tell me why my local council, Argyll & Bute, seem to find it acceptable to close most of our smaller, rural libraries because Holyrood has slashed their funding. I voted SNP at the last election but am told that my villages' fabulous tiny library with it's incredibly hardworking librarian is not viewed as a priority. Having attended several community meetings on the subject I am not at all impressed with my local councillors and would like to give you the opportunity to answer their assertions that it's all down to central funding. Thanks very much.

Twinky, thanks for your question. Local library services are the responsibility of local councils, and I agree it's important that these and other services are protected as much as possible. That's why we are delivering such a good deal for all 32 local authorities across Scotland by maintaining their share of the Scottish budget, despite the massive cuts being handed to us by Westminster. That means Scottish councils are better protected from the cuts than other parts of the Scottish budget, and certainly better protected than local government in England.

so basically, mr s, what we are looking for is the whizz-bang answer to 'you wouldn't last five minutes without us'.

hi-concept it for us, please. gies sumhing tae blaw thaim oot the watter. (and by thaim i mean much-loved English sisters and brothers of MN ). a verbal bazooka, if you please.

Thank you for your answer.

@SusieKyoo

Hello Mr Salmond. Can you tell us why you've so far given Labour such an easy ride for abandoning the electorate to a Tory government when you offered them an alternative? A lot of people seem to be falling for the idea of Labour as a defence against the Tories, when in fact they're just a bunch of cowards hiding in opposition.

I think that Labour have let down the people in two ways.
Firstly, they're responsible for much of the economic mess the country is now in. Secondly, in very many policy areas they paved the way for another Tory government.
In their attitude, for example, to war in Iraq, to wasting £100000 million on a new generation of nuclear submarines they prepared the ground for the Cameron cuts. You can be sure that we will not be letting them off any hook in the coming Scottish elections.

GentleOtter Tue 15-Feb-11 13:13:50
Tommy's pod is vacant.

Snort

Tommy no longer an MSP though.

but don't be mean to Wendy Alexander, please. she's great, and that kerfuffle that saw her papped out was a load of sexist bullshit (not to mention absolutely NOTHING in the context of later revs about Westminster MPs).

Aitch, the answer to that is that if we're such a bloody drain on resources they'd have rebuilt Hadrian's wall and brought in border control years ago.

Fromgirders: if it's like some of the other web cahts, they have more than one computer going with MNHQ typing some of his answers for him.

I am pissed off that I mistyped my in my rant - so here it is again: I am soooo at Labour's misnamanagement of the assets they had at their disposal during the good years. Brown's hubris at having "abolished boom and bust" is just so hmm]...... words fail me

@GentleOtter

Welcome Mr Salmond,

Given that the Edinburgh tram project is an expensive disaster and entirely Edinburghcentric, would it not make more sense to divert funding towards making the A9 dual carriageway all the way to Wick?

Also, when will Scottish Tenant farmers be given the absolute right to buy and thus liberated from the feudal system which is still alive and active in 21st century Scotland?

GentleOtter, I'm very glad you asked this question. The SNP Government was against going ahead with the Edinburgh trams project - but we were outvoted by Labour, the Tories, the Lib Dems and the Greens - and I think the people of Edinburgh and beyond can now see the consequences.

On the A9, we do believe we have the right investment strategy to meet the needs of motorists. The A9 is the longest trunk road in Scotland and serves many different users, from many remote communities to key strategic traffic between some of our major towns and cities. We are striking the right balance between investment in safety, local connections for the many communities and businesses served by the route as well as forging ahead with plans for phased dualling of the remaining single carriageway sections between Perth and Inverness.

Ach, I doubt if my farming question will be touched with a long stick so I'm offering an office reshuffle.

I'm from very very close to the Border (on the correct side obviously) and if my brother had his way he'd have passport control set up on the banks of the Esk!

I'm not living in Scotland anymore, more's the pity (born and brought up in the Glasgow area), but hope it's ok for me to ask you a question?

I was horrified to read the comments made by Bill Aitken, shadow minister for community safety, with regards to the rape cases currently under investigation in Glasgow. (the story is here for anyone who is interested)

Will he suffer any repercussions from the Scottish Parliament for his inexcusable statements?

@hismajesty

Since you wont give me a tip for the 3.30 at Folkestone could you tell me which Englishwoman you most admire and why?

Germaine Greer, as an adopted English woman, for although I don't agree and never have, with all of her views, there would seldom have been any doubt about what they were.
Shami Chakrabarti from Liberty, for much the same reasons, I also think she is one of the best and clearest television presenters of any major campaigner.
And finally, I like the lady from RAF Leuchars who took four children along to the campaign meeting last Friday, and as a RAF technician, made an emotional but powerful case in defence of her entitlement to work in an area to which she had become so committed.

i am sure there is a financial bazooka as well, though, certainly that guy on RJocko thought so, (and he was english, lol). i was surprised the SNP didn't seize on it and immediately start leafleting, iykwim?

x-p. The farming question is imperative to 5000 of us.

lol at the excellent and detailed version of Cammo's 'I met a black guy in folkestone' routine. vg.

"Firstly, they're responsible for much of the economic mess the country is now in. Secondly, in very many policy areas they paved the way for another Tory government. "

I agree with you on both of those things, particularly the second which is less commonly noted. But what worries me is that you're letting them get away with protesting about Tory cuts as if they were the people's defenders, when they RAN AWAY from the chance to protect the people by forming the rainbow coalition you offered. You never mention their cowardice and shameless hypocrisy in this regard. Do you think Labour's current high Holyrood poll ratings are a result of this oversight, and do you think you can overcome them by May?

So far nothing on the Brian Souter/gay marriage question. Am I the only one who cares if that's changed SNP policy?

@crapbarry

I'm not living in Scotland anymore, more's the pity (born and brought up in the Glasgow area), but hope it's ok for me to ask you a question?

I was horrified to read the comments made by Bill Aitken, shadow minister for community safety, with regards to the rape cases currently under investigation in Glasgow. (the story is here for anyone who is interested)

Will he suffer any repercussions from the Scottish Parliament for his inexcusable statements?

I deprecate Bill Aitkens' reported comments, which were rightly greeted with outrage from both general public and across the political spectrum. I don't think they really represented his views, and in fairness, he did apologise later. However, it does illustrate two dangers.
Firstly, the implicit assumptions betrayed a dreadful attitude to the serious crime of rape, which is abhorrent for any person. Secondly, the temptation of politicians to occasionally shoot first and think later. it can cause deep hurt and upset.
As for the repercussions, it seems to be the best thing is don't vote Tory.

Hello Mr Salmond,

In 2009/2010 nearly 40,000 people in Scotland were categorised as newly homeless by their local authority link here a figure that remains pretty much unchanged for the last six years.

What can the Scottish Government do to make social housing more available? It seems to me that housing associations are not doing enough.