Scotland’s First Minister was grilled over the life expectancy of an average Glaswegian man in comparison to the life expectancy of men from other countries. Algerian, Mexican and Jamaican men all have a higher life expectancy than men from Glasgow. Ms Sturgeon argued these problems can not be placed solely on the current government within Scotland.  

Channel 4’s Cathy Newman asked: “One area where you are absolutely not starting to see improvements despite that extra money going in is on life expectancy. 

“If you’re a Glaswegian man you have a lower life expectancy than a man in Algeria, Mexico, Iran, Jamaica that is shameful isn’t it?”

The SNP leader replied: “To lay that at the door only of the current government would be to misunderstand the roots of these issues. 

“It’s about more than investment in these things so Scotland has issues with diet, alcohol, drugs going back a long time, decades in fact. 

“What we have done in the time we have been in government for example and these things take time to work through. 

“If you take Alcohol misuse which is one of the factors in what you have just quoted to me there. 

“We have become the first country in the world to introduce minimum unit pricing for alcohol.

“In the time we have done that the evidence that we have had shows that it is working.”

Earlier today SNP MP Stephen Gethins was on the end of a scathing attack from Jo Coburn regarding his party’s poor NHS record.

The Politics Live host said: “Steven, health is devolved and we have just made it clear that spending per head is higher in Scotland so I put to you again that it is your own mismanagement.

“So spending per head is higher in Scotland than in other parts of the UK and yet your own eight measures six of them are missed.

“Now you can keep comparing to other parts of the UK but we’re looking at Scotland that is where you’re representing. 

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“Why should voters trust you when you cannot meet the measures you have already set?” 

Mr Gethins replied: “Well, first of all, a little bit of context, which is spending in Scotland is slightly higher it always will be it is a more widespread geographical area. 

“We want to see levels in the UK brought up to  Scottish levels as they are now that would free up an extra four billion pounds for front line services in Scotland.

“That would be a good investment after a decade of austerity.”

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