FMQs: Nicola Sturgeon rejects calls for John Swinney to go

Ruth Davidson called on John Swinney to go

The First Minister faced a grilling from opposition leaders over the fiasco which saw the Scottish Government forced into a humiliating climbdown over grades handed out to Scots students this year.

Ms Sturgeon clashed with Ms Davidson, returning as Tory group leader at Holyrood, and suggested that her looming departure from Holyrood next May meant she was in a weak position to scrutinise Government policy.

Ms Davidson, installed as Tory group leader at Holyrood this week by new Scots leader Douglas Ross, had earlier called the Scottish Government's record on education in recent years into question.

"Next week marks five years since Nicola Sturgeon announced that education will be her number one priority," Ms Davidson said.

"And in those five years she has pulled Scotland out of international tests, her flagship education bill was scrapped, Named Person was struck down by the courts, poor students have been punished by a persistent attainment gap, hundreds of teacher vacancies are left unfilled and we've just seen the biggest exam fiasco in the history of devolution.

"John Swinney has been the common denominator through all of this. The First Minister's loyalty to a colleague may be commendable, but her real loyalty should be to the parents and the pupils of Scotland. They deserve new leadership in education, he cannot deliver it.

"Why won't the First Minister see that?"

Ms Sturgeon said her mind was not on a "political exchange" but suggested Ms Davidson should think about the position from which she was coming at the issue.

"Just in a few months, I will submit myself and my Government to the verdict of the Scottish people in an election - that is the ultimate accountability for a record and leadership,” the SNP leader said.

"And as we do that Ruth Davidson will be pulling on her ermine and going to the unelected House of Lords.

"Can I gently suggest to Ruth Davidson that when it comes to holding to account and scrutinising politicians, she's really not coming at this from a position of strength."

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FMQs: Nicola Sturgeon rejects calls for John Swinney to go

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