the SNP

No one cares more about Scotland’s future than the people who live here. It’s only right that you are given a choice about the kind of country Scotland is to become in the years ahead.

By taking the steps I have set out today, I am ensuring that Scotland’s future will be decided not just by me, the Scottish Government or the SNP. It will be decided by the people of Scotland.

If anyone was in any doubt about how the Tories view Scotland’s place in the UK, they need look no further than the Prime Minister’s speech to the Scottish Tory conference last week.

In 2015 we pledged that our MPs would make Scotland’s voice stronger at Westminster and to use our influence to help deliver positive change.

Working with campaigners and other parties from across the UK, that is exactly what SNP MPs have been doing. Here’s how.

Following Brexit, powers will come back from the EU to the UK. Some of these are in areas within the remit of the Scottish Parliament.

Today the Chancellor of the Exchequer delivered the 2017 UK budget. Here’s what was missing from the speech.

International Women’s Day is about helping take action to create a more inclusive, gender equal world. Here are just some of the actions the SNP is taking to be Bold for Change.

We are committed to ensuring that we build a social security system to be proud of – and the direct personal experiences of 2,000 service users will be instrumental in achieving that.

The hard fact is that Tory budget plans are bad for the economy and bad for the country.

Here’s just some of what an SNP Scottish Government has achieved for young people.

Scotland has now been ranked the best in Europe for LGBT rights for two years in a row. It is vital, however, that we maintain progress. There are still areas of the law that need to be developed in order to guarantee full equality for all members of our community.

The Brexit process has emboldened a now powerful Westminster faction, which never accepted devolution, and which now sees it as an opportunity to rein in the Scottish Parliament.

In a debate that would be about the kind of country we want to be – an issue bigger and more fundamental than EU membership, key questions will be these: should we allow Scotland’s future direction to be determined by Westminster governments we don’t vote for or should we take charge of shaping our own destiny?

That is nothing short of a democratic outrage – having our own parliament was meant to ensure such a thing could never happen again.

The Scottish Government has set out its budget plans for the year ahead. The Draft Budget includes new investment in public services, as well as new measures to support business, jobs and economic growth. Here’s why the Scottish budget means workers get the best deal anywhere in the UK.

The Scottish Government’s plans will see business rates cut, overall, by £155 million in 2017-18, with seven out of ten premises better or no worse off – and in most cases, paying nothing at all.

The Scottish Government already provides funding to make sure that no one in Scotland has to pay the Bedroom Tax – but we want to abolish it completely. It shouldn’t be on the statute book at all.

Every child should be able to enjoy a safe, fulfilling, secure and loving childhood. Yet for far too many young people in care, and through absolutely no fault of their own, that’s not the case. Only four percent go to university, nearly half will suffer mental health issues, almost one third will become homeless –…

When the Tory government announced last week that they were going to end the “Dubs amendment” scheme which allows unaccompanied child refugees into the UK, it’s no surprise that reactions ranged from shock to disgust. And its why, on Friday, I wrote to Theresa May and urged her to reconsider this inhumane decision.

Yesterday the UK government snuck out the news that it will fail to meet its commitment to resettle 3,000 unaccompanied child refugees, something which they had promised to do last year following huge pressure from the public, SNP MPs in parliament and the Scottish Government.

Before the UK begins to leave the EU, the Prime Minister must inform the EU. This is the ‘Article 50 process’. Here’s what you need to know.

It’s not always appreciated, but sorting out spending choices for a country is much like managing a household budget or your personal finances.

Today I’m in Cardiff for a crucial Joint Ministerial Council on Brexit with the Prime Minister and the governments of Wales and Northern Ireland.

Scotland’s Universities enjoy a fantastic reputation around the world, with four institutions in The Times Top 200 list and a proud history of innovation and world leading research. There should really be no problem in attracting international students to come and study here and indeed more than 94 per cent of international students believe Scotland is a “good place to be”.

Scotland has huge economic strengths, which we need to maximise and build on.

But our entire economic future – jobs, investment, livelihoods, household incomes and overall living standards – are all being threatened by a Tory hard Brexit.

The UK government’s plans to close half of Glasgow’s Job Centres are deeply flawed – and the campaign against them is gathering momentum.

The UK Supreme Court in London ruled that the UK government is required to seek parliamentary approval for the triggering of Article 50 – the instrument that would see the UK leaving the EU.

The Scottish Government will bring forward a Legislative Consent Motion and ensure that the Scottish Parliament has the opportunity to vote on whether or not it consents to the triggering of Article 50.