Ministers condemned for leading first Holyrood debate of 2023 on indyref2

Scottish ministers have been accused of focusing on the wrong priorities as MSPs tackled independence in the first Holyrood debate of the new year.

Constitution Secretary Angus Robertson led a parliamentary debate on Tuesday on Scotland’s sovereign right to determine its governance.

However, the debate follows record high waits in emergency departments and warnings from the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon that hospitals are nearing capacity, at 95% occupancy.

While Health Secretary Humza Yousaf delivered a ministerial statement on the health crisis earlier in parliament, opposition MSPs said the Scottish Government’s choice not to lead the first debate of 2023 on the issue was “shameful”.

Scottish Tory MSP Donald Cameron said: “At the beginning of a new year, there might have been an opportunity for a new approach from this Government.

“But no. Entirely predictably, they have chosen the constitution as the subject of their first debate of 2023.

“At the top of this Government’s list of priorities is another independence referendum. What on earth are they thinking? This debate is nothing short of shameful.

“If the passion and energy expended today was concentrated instead on health and education, we would be in a much, much better place.”

He added: “The Government has taken its eye off the ball for too long, and people across Scotland are noticing.

“They are seeing a Government with its head in the sand, when it should be addressing the real and pressing needs of the people of Scotland.”

Labour MSP Sarah Boyack branded the debate as “disappointing, but not surprising, in terms of the priorities of the SNP-Green Government”.

She said: “This is the wrong choice for our first debate this year. We should be focusing on our NHS.

“The SNP-Green MSPs voted against our Labour proposals to debate those issues and they opted for their number one priority – to debate the constitution – rather than tackling the health crisis and the cost-of-living crisis.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton accused the Scottish Government of being “completely out of touch with reality”.

However, Mr Robertson said the vote was crucial following the Supreme Court’s judgement and the impacts of Brexit.

He accused UK ministers of “undermining and systematically dismantling devolution” by blocking a vote on Scottish independence.

“The motion before us today says that people in Scotland’s decisions matter, that their votes count, and their future should be in their hands, because this is about who decides Scotland’s future,” he said.