London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 30, 2025

Nicola Sturgeon starts work on a new push for Scottish independence

Nicola Sturgeon starts work on a new push for Scottish independence

First minister unveils legislative programme including referendum and policies agreed with Greens
Nicola Sturgeon has told civil servants to start making a new case for independence, which offers people “an informed choice on Scotland’s future” in the Scottish government’s first legislative programme since last month’s cooperation deal with the Scottish Greens.

Bills to set up a national care service and reform the Gender Recognition Act, as well as proposals for private sector rent controls by the end of this year, all featured in Sturgeon’s plan for the year to come in Holyrood.

The legislative programme follows the Scottish election campaign in May and is a look into her plans to fulfil the pledges made both in the SNP manifesto and in the pact signed with the Greens this summer. Sturgeon recommitted to one key plank of the power-sharing deal to hold a referendum on independence within the first half of this parliament and before the end of 2023.

Stating that the “immediate priority of this government is to lead Scotland out of the pandemic”, Sturgeon also pledged measures to tackle the country’s continuing stark rates of child poverty, including a delivery plan for “wraparound childcare”, offering care for families on low incomes before and after school and during holidays.

It also made good on the SNP manifesto commitment to increase the Scottish child payment from £10 to £20 a child a week “as early within the life of the parliament as possible”.

Sturgeon also announced pilots of a four-day working week, backed by a £10m fund for participating companies, work to develop a minimum income guarantee, a consultation on Scots law’s controversial not proven verdict and a miners’ pardon bill to provide a collective pardon for those convicted of certain offences during the 1984-85 strike.

But the programme, which is akin to the Queen’s speech in the Westminster parliament, was dismissed by Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar as “a plan that isn’t good enough, it isn’t bold enough and it won’t do enough”.

“Barely a week goes by without someone from the government’s frontbenches declaring something mundane, re-badged or self-serving as ‘historic’,” he said. “But the dire truth is that despite the SNP’s rhetoric, the only thing historic today is the levels of child poverty on our streets, the numbers waiting for treatment in our hospitals, and the depth of the economic crisis facing Scotland.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton raised particular concerns about a centralised social care service, describing it as “a gimmick and a ministerial power grab. Scottish Liberal Democrats stand with the RCN and other stakeholders who believe these proposals will distract from and delay implementation of other important reforms.”

While Cole-Hamilton criticised Scottish Greens for “giving up any premise of opposition”, they insisted that they had “heavily influenced” the programme, pointing to commitments to dedicate at least 10% of the transport budget to active travel by 2024-25 and £1.8bn over the course of the parliament to net zero buildings.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
×