Nicola Sturgeon press conference RECAP: First Minister gives update on gender reform, tax returns, strikes and more
The First Minister gave insight into any question asked by journalists, with the gender reform debate and strike action expected raised.
At her press conference last month, the issue of her tax returns was mentioned, and following on from said conference her tax returns for the years dating back to 2014 have been published by the SNP.
The most recent return lists a total income of £140,496 from her employment as an MSP and First Minister.
Here’s how the press conference unfolded.
Nicola Sturgeon press conference LIVE: Updates as First Minister holds general conference
Nicola Sturgeon adds that in any group in society there will be individuals that do wrong and commit crimes and abuse the rights that entire groups enjoy.
She says that that is the case in every group in society, but that there is no other group that would result in rights being taken away based on the actions of a few individuals.
Nicola Sturgeon says that in any group where an individual commits an offence, you deal with the individual. “You deal with the individual. You don’t further stigmatize the entire group”
Nicola Sturgeon is quizzed on the last day of rolling strike action from the EIS. She is asked if there is anything new to say to teachers.
The First Minister says that there is a strong willingness to reach a settlement with teacher and that no one wants further disruption.
She adds that the government must reach agreements that are affordable and fair. Nicola Sturgeon adds that there will need to be compromise across the board.
She adds that the Scottish Government is not choosing to dig their heels in on public sector pay disputes and that the Scottish Government as a whole wants to find a settlement that is “genuine and fair”
Nicola Sturgeon says that it is her understanding that procedures following by the Scottish Prison Service in housing prisoners is not different to those policies across the UK.
The First Minister is further quizzed on strike action and the potential to disrupt the exam calendar.
Nicola Sturgeon says that her government are keen to reach a settlement that will involve compromise from employers and on the part of unions, and that she hopes an agreement can be reacher if negotations are approached on the right spirit.
She adds that following Covid she is keen to not see exams disrupted.
The Scotsman’s Alistair Grant asks if there are contingency plans to avoid exam disruption and if the First Minister can guarentee that there will be no disruption.
The First Minister responds saying that she will not give concrete details of the plans but that plans are always drawn up for a number of possible issues and that such details would be provided in required.
Nicola Sturgeon is quizzed on a COSLA document that says that council tax would increase significantly if local authorities were not allowed to cut teachers.
The First Minister says that in the draft budget councils are recieving an extra half a billion pounds and that it is on councils to make decisions when they set budgets.
When quizzed on tax returns for other leaders she says that Rishi Sunak has said he would release his so he should, and adds that other leaders in Westminster and Holyrood should follow suit for transparency.
Nicola Sturgeon is quizzed on polls around gender reform but adds that the headlines have been around the gender reform, but not on the fact that the poll also showed the SNP would win a landslide election.
Nicola Sturgeon was asked whether she believes the Gender Reform Bill was the right thing to do, and whether she would continue to do so knowing the political storm it has created.
She responds saying that she thinks the Scottish Government has followed many other nations in passing such legislation such as Ireland, and mentions that Finland has also passed similar legislation in the last week.
Nicola Sturgeon says that Scotland is not the first to bring in such legislation and that her government were following other countries.
She says that she has been in politics for a long time and is driven by what she thinks is right. She said that making life easier for a small group in our society means that pursuing such legislation was right.