Susan

Over the election campaign, I said I would put the cost of living at the top of our agenda – and that is exactly how I will govern. This week I will appoint the new SNP ministerial team so we can immediately get on with the job. My Daily Record column today. 👇

I don't believe it is equivalent to speaking in Shona in a general debate. I didn't mean to imply that those two are the same. That said, I do not believe that the Scottish Parliament's current language policy draws a distinction between the two contexts, in that I do not believe there would be anything preventing Maggie Chapman requesting to speak in Shona during a debate. In terms of the problem, on one level, I agree with you. It's a few minutes of someone speaking a language other than English. So what? The problem, as I see it, is that it turns the oath into something it is not. It becomes an opportunity for signalling something other than agreement to the oath. It changes the nature of the moment - from a solemn commitment to uphold the office to an individualistic political, ideological or identity-based statement opportunity. Add the keffiyeh into the mix and we've essentially lost the meaning of the oath altogether underneath all the personal signals being prioritised. The oath is meant to be a universal commitment - a binding, connecting moment, not a personal soapbox. If we accept this ceremony becoming a soapbox, then I think that is a problem...or maybe a symptom of a wider problem.

"No, I don't subscribe to this 'kindness' - I'll tell the truth instead." I spoke at the Cambridge Union last night about LGBs, children's safety and women's rights. Full video here:

Made it home 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿