JOHN Swinney issued a challenge to Scottish Labour to deliver more than just rhetoric during a clash at First Minister’s Questions on Thursday.
The SNP leader hit back at Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour group leader, after he was challenged on the Scottish Government’s housing record.
He said: “On John Swinney's watch, house-building is down by 10%, the lowest number of affordable and private homes we've built in more than a decade, and there are over 11,000 council houses lying empty.
“Every statistic, another example of a family failed and a future squandered.
“As Alison Watson from Shelter Scotland said, ‘despite declaring a national housing emergency earlier this year, the Scottish Government has failed to get to grips with a deepening crisis’.”
Responding, the First Minister said it was “not good enough” for Sarwar to dismiss evidence which states that the Scottish Government “has built more houses than per head of population, affordable houses than in any other part of the United Kingdom”.
Swinney then brought up Scottish Labour’s record, highlighting that despite their calls for the UK Government to compensate Waspi women, their UK party bosses ignore them.
The SNP leader said it was time for Sarwar to deliver more than “rhetoric”.
“This is where we get to the crunch point”, Swinney went on. “What we'll find out in a few weeks' time is whether Mr Sarwar is interested in a solution or whether Mr Sarwar is just interested in rhetoric.
“The Government's Budget is going to have to be voted for in this parliament, and the people of this country have just had an insight into Mr Sarwar's rhetoric.
“We've seen the rhetoric of Mr Sarwar about Waspi women, with the Labour Party before the election, promising big bold action on the Waspi women and what the Labour Party has delivered is absolutely nothing whatsoever.
“So Mr Sarwar is in no position to come here and give any of his rhetoric unless he's prepared to vote for the Government's Budget and help to lift children out of poverty.”
Elsewhere at FMQs, Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay brought up the independent judiciary.
In Scots law, prosecutors are able to make deals with the accused that will see them plead guilty, often to a lesser charge, to avoid the case going to trial and secure a conviction if it is believed to be in the public interest.
Findlay said: “This practice can result in very serious charges being watered down or dropped altogether, even when the evidence is overwhelming.
“Victims are routinely not told or consulted – this is not justice.”
The Tory MSP said he had tabled amendments to the Scottish Government’s Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill which would “give victims a voice in the process or, at the very least, to know what is happening”.
He went on to ask if the Scottish Government will work with him and back the changes to the bill.
In his response, the First Minister made clear that Findlay was asking about issues in the control of the judiciary and sentencing council, which are independent from ministers.
He further said: “We will, of course, consider the amendments that Mr Findlay has put forward … and consider the content of those amendments as the committee and as Parliament looks at the contents of the bill.”
