HE isn’t due for another few weeks but it appears Santa decided to visit Scotland early this year.
A new bombshell poll commissioned by STV news found that support for Scottish independence has risen to 56%.
And to think, I’d only asked the big man for some new slippers.
If we got a chance to vote on the future of the country in a referendum held today, Scotland would have its bags packed and the moving vans organised by the end of the week.
Which is why both the UK Government and their Unionist party leader allies are going to do all they can to ensure we never get that chance.
Still, it’s good to see things moving in the right direction, even if the road ahead appears never-ending.
Over to FMQs, where Douglas Ross steered well clear of the constitutional question.
He asked about health services in Scotland and reiterated his view that it is in a state of total crisis and collapse. And once again, he warned Nicola Sturgeon against comparing the performance of Scotland’s NHS to the other parts of the UK.
I don’t know why the two leaders bother bringing notes to FMQs at all. They say the same thing to one another week in week out.
One week, I’m going to bagsie Douglas Ross’s wee podium before he arrives in the chamber and do his bit for him. I know it off by heart.
Aside from the red lipstick and the Yes badge I’d wear on my lapel, you probably wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between us.
Anyway, the First Minister said that NHS pressures are not unique to Scotland and that her government would continue to support the NHS to improve performance.
Douglas Ross asked about the situation with accident and emergency waiting times and issues around delayed discharge.
Completely ignoring Douglas Ross’s instruction that she MUST NOT MENTION ENGLAND, the First Minister did anyway, pointing out that more than 10% of patients visiting A+E in England wait more than twelve hours to be seen.
She then moved on to a lengthy answer about delayed discharges and there was a bit of draaaama in the chamber as the Presiding Officer intervened to urge the First Minister to be brief. Nicola Sturgeon said she would be as brief as possible, but these are important questions that deserve detailed answers.
This remark was met by shocked gasps from the Scottish Tory benches, like when the bold kid in school is cheeky to the teacher and you are excited to see how much trouble they’re going to get into.
When Nicola Sturgeon finished her (not at all brief) reply to Douglas Ross, the latter got up and defended the Presiding Officer’s honour.
"I think the concern from these benches were the First Minister apparently DISRESPECTING the Presiding Officer, who is asking [that the First Minister] focus on the issues!" he trilled.
He went on to say that if Nicola Sturgeon spent a bit more time improving Scotland’s NHS and less time pointing out where Scotland is outperforming other nations of the UK then it might not be the worst, most terrible, most broken, not fit-for-purpose NHS in the whole of the UK. Or something like that.
