Webchat with Nicola Sturgeon - 1pm Tuesday, 5th May

[JustineMumsnet]

We’re pleased to announce that Nicola Sturgeon MSP, the First Minister of Scotland and leader of the SNP, will be joining us for a webchat at 1pm on Tuesday 5 May - just two days before the General Election.

Nicola is the MSP for Glasgow Southside. Before becoming an MSP she worked as a solicitor at the Drumchapel Law Centre. She has the distinction of having been called 'the most dangerous woman in British politics' by the Daily Telegraph (among others).

Whatever your hopes for the outcome of the election, there’s no doubt that the SNP’s surge in Scotland is one of 2015’s biggest stories of this election, with, most likely, big ramifications for UK as a whole.

So we hope you’ll join us and put your questions to Nicola on Tuesday 5 May at 1pm - and if you can’t be there on the day, please post up your questions in advance.

Please remember our webchat guidelines - do be polite/civil, and only one question each please as we reckon this is going to be a busy one!

[chocoluvva]

Would you agree that the snp manifesto has a lot of aims in common with the green party manifesto?

[IHaveBrilloHair]

Nothing to ask but what a truly inspiring woman you are.
We too got selfies with you yesterday and you admired my shoes!

[TulipsAndSwifts]

Hello Nicola and welcome to Mumsnet.

432 individuals own half of Scotland. How would the Scottish Government propose changing this imbalance?

Good luck on Thursday!

[captaincarter]

Hello Nicola,

I don't think anyone's ever come into the leadership of any political party and had such an impact on the wider political landscape of the whole country. Well done!

Progressive politics and a move towards true social democracy is exactly what both Scotland and the UK needs now.

As a woman becoming engaged in politics (from not voting to being a canvasser) I was particularly pleased to see you taking the lead on gender equality in politics eg with the balanced cabinet.

However when I went to the conference a few weeks ago I was disappointed and confused why you didn't vote for the trade union amendment to balance the regional lists of candidates for next year's Scottish parliament election? Surely this was a good, fair idea that would have achieved the result of increasing the number of capable women entering parliament. We have, I think, about a third female candidates for this election but not spread evenly through winnable seats so we are unlikely to see a 50/50 split going to Westminster. Not only is this inequitable but it opens the party up to criticism. Will you reconsider your stance?

[Abriata]

I wonder if it is just a coincidence that the proposed 50% tax rate would kick in at just above your own income (and that of Ed Milliband, too)?. In order to share your wealth, as you'd like other high earners to do, would you be willing to combine your income with that of your husband so, as a couple, you could pay the 50% tax rate on your combined income of over 200,000 pounds?
Would you be willing to consider differential tax rates (and mansion tax rates) based on relative income/property values in different regions of the country? Thus, for example, the 50% tax rate could apply to incomes above 150,000 in high-cost-of-living London, but apply to incomes over (say) 100,000 in Edinburgh, Manchester, Bristol, etc and over 75,000 elsewhere in the UK. Similarly, a "mansion tax" could apply to properties over 2m in London, over 1m in Edinburgh and over 500,000 elsewhere in the UK. Such a system of differential rates could allow a truly fair re-distribution of income.

[HamishBamish]

I also want to know why it appears you are pushing for another referendum despite the nation voting 'No'. It seems that you don't respect or believe the decision of the Scottish people and are going to continue to push for another referendum despite the result.

[FannyFifer]

Hi Nicola, you are doing an absolutely amazing job, we are so lucky to have you as our FM, nearly there now.

Who is your female role model & what other Scottish female parliamentarians do you admire?

[RowanMumsnet]

Morning all

We do need you to stick to one question each, please. If you've posted more than one, do you want to let us know which one is your priority?

Thanks
MNHQ

[RowanMumsnet]

...and a quick reminder to stick to our guidelines and avoid personal attacks on each other, please

[cdtaylornats]

How do you rationize having a named person for people up to the age of 18 but votes for 16+. Either they are adult enough to vote or children who need safeguarding.

[hambo]

Can you categorically state that you will not allow another referendum in the next 20 years? (I am certain you will not answer this.)

I lost over half a stone with worry and stress during the referendum, and don't think I will live through another in my lifetime!!!!

[hambo]

Will you, once and for all, agree that the referendum was a 'once in a generation' event and that this generation said 'no'. Or do you intend to keep pushing for referenda until you get the 'right' result?

[Behooven]

I really hope that it's not just the toadying comments that are passed on to her, what a waste of time that would be.

[MmeLindor]

While I have great admiration for you personally, Nicola, I'm another 'no' voter, who is disappointed that the SNP is unwilling to accept the democratic response of last year's referendum, and honour the 'chance of a generation' promise. I found the last year of Scottish politics to be incredibly divisive, and personally hurtful, and think that we need time to heal and recover before even thinking about another referendum.

In my life, I've never known Scotland so divided. I've always seen us as a strong and warm-hearted community. Does it worry you that the referendum has brought such strife?

[UnoPan]

The image of you in jeans and bare feet last weekend was probably the best of the campaign, aligned as it was to the 'most dangerous woman in the UK' comment.....what do you do to relax when off-camera and off-stage?

[OOAOML]

Nicola, as all your prospective MPs have presumably signed up to the loyalty clause never to criticise party policy or members, what is the point of having an SNP MP? My current MP has voted against his party on a number of key issues, and will speak out as well. If I end up with an SNP MP what will be the point of me even bothering to contact them if all they will do is trot out the party line?

And if you were planning on answering with 'strong voice for Scotland' then I would say that Scotland will send 59 MPs to Westminster as they usually do. I would like to know that my MP will be a strong voice for my constituency - and as she is currently a lack-lustre councillor (who has chosen not to mention on any of her leaflets that she is a councillor) who will blindly toe the party line, I really don't have any confidence in that at all.

[UnoPan]

and I thought you handled that BBC interview last week excellently too. The stupidity of the questions was outstanding. "In a football game between England and Germany who would you support?". From a professional political interviewer.

[AtomicDog]

Tulipsandswifts- that's really interesting and something I wasn't aware of. Scotland has more equitable distribution of income than the rest of the UK (smaller range in incomes I mean) so I am guessing UK overall inequalities are fueled by a number of stratospherically highearners, presumably London based.

[zen1]

Hello Nicola

Do you feel comfortable that the Scottish Sun is supporting the SNP when its partner newspaper in England is supporting the Tories?

[Behooven]

Great question OO
Hope it's answered but won't hold my breath

[DowntownFunk]

Hello Nicola

Thank you for all your efforts firstly as Deputy First Minister and now as First Minister and the hard work during the Referendum campaign. Thanks also for the recent Scottish Cabinet tour of Scotland, I came to one of the meetings and came away feeling the right people were running our country. I can't imagine the Westminster Cabinet ever being so accessible to the general public or indeed so straightforward in answering unsolicited questions.

What has been your highlight so far since becoming First Minister?

...and how do you manage to stand in the same room as Creepy Jim Murphy or any UKIPper without visibly cringing?

All the best for Thursday.

[OOAOML]

I should have said the SNP candidate is a lack-lustre councillor - although in the interests of fairness I should point out that all parties on our council have a lot of failings.

[Jackieharris]

Hi Nicola,

I'm aware of and thankful for the Scottish Government's attempts to mitigate some of the worst changes targeted on the vulnerable by the condems, the bedroom tax being the most obvious.

However one of the changes they've made has gone mostly unnoticed by the press and other parties, it seems. That is the £500 charge to take a discrimination case to an employment tribunal. I was previously made redundant whilst on maternity leave after my employer told me they didn't think mothers with pre-school children should go out to work. I raised an action and got a month's pay, which wasn't much, but I didn't have a strong case so was still pleased to get something. 30,000 women each year suffer detrimental pregnancy discrimination at work. It makes a mockery of equalities legislation and political rhetoric if women can't enforce the law because they can't afford £500 up front. How many new mums have that to spare?

So what I'd like to know is why can't the Scottish government mitigate this (reserved) issue by making this £500 available to discriminated against new mums? Could you & John Swinney look into it and include it in next year's Scottish Parliament election manifesto?

TIA