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!

[NicolaSturgeonMSP]

@AndHarry

I'm English and do not like the feeling that being pro-Scottish = anti-English, particularly when you and members of your party speak disparagingly of those 'South of the border'. I'm sure I was not alone in my bewilderment at the anti-English rhetoric during the lead-up to last year's referendum and was left feeling pretty angry at such divisive politics. What would you say to people like me?

There is not an anti English bone in my body. I am the grand-daughter of an English woman. I love England and her people and, regardless of politics, consider you to be family...and always will.

[UnoPan]

So apart from eating Tunnocks in the shower first thing in the morning.....

[NicolaSturgeonMSP]

Thanks for all your questions. We had some techy problems at start but managed to stay on a bit longer than planned to make up the time.
Sorry if I didn't get to your question - I did my best - but feel free to email me at any time.
Now its back to the campaign trail for me - in the pouring rain. If only voting SNP could fix the Scottish weather!!
All the best
Nicola

[FannyFifer]

Thanks Nicola.

[sandysmum]

Nicola
I would like to say that I in the last few weeks I have become ashamed of being Scottish. I believe in respecting other people's political beliefs. However in the last year Scotland has become a place that a non-SNP supporter cannot offer an opinion without abuse. I would never ridicule other's beliefs but I have had mine done so regularly. I realise that you may not control your party members but I am concerned that there has been a cultural shift. Please do not say it is on all sides either. The abuse I have witnessed on twitter & FB is utterly appalling. There are sectarian and anti-Semitic insults on Labour candidate's pages. How do you plan on tackling this?
Also can you explain how Tasmina Sheikh-Ahmed can speak my constituency when she lives in Glasgow?

[mamandeouisti]

AndHarry I am also English, was a Yes voter and will be voting SNP on Thursday. I am bewildered that you were made to feel there was anti-English rhetoric last year. Anti-Westminster's treatment of Scotland in recent memory, yes. Anti-the English people, no. Have a listen to Billy Bragg. At Murrayfield or Hampden, possibly(!)...but I never felt other than included in the referendum debate.

[funnyossity]

That was so much better than Rachel Reeves - Labour Party take note.

[YetAnotherHelenMumsnet]

Okay, Nicola has to go back to kissing babies now (literally, I can supply photos, they've been waiting quietly this whole time) so we'd like to say thanks to her and the team for staying behind to make up the time we lost due to connectivity issues.

[hambo]

HotCrossPun

'One person cannot impose a Referendum or indeed Independence on Scotland. It would need to be proposed by a party (presumably SNP) for a Holyrood Election in their manifesto. Then the country would need to vote for that manifesto to give them a majority. Then Scotland would need to vote for Independence.

It wouldn't be democratic to rule it out for a set time or forever. And given that Scotland decides at every stage, why would you need to?'

So, if the vote had been YES, we could have had another referendum later to see if it was still YES?? Really?? (If say Labour had that in their manifesto and they were voted in)...Can you see this being good for the country?

[chocoluvva]

Ah - no explanation of what she meant by saying that snp will work to ensure that Scotland benefits fully from its natural resources.

If oil is included in that then Scotland then I would argue that all the countries of the world would benefit most from leaving the oil in the ground. The burning of fossil fuels plays a massive part in global warming. fannyfifer - interesting that the first mention of oil and you mention the lower than anticipated price of oil.

I would hope that all of the UK would benefit from Scotland's other natural resources. Especially as the renewables sector is subsidised by the generous price paid for the by the UK govmt. Also, it would be nice to think that any government would invest in the technology and infrastructure required to maximise the efficiency of renewables.

[Quitelikely]

Typical. How can N.S come onto a parenting forum and dodge a question regarding childcare policy!

Oh but she has time to discuss plenty of other irrelevant topics such as when she washes her hair!

[TooExtraImmatureCheddar]

Oh, give it a rest, Hambo - if the vote had been YES, you and like-minded NOers would have been free to campaign for a re-vote and make your voices heard. You could have formed a political party with the aim of restoring the Union. The SNP were created to push for independence - Nicola would really be shooting herself in the foot if she ignored the wishes of her 11,000 members.

[chocoluvva]

Quite Quite - she chooses to answer an irrelevant question and states that women must be confident enough to take part in politics yet uses the word 'girl' about herself. Feminists take note!

Do I feel patronised? Just a bit. I don't give a flying fig how she copes with being extremely busy - how do mums of new babies cope with exhaustion? Or carers who are rarely ever acknowledged - perhaps they're not considered to be sufficiently hard working. And of course they put nothing into the 'economy'.

[OOAOML]

choc looking out of the window and in flippant mood, maybe she intends to export water?

[TooExtraImmatureCheddar]

She did answer about childcare - she said that she was going to extend the number of free hours for 3 and 4 yos to match primary school hours. Not sure why politicans keep conflating childcare for nursery-age children with schools, given that most working parents don't work term-time only, but it's a start.

Chocoluvva, she was asked the question about being busy, so she answered it. She also answered a lot of harder-hitting questions including the ones involving rude personal attacks, and the one about intimidation by SNP supporters. It is a ridiculous stretch to take that answer and decide that that means she doesn't think carers or new mums are busy, FFS.

[MmeLindor]

I have no issue with her using the word 'girl' to talk about herself, or her answering some of the fun questions, as well as most of the tough ones. Give the woman a break.

[TooExtraImmatureCheddar]

OOAOML (always grin when I see your name!), also looking out of the window - I can offer you an excellent deal on rainwater, at a snip of $70 per barrel?

[Behooven]

too

[LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett]

She still hasn't got my vote, but if posters ask questions about hairwashing and tiredness, why shouldn't she answer? If she didn't, she'd be accused of being po-faced.

[chocoluvva]

My point was that she could have answered another question that was specific to the snp instead of asking how she copes with being busy. It's a criticism of the Q as well as her choice of which Qs to answer. She was asked other questions that she didn't answer. She wasn't forced to answer every Q - but she chose to answer that one.

Perhaps she thinks we're more likely to vote for the snp if we think she's one of the girls, ie one of us. Which would be silly, as she isn't standing for Westminster. But you know, if it gets potential votes...

As first minister, especially when she aspires to leading a 'progressive' gov't she should be careful about her choice of words. I wouldn't read much into most other women describing themselves as a girl but she is in a position of responsibility.

I didn't say she doesn't think carers or new mums are busy. She's a bright woman I'm sure she knows that more people than her are busy. But there was nothing in her answers about the need of carers; who have been affected greatly by 'austerity'.

[chocoluvva]

at the thought of selling 'our' water.

I take your point about only answering serious Q's, but she answered two very lighthearted Q's. It's true that politicians are damned if they do and damned if they don't - I acknowledge that - but when she slams (most of the) other three parties as austerity, lumps everything into the 'westminster' (therefore bad) bag and claims to be progressive it would be nice to see her behaving differently.

[MmeLindor]

I think that seeing a woman as First Minister is an inspiration to young girls, and her describing herself as a girl is just a turn of phrase. It isn't helpful to get hung up on one word.

[tabulahrasa]

I've thought for years we should sell water...

To be fair, she didn't answer my question (which is fair enough, no-one's ever going to answer every question) but I didn't ask her about biscuits and she answered that anyway...

I don't really care about biscuits, I was just chatting while I waited any serious question would have been preferable.

[midnightexpress]

I'm baffled as to how voting SNP gives Scotland a louder voice in WM, when by definition if Scotland consists of 100% SNP seats, we won't have any cabinet seats, or any ministerial posts in whatever sow's ear of a government we end up with on Friday, as the SNP seem to have ruled out any kind of formal coalition. Bizarre definition of 'louder voice'.

[sandysmum]

Quite right midnight.
There are other female role models for our daughters too. I think Theresa May, Harriet Harman and Yvette Cooper are doing pretty darn well & in a far bigger fish pond.