The Scottish Government

Nicola Sturgeon, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing

Friday, November 30, 2007

This is the first St Andrew's Day under an SNP Government, a day to celebrate Scotland at home and across the world.

It is an opportunity to recall our rich history, to think of the future and of the potential of this great country of ours.

On August 14 we launched the National Conversation. It is an attempt to avoid the political shouting matches that are a complete turn off for most people. It seeks to engage the people of Scotland in a mature conversation about Scotland's constitutional future.

I was reminded of the importance of the National Conversation when I read comments posted by the 'Livilion' on August 25: "This is the first time in my life that any Government has asked for my opinion, and being able to share it without them first deciding whether it was on message or not.'

Since coming into Government I have become ever more convinced of the need for change and the evidence of the National Conversation is that ordinary people are interested in the future. There have been over 240,000 hits on this website and contributions in their thousands from all shades of opinion.

I believe that Scotland has the talent and the potential to become one of big success stories of the 21st Century. I believe an independent Scotland can match the success of countries like independent Norway - the best place in the world to live according to the United Nations. Many contributors agree.

On August 30 Spiderman said if we 'improve national confidence, growth and opportunity and there is no limit to Scotland's future… imagine the potential if we had control of our own economy, education and industrial growth… Go for it in a non isolationist… inclusive light'.

Andrew in Aberdeen on November 9 said: "Independence is not about England. It's about a nation having the confidence to take responsibility and not to blame others for things that don't work."

We make no secret of our desire for independence but we know not everyone agrees with us. Some want more powers short of independence. Some want the status quo.

It is all part of the conversation. Not talking about the future isn't an option. I would encourage everyone with an interest in Scotland's future to get involved.

Happy St Andrew's Day!

This blog is now closed to further comments.

Comments

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• 41. G Goodall - Glenrothes

  Thursday, January 17, 2008 14:08

  #40
  
  I'm proud to be a Scot too, and I only travel round the world on holiday. I have no problems with anyone recognising me as a Scot as opposed to English.
  
  I hope people identify with me as a typical Scot not the blustering First Minister who tries to give the impression that he is giving the Scottish people a new meaning to life.
  
  If being First Minister means chasing American billionaires with a begging bowl instead of standing up for Scottish citizens rights to dictate who builds what and where, then I feel my stature as a proud Scot is seriously diminished.
  
  Instead of pleading with Mr Trump's representatives perhaps demanding that the development include social and affordable housing, as would be expected of a SCOTTISH developer, would have served his cause and the Scottish people better.
  
  Can we assume that the embattled farmer who has no wish to sell up will NOT be subject of a compulsary purchase order to further improve the incentive for Mr Trump to go ahead with this project?
  
  Are we also getting a flavour of how it will be for us under a CONSERVATIVE government in Holyrood?
  
  Why is it that a similar investment in value in Rosyth does not receive a mention? Because it comes from Westminster?

• 42. kim mcquillan - dundee

  Thursday, January 17, 2008 19:11

  i have worked in the health service for 26 years and to be honest as a [previously] die hard labour voter i was totally disgusted that nobody seemed to care that there was so much mismanagement in the nhs.far too many managers making decisions about patients, who haven't set foot in a ward or whose visit is heavily orchestrated and pre planned - who they talk to, what they see.never seeing the true shambles our health service has become.middle managers attending commitees and to be lying.giving the commitees what they want to hear.
  i think nicola sturgeon has listened to people and for the first time in a long time i feel a bit optimistic.she won't always get it right.
  her predecessor was totally out of touch and ineffective posturing and setting up 'steering groups 'etc that look good on paper but change nothing have destroyed our health service.ms sturgeon you are doing well whatever you can achieve we are very grateful for

• 43. sid burnett - aberdeenshire

  Friday, January 18, 2008 09:08

  poor guy on the grampian news the other night refused a new drug treatment by grampian health board ont he grounds of expense.we can afford to spend bilions on wars in iraq and afghanistan though.

• 44. sid burnett - aberdeenshire

  Sunday, January 20, 2008 08:30

  reading about the aberdeen man dying of bowl cancer who has been told by aberdeen n.h.s. trust that they cant afford the medication. instead of the scottish tax payers money going to london to help fight illegal wars the money might be better spent on medicines for the sick in this country

• 45. Lewis Beattie - Edinburgh

  Friday, January 25, 2008 10:57

  Nicola was the one person who I watched on the TV that convinced me that the SNP were needed in power.
  My only issue is the EU. Do we join fully or opt out?

• 46. EU here we come? - Fife

  Tuesday, January 29, 2008 11:28

  #45
  Lewis Beattie
  
  Your leader says we will join the EU and adopt the Euro, Lewis.
  

• 47. Eilidh M - Grangemouth

  Monday, February 4, 2008 11:18

  Independence is deffiantly the way to go. England is talking our oil and the thanks we get is them dumping there rubbish in our countryside. Give Scots the freedom we deserve and see how long England last without us.

• 48. jacquie Johnstone - Sutherland

  Tuesday, February 5, 2008 05:56

  I am increasingly worried about the lack of funding in Aberdeenshire,apart from failing to meet cancer patients needs,home care is now suffering.
  A severly disabled young woman now being denied the lift to the day centre,yes she can get there by mini bus,which is not equipped to take her wheelchair,no guarantee of her getting home,no escort.
  Are we now at the stage of denying the most needy the little help that was available?
  From information recieved from friends it seems that Aberdeenshire Health Care is in a turmoil,the Oil capital of europe? unable to give basic care to their own?
  Think I would be looking at the management structure and finding just where the over spending has occured,a clean sweep starting at the top would be my answer,I am sure adequately qualified people would be available at a fraction of the cost to the council tax payer.

• 49. G Goodall - Glenrothes

  Sunday, February 10, 2008 00:28

  #48 Jaqui
  
  Don't you know that there is no such thing as a free lunch. Freezing the Council Tax means that the shortfall has to be made up some other way, cutting services is only the start!
  
  In saving me a possible £60 (4%)increase in Council Tax my daughter has to pay out more than that to let her daughter go swimming and to the gymnastics class. I will probably have similar increases in using the gym facilities for badmington and fitness.
  
  The increases others have to pay have been well documented by Politics Scotland and other contributors to these blogs.

• 50. Ron Burgundy - glasgow

  Tuesday, February 12, 2008 12:59

  I see Ms Sturgeon manages to completely ignore any allusion to health and wellbeing in her blurb.
  
  Ridiculous.

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