13 April 2017

This week the First Minister gave the keynote speech at the Political Studies Association Annual Assembly in Glasgow.

Speaking about a referendum in late 2018 or early 2019, she said:

As First Minister, I promise to lead by example.  After all, the Scottish Government has a special responsibility to build consensus where we can. So I will ensure that at all times we make our case – not just with passion and conviction – but with courtesy, empathy and respect.”

The First Minister praised the work of the Political Studies Association and other organisations who have made it part of their mission to help the public and the media to understand issues better:

“…experts do make an important and positive difference – not just to the academic understanding of political issues, but also to wider public debate and to the very health of our democracy…”

Thanks to @ScotGovFM for championing the role of independent academic experts! #PSA17 #polsci pic.twitter.com/dw9fa4wBWE

— PSA (@PolStudiesAssoc) April 11, 2017