FMQs: Recap as Humza Yousaf faced the Scottish Parliament
Humza Yousaf faced questioning at FMQs.
FMQs: Follow along live
Key Events
- Humza Yousaf to give his first FMQs since Nicola Sturgeon’s arrest
- Scotland could soon see a junior doctor strike over a pay dispute
- After Police Scotland was described as institutionally racist and misogynist, the force has its first female leader
Let’s quickly catch up on the big story of the week. Nicola Sturgeon was arrested on Sunday as part of a police investigation into party finances.
She was later released without charge but Humza Yousaf faced pressure from within his own party to suspend her party membership. Instead, she was reportedly sent a bunch of flowers.
And yesterday James Dornan, SNP MSP for Glasgow Cathcart, accused the police and media of colluding together over the investigation and described the search of Ms Sturgeon’s home as like “Fred West’s house”.
I wonder if she will show her face on the backbenches at FMQs today? We’re not expecting to see her.
There’s been plenty of other news this week - let’s catch up on what else has happened before FMQs gets started.
Junior doctors in Scotland have voted for three days of strike action in July.
Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Linlithgow, was made transport minister and Mairi McAllan had her cabinet role extended to include transport.
An engineering body said they have known for years the A9 would not be dualled by 2025 like the government promised.
Jo Farrell has become Police Scotland’s first female chief constable after the force was branded institutionally racist and misogynist.
And let’s not forget what is happening down south in Westminster - this morning a damning new report into the partygate scandal found Boris Johnson had misled parliament. If he was still a sitting MP, he should have been suspended for 90 days. You can read the full report here.
FMQs is under way and Douglas Ross, leader of the Scottish Conservatives is up. He is going with the delays to dualling the A9 between Perth and Inverness. Take a look back at what we’ve covered on this earlier this week.
Humza Yousaf says the government is absolutely committed to dualling the A9. He defended the decision to retender the Tomatin to Moy section saying the government has an obligation to provide value for money.
He says it is so important in infrastructure to have value for money and said he will give an update in autumn 2023. He said there is a cast iron guarantee to ensure the road is dualled.
Douglas Ross says this response is “one of the most disappointing answers I have ever heard in this chamber”.
He also quoted Laura Hansler, a woman from Kincraig who appeared in front of MSPs earlier this week demanding the government makes urgent progress on dualling this road.
I spoke to Ms Hansler earlier this week and she told me she feels Humza Yousaf uses the A9 as a “political pawn”.
Humza Yousaf is now defending the Scottish Government’s record on improving road safety overall in Scotland.
Douglas Ross is now asking why a question on the procurement timetable for A9 dualling was withdrawn earlier this week. He says this is an “unprecedented step”. Humza Yousaf says part of this is because the government has a new transport minister.
Douglas Ross now criticising Transport Scotland. Earlier this week CECA branded Transport Scotland “the worst client to work for in the UK”. He is now shaking his head at Humza Yousaf’s response to this criticism where he says there is a lot to reflect. He is now saying Transport Scotland has a “proud track record” when it comes to major infrastructure projects such as the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route and the Queensferry Crossing.
Now Douglas Ross is questioning why the government thinks there is a good track record when only 11 miles of the A9 have been dualled.
He says those in Perthshire and the Highlands feel they are being forgotten by the Scottish Government and are worried it won’t be completed until 2050.
He says: “How many more people have to die until this road is dualled?”
Humza Yousaf said it will not take until 2050 to dual the road.
This is something industry has warned might happen given how slow progress on the project has been so far.
The first minister says this is a desperate attempt for the Conservatives to deflet from the Boris Johnson partygate scandal in Westminster.
Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone has had to tell MSPs off for getting a bit too rowdy.
I know personally how frustrating the delays to dualling the A9 are - I regularly drive between Perth and Pitlochry and there are so many dangerous junctions and I’ve seen and been in far too many near misses on this stretch of road.
What’s your own experiences of driving on the A9? Feel free to let me know by emailing me on [email protected] or dm’ing me on @RachelAmery.
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