Oor Nicola Sturgeon thread.

[GiGi]

This will be good indeed.

She's callously paying NHS workers more, and she's doing it deliberately.

[Ad Lib]

On 23/03/2021 at 15:42, GordonS said:

"her contract extended."

She's a Senior Civil Servant and permanent employee. Do you not know how anything works? Her terms and conditions are set in Whitehall and she holds her job unless her boss - the Cabinet Secretary, Simon Case - chooses to move her.

Is there any wee voice in your head at all that says "maybe I'm getting this wrong"?

Permanent Secretaries usually serve a finite term in any given role. In Lesley Evans’ case she’s up for rotation next year.

[John Lambies Doos]

This will be good indeed.
She's callously paying NHS workers more, and she's doing it deliberately.

Needs to be a committee imo

[Ad Lib]

On 23/03/2021 at 16:03, Detournement said:

It was reported this way in every paper. 

All permanent secretaries serve at the discretion of the minister. 

This isn’t quite right, though as we saw at the Home Office that can be how it works in practice.

The Senior Civil Service are often rotated between roles, but it is the Home Civil Service’s head (the Cabinet Secretary) who has the initiative to shuffle them.

[ayrmad]

18 minutes ago, John Lambies Doos said:

22 minutes ago, Dunfermline Don said:

It’s great seeing the meltdown from some folk(mainly with Union Flags in their profile) on Twitter about this.
Probably the same people who had been out banging pots and pans every Thursday night a year ago.

She really is always one step ahead

Not really, any old halfwit could have told you she would announce something like that, I'm quite sure a fair chunk of the 55 brigade were saying something similar after the UK pay announcement. 

[John Lambies Doos]

Not really, any old halfwit could have told you she would announce something like that, I'm quite sure a fair chunk of the 55 brigade were saying something similar after the UK pay announcement. 

Glad it's not getting to you [emoji23]

[ayrmad]

2 minutes ago, John Lambies Doos said:

Glad it's not getting to you

It'll not make an iota of difference to me but it certainly doesn't show them up as some sort of political geniuses when the thickest of the thick knew it was coming. 

[GordonS]

18 minutes ago, Ad Lib said:

Permanent Secretaries usually serve a finite term in any given role. In Lesley Evans’ case she’s up for rotation next year.

It's not a contract though, it's a convention.

Among those who know her work she's very highly regarded. 

ETA - the devolved administrations aren't like other government departments, so what's been typical for Perm Secs doesn't necessarily apply.

Edited March 24, 2021 by GordonS

[Gordon EF]

6 minutes ago, ayrmad said:

It'll not make an iota of difference to me but it certainly doesn't show them up as some sort of political geniuses when the thickest of the thick knew it was coming. 

Who was predicting this?

[ayrmad]

1 minute ago, Gordon EF said:

Who was predicting this?

Anyone who can think for themselves. 

[Gordon EF]

2 minutes ago, ayrmad said:

Anyone who can think for themselves. 

So everyone was thinking it, just that nobody bothered to actually say it?

[Tattie36]

6 minutes ago, ayrmad said:

It'll not make an iota of difference to me but it certainly doesn't show them up as some sort of political geniuses when the thickest of the thick knew it was coming. 

You do know how politics works don’t you? Of course political parties try to create policies in order to attract votes. That’s the fucking point... unless you’re the Tory party of course.

[HTG]

1 minute ago, Tattie36 said:

You do know how politics works don’t you? Of course political parties try to create policies in order to attract votes. That’s the fucking point... unless you’re the Tory party of course.

Aye, they tell massive lies, hide in a fridge and avoid any sort of scrutiny. Seems to work for them 

[Baxter Parp]

32 minutes ago, ayrmad said:

It'll not make an iota of difference to me but it certainly doesn't show them up as some sort of political geniuses when the thickest of the thick knew it was coming. 

So you knew?

[alta-pete]

Just wait for the ripples to be dealt with after the election.

Teachers, police, bin men? Just the first three off the top of my head - All key workers, all will (I think) be reasonably entitled to expect they should be viewed through a similar prism by the administration, no? 

[Gordon EF]

3 minutes ago, alta-pete said:

Just wait for the ripples to be dealt with after the election.

Teachers, police, bin men? Just the first three off the top of my head - All key workers, all will (I think) be reasonably entitled to expect they should be viewed through a similar prism by the administration, no? 

True. This is why the real big brain solution is never to improve anything for anyone.

[alta-pete]

3 minutes ago, Gordon EF said:

True. This is why the real big brain solution is never to improve anything for anyone.

The true big brain solution asks what has to get sacrificed to pay for it, surely?  Or are the SG sitting on a big so far unnoticed goodwill fund that they haven’t yet got round spending yet?

And the more that think (perfectly fairly) they are on a par with NHS staff - and please draw your own parameters as to who fits - where would you draw the line?

Money is a scarce resource for most of us and is to be allocated carefully, is it not?

[Gordon EF]

5 minutes ago, alta-pete said:

The true big brain solution asks what has to get sacrificed to pay for it, surely?  Or are the SG sitting on a big so far unnoticed goodwill fund that they haven’t yet got round spending yet?

And the more that think (perfectly fairly) they are on a par with NHS staff - and please draw your own parameters as to who fits - where would you draw the line?

Money is a scarce resource for most of us and is to be allocated carefully, is it not?

These are always considerations though. If you increase spending in one area, you have to find extra revenues or cut elsewhere. Public sector staff aren't all paid the same and don't all receive the same pay increases all the time. It's always the case that some people will feel "if they're getting more, why shouldn't I?"

How is this different to any other public spending decision? If you want to criticise it then criticise it on it's merits. Don't just give vague generic criticisms that could apply to absolutely any spending decision.

[alta-pete]

All of this is correct. And sorry if I’m being unclear, but the bit I was taking slight umbrage at was the SG pulling the NHS 4% payrise out of the hat on the day of the dissolution of parliament without addressing how other key workers would - reasonably? - expect some sort of parity, no? 

I think SG are in for a fairly big fight with just about every other Union early in the next term I’m afraid. Even the trains staff are now under SG’s direct control, best of luck with dealing with ASLEF! 

[Benjamin_Nevis]

22 minutes ago, alta-pete said:

All of this is correct. And sorry if I’m being unclear, but the bit I was taking slight umbrage at was the SG pulling the NHS 4% payrise out of the hat on the day of the dissolution of parliament without addressing how other key workers would - reasonably? - expect some sort of parity, no? 

I think SG are in for a fairly big fight with just about every other Union early in the next term I’m afraid. Even the trains staff are now under SG’s direct control, best of luck with dealing with ASLEF! 

The SG are in a position to offer the NHS a payrise because they are in direct control of NHS Scotland, I assume. 

Binmen and teachers are employed by their local authorities and pay settlements will come from them, as they presumably always have done.