One for the ladies

Apparently the opinion polls show a gender gap in the SNP vote, with women less likely to vote SNP than men.

John Curtice - pollster and commentator - attributes this gender gap to an aversion among women voters in Scotland to the 'constitutional debate'.

However, the idea that the debate about Scotland's constitutional future is somehow separate from all of the other issues that concern people in Scotland is absurd.

Unfortunately, this myth is something that is regularly reinforced by the media. For example, the Sunday Post is asking voters to contact the newspaper about issues that concern them. They say:

"Are independence or more powers for Holyrood the dominant themes?"

"Or are you more bothered by bread-and-butter concerns like education, health and crime?"

Why the distinction?

The reason that we want and NEED independence is so that we can tackle the bread-and-butter issues. We want independence so that - among other things - we can introduce truly affordable childcare and more flexible working , which would make the lives of many working women a lot easier. With our resources controlled by London, and employment policies reserved to Westminster, it is clear that we need independence to make progress in these areas.

We also want independence so that we can eradicate poverty in Scotland. To do that we need control over tax and social security, and economic powers. As poverty is a major fuel for low educational attainment, poor health and crime, then it doesn't take a genius to make the link between the vast array of issues that concern people in Scotland and the SNP's proposed starting point for creating solutions - independence. With independence, our Parliament will have the powers to tackle the causes of the challenges facing Scotland in the 21st century.

It's time for Scotland's Parliament to have the powers it needs to address the priorities of the people of Scotland.