Welcome to The Press and Journal morning politics briefing: it’s everything you need to know about politics in your region, and across the country, before you start your day.
New this morning:
- Willie Rennie, in an exclusive interview, claims there are no “reasonable” circumstances to hold another independence referendum.
- The Scottish Conservatives are unveiling plans to spend £600 million on tackling the NHS treatment backlog and £200m on repairing potholes.
- Politicians are being urged to seize the social and economic benefits that would come with making Scotland the world’s first “rewilding nation”.
- Politicians may be “raising unrealistic public expectations” about the amount of work the NHS in Scotland can do after the coronavirus pandemic, leading doctors have warned.
- The Tory MP leading a Commons committee investigating lobbying is confident there is bipartisan support for “meaningful change” in the wake of the Greensill Capital controversy.
Coming up today:
- Coming up on Election Hub Live today we’ll be sharing more interview insights from our in-depth conversation with Willie Rennie; hearing from The Courier editor David Clegg with his assessment of the Liberal Democrat leader’s performance; and hearing from the Scottish Conservatives on the day their election manifesto launches in Glasgow. Watch live at 2pm on our website and Facebook page, or catch the re/stream at any time afterwards, on all your devices.
- Nicola Sturgeon will discuss SNP plans for wrap-around childcare and economic recovery.
- Scottish Conservatives unveil their manifesto will plans to rebuild the economy and avoid a referendum.
- Scottish Greens will visit Comrie to discuss plans to create thousands of rural jobs.
- Scottish Labour’s Anas Sarwar will be at a ‘baby bank’ to outline proposals to support parents and carers in hardship.
- Willie Rennie, the Scottish Lib Dem leader, will be on the campaign trail in Cluny, Fife.
In case you missed it:
- “Neglected” rural communities must not be left behind during
- Anas Sarwar says Scottish Labour’s manifesto launch has been delayed to Thursday due to an “unscheduled” coronavirus announcement from the Scottish Government set for Tuesday.
- Nicola Sturgeon has insisted that her key NHS spending pledge is only a “backstop” and funding could be even higher than proposed by the SNP.
- Nicola Sturgeon has accused Alex Salmond’s Alba Party of jeopardising Scottish independence by attempting to “bulldoze” forward in a way that is “contemptuous” of the voters who are key to a Yes victory.
- Scottish Election 2021: Here’s what happened on the campaign trail on April 18.