Swinney faces questions after assisted dying vote and immigration row
John Swinney will face FMQs on Thursday, days after the Scottish Parliament voted in favour of taking a landmark first step toward legalising assisted dying.
The First Minister voted against the bill, which would give terminally ill patients the option of requesting help to end their own lives, on Tuesday evening.
However, it was voted past the first stage 70 to 56, with one abstention.
FMQs is also coming just days after Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned that the UK risks becoming an 'island of strangers' while announcing an immigration crackdown.
On Monday, the UK Labour Government outlined a suite of proposals to control and crack down on both legal and illegal immigration.
Amongst the proposals, migrants would need to spend up to a decade in the UK before they can apply for citizenship.
Starmer also wants to end the recruitment of care workers from abroad, cut the number of visas for lower-skilled workers by up to 50,000, and ramp up English language requirements across the board.
Immediately after the announcement, Swinney branded the proposals as 'damaging' to the Scottish economy, NHS, social care, and universities.
He said Starmer's proposals used the sort of 'divisive language' that 'only plays into Nigel Farage's hands'.
The First Minister will also be asked about what steps the Scottish Government is taking to address NHS 24 performance, and what assessment the Government has made of the recently announced UK-USA trade deal for Scottish businesses.
FMQs will be broadcast from the Scottish Parliament chamber at noon on Thursday.
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