Nicola Sturgeon says Labour not fit to be Opposition

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at First Ministers Questions (FMQs) in Chambers at the Scottish Parliament. Sept 28 2017

With interim leader Alex Rowley facing calls to consider his position following claims that he was plotting against former leader Kezia Dugdale, Ms Sturgeon went on the attack against her opponents.

She resisted the temptation to attack Mr Rowley when he asked her about housing. Instead she kept her power dry until Labour leadership candidate Richard Leonard asked her a question about bus passes towards the end of the session.

Ms Sturgeon defended her Government’s position on bus passes saying it was consulting on developing a sustainable scheme.

Turning her attack on to Labour, she referred to the row that has engulfed the leadership contest between the left-winger Mr Leonard and the more moderate Anas Sarwar.

Ms Sturgeon obliquely referred to Mr Leonard’s campaign team’s description of Labour MSP Jackie Baillie’s suggestion that Mr Rowley was guilty of plotting as “pish”.

Ms Sturgeon said: “We fight for Scotland. Scottish Labour just fights amongst themselves. It was incredible yesterday, wasn’t it? We had Richard Leonard accused by Jackie Baillie of betraying every value that Labour holds dear.”

As the Presiding Officer Ken Mackintosh attempted to intervene, she continued: “And then we had Richard Leonard saying: `this was just the latest Jackie Baillie...’ Let’s just say it is a description that covers much of what Jackie Baillie says in this chamber.

“The serious issue is this. This Government continues to take the decisions that are in the interests of the people of Scotland and by contrast Scottish Labour’s behaviour is selfish and self-indulgent and it proves they are not fit to be in opposition let alone a government.”

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