Yesterday was a day of shame for our parliament.
On the anniversary of lockdown, we could have spent time reflecting on the devastating toll of Covid – and what we need to do to ensure our country recovers.
Instead, we were confronted by a litany of government failings which led to two women being badly let down and Scots Conservatives interested only in the party politics.
There were no winners yesterday.
Not the SNP – the decision by many in its ranks to use a harassment inquiry as a recruitment tool was grotesque. And not the Tories, who announced they would bring a vote of no confidence before the First Minister had even given evidence.
As I said in the Holyrood chamber yesterday, on one side we had a litany of failings from a government that let down two women – and on the other an opposition guilty of playing grubby party politics on an issue as serious as sexual harassment.
We can’t go back to this divisive politics after the election on May 6.
The challenges ahead for our country as we seek to recovery from Covid are too important for that.
That’s why I am determined to focus on what unites us, not what divides us.
We must focus on solutions which will deliver a fairer recovery and a stronger Scotland, which is why a national recovery plan will be my only priority.
I do not have confidence in the SNP’s record and its ability to focus us on a national recovery.
It came on the day that a report into our education system revealed the SNP has failed to close the educational attainment gap between pupils – Nicola Sturgeon’s so-called “defining mission”.
A failing government on one hand – a game-playing opposition on the other.
The people of Scotland deserve a better government and a better opposition.
