TEN THINGS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED THIS WEEK
While Nicola Sturgeon focused on her plan for a divisive second independence referendum, here are ten things that happened under the SNP government this week:
1. New statistics revealed the SNP government has failed cancer patients for the FOURTH year running as waiting time standards were missed again.
2. Victims of rape and sexual assault are being forced to wait days for being examined according to a damning report published by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland. It found that services for rape victims were ‘unacceptable’ and often lagging behind those available in England and Wales.
3. It was revealed there are 6,000 fewer beds in Scotland’s hospitals since the SNP took office in 2007.
4. Hundreds of women who have suffered life-changing injuries because of mesh operations used to treat issues such as post-childbirth incontinence were let down by a whitewash government report which withheld information about the dangers of the implants.
5. The SNP ditched a promise to reduce junior doctors working hours – a promise made after a young female doctor died after driving home following a nightshift.
6. It was announced that the opening of the Queensferry Crossing, the third bridge across the Forth, will be delayed by eight months.
7.The alarming scale of overcrowding on ScotRail trains emerged, with some services recording up to 146% occupancy at rush hour.
8. SNP government minister Keith Brown was forced to apologise for the collapse of a secretive investment deal with two Chinese firms, one of which was revealed to have been named in an Amnesty International report on human rights abuses.
9. The redevelopment of Glasgow’s Queen Street Station has been delayed, MSPs were informed by Network Rail.
10. New figures revealed that fewer students from poorer backgrounds are going to Scotland's ancient universities for the second year in a row.
The SNP government should focus on the job of governing. That means focusing on jobs, growing the economy and helping family incomes. That’s why Labour has set out costed plans to stop the SNP’s £170m cuts to local communities and why we’ll support families by campaigning for an increase in Child Benefit.
On May 4th, there are local elections across Scotland. Only Labour has a plan to move Scotland forward, not backwards with another divisive referendum. Labour will be focused on delivering quality local services, such as schools, social care and standing up for our NHS. Read more here
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