First Minister's Questions 4th September 2025

Podcasts By The Scottish Parliament

The Scottish Parliament

Government

4.8 • 25 Ratings

🗓️ 4 September 2025

⏱️ 47 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The First Minister answers questions from Party Leaders and other MSPs in this weekly question time. Topics covered this week include: Evelyn Tweed To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to reduce the number of road traffic incidents on the trunk road network, in light of reports of a number of serious accidents over the summer. Tess White To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on the steps that the Scottish Government is taking as a result of the Supreme Court judgment in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers Alex Rowley To ask the First Minister, in light of SEPA's warnings of water scarcity over the summer and the introduction of restrictions on water abstraction last week in some areas, including North Fife, what action the Scottish Government is taking to secure water supply in Scotland in the face of changing climate conditions. A full transcript of this week's First Minister's Questions is available here: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament/recent-publication?meeting=16549&iob=141274

Transcript

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0:00.0	Ewing's question. Indeed, he will no doubt have made a submission to that review. I'll be happy to
0:04.3	see if he wishes to forward it to me.
0:06.9	Thank you. That concludes general questions. The next item of business is First Minister's
0:11.5	questions. At question number one, I call Russell Finley.
0:14.4	Thank you, Mr President. More than four out of five businesses in Scotland fear they might go bust
0:18.9	within 12 months. Around one in six people in Scotland
0:22.7	are trapped on NHS waiting lists, with tens of thousands forced to pay for private treatment.
0:29.5	Drugs deaths are still the worst in Europe, with 4,570 lives lost since the SMP declared a national mission. All those issues need the government's
0:43.3	urgent attention now. So why on earth did John Swinney give a speech today all about independence?
0:49.3	First Minister.
0:52.3	Let me reassure, Russell Finley, that all these issues command my attention
1:00.5	and they are the constant focus of the work of my ministers, my Cabinet and my own personal attention as First Minister,
1:08.8	because, as I said this morning I am absolutely
1:12.1	determined to focus on the priorities of the people of Scotland and one of the
1:16.7	things the people of Scotland are concerned about is their standard of living has
1:20.4	been static for most of the last ten years of austerity bequeathed to us by the
1:25.5	Conservative Government and what independence offers for Scotland is a fresh start.
1:32.3	Thank you.
1:33.3	What independence offers for Scotland is a fresh start?
1:37.3	And that will be positively welcomed by the people of Scotland.
1:40.3	Russell Finley.
1:42.3	The title of John Swinney's speech today was respecting Scotland's right to decide.
	...

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