SNP conference: Ruth Davidson jokingly compared to Katie Hopkins
Deputy first minister John Swinney jokes about the Scottish Tory leader as he reveals new funds for teacher training.
Sunday 8 October 2017 17:18, UK
Scotland's deputy first minister has jokingly compared Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson to controversial commentator Katie Hopkins as he announced a new bursary scheme for teachers.
Speaking on the first day of the , Scottish Government Education Secretary John Swinney urged party members to ignore the "deliberate misrepresentation" of the country's schools' standards by political opponents.
Turning his fire on rival parties in a strident defence of the SNP's education record, the MSP quipped: "We will not be listening to right-wing, educationally ill-informed Twitter personalities who haven't done their homework.
"And no, I don't mean Katie Hopkins. I mean Ruth Davidson."
Mr Swinney insisted Scotland "has a fundamentally strong education system" as he used his conference speech to announce a new bursary scheme for those looking to move into teaching from other careers, worth £20,000 per person.
The scheme will be focused on recruiting science, technology, engineering and maths teachers, with Mr Swinney pledging a "relentless focus" on handing "more power and more resources" to teachers.
Education standards have become a bitter battleground for Scottish politicians since the country's schools recorded their worst ever performance in an influential international survey of pupils in December last year.
At the time, the SNP - which has been in power at Holyrood since 2007 - admitted the results made "uncomfortable reading".
Last month, teaching unions and the Scottish Government issued a warning to state schools after Ms Hopkins offered free talks to pupils aged 14 to 16 on controversial subjects such as Brexit, Donald Trump and the Black Lives Matter campaign.
The columnist recently left her job with LBC Radio after suggesting a "final solution" was needed in the wake of the Manchester Arena terror attack.
A spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives told Sky News: "John Swinney is one of the more credible Nat MSPs.
"But this shows what can happen even to people like him when the only thing they've ever cared about politically is slipping away."
Mr Swinney also used his conference speech to call for the SNP to "rededicate ourselves to independence", despite their conference being held amid fresh doubts over the prospect of a second referendum on the issue.
Earlier, SNP leader and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told ITV it would be "premature" to set a date for another independence vote, despite having previously said a referendum should be held between autumn 2018 and spring 2019.
Ms Sturgeon, who has seen her party lose seats at both Westminster and Edinburgh in recent elections, admitted she had "accepted" the Scottish Government "need to let the dust settle" on the "uncertainty of Brexit" but insisted she still has a "mandate" to call a vote.
Labour and the Tories hit out at Ms Sturgeon for not ruling out a second independence vote in the lifetime of the current Scottish parliament.