Bairns not bombs

Today we had another flying visit to Scotland by the Prime Minister. His visit coincided with news that £642 million more is to be spent on Trident renewal, a further attempt by the Tories to pre-empt a Commons vote on whether to go ahead with the project. My position, the SNP’s position is simple. Nuclear weapons are immoral and have no strategic value in preventing conflicts in today’s world. At a time of enforced austerity, £167 billion would be better invested in our vital public services not new nuclear weapons. So join with me and add your voice against Trident renewal. Yesterday was World Book Day. I really enjoyed seeing all the pictures on Facebook of children dressed up for their school celebrations. I love reading. I have less time for it these days. But I know what reading gave me during my childhood. And I know what a love of reading led to in terms of opportunities in my life. So, I’ve launched the First Minister’s Reading Challenge. Research shows that reading for fun and personal enjoyment is more important for a child’s success at school. From this autumn, children in Primaries 4 to 7 will be encouraged to read as many books as possible. My hope is that we can encourage this age group to catch the bug for reading. If they do, they’ll keep reading for life. Finally, I look forward to seeing many of you at spring conference next weekend. With eight days to go until we meet in Glasgow, why not check out what your local campaign is up to before then. Nicola Sturgeon SNP Leader