John Swinney was put under pressure over the SNP's record in government with rival parties attacking the first minister over NHS waiting times and cuts to teacher numbers in Glasgow.

During heated clashes during the BBC Scotland election debate, hosted by presenter Stephen Jardine, the five main party leaders also clashed on independence.

"This election is about getting rid of the Tories, not independence", Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said.

Mr Sarwar, whose party is leading in the polls in the race for Downing Street, made a plea to those who support independence.

READ MORE: BBC Scotland debate: Key exchanges as party leaders clash

“I don’t support independence, I don’t support a referendum, but I can understand why so many people across Scotland were looking for an escape route from a Tory Government,” he said.

Scottish Conservatives leader Douglas Ross said there had been a “decade of division” in Scotland since the independence referendum in 2014.

He insisted independence was “the obsession of the nationalists”, adding: “It’s not the NHS, not the education system, it’s not carers.

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“It’s going to be independence above everything else and Scotland will suffer as a result of that.

“We can do so much better.”

Mr Ross said: “We can have a better future for Scotland if the SNP are beaten at this election and end their obsession with independence.”

READ MORE: Anas Sarwar: Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal

Mr Swinney however stressed it should be “for the people of Scotland to decide the future of Scotland”.

The SNP leader insisted: “People in this country have a democratic right to decide if they wish to be independent.”

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And he said even if the SNP lost in the election the party would continue to make the case for Scotland becoming independent.

“The SNP is a party which believes in Scottish independence,” he told the audience.

“If we accept a continuation of the UK Government in Scotland we are signing up to more austerity.”

During the hour long debate held at Bute Hall in Glasgow University, Mr Swinney had to apologise to a woman whose 93-year-old mother waited six hours for an ambulance last week.

A member of the BBC audience told the story of her mother, asking if the NHS was “broken”.

Responding directly, the First Minister said: “I’m very sorry that your mum had that experience, that shouldn’t have been the case.”

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But the First Minister added the NHS was under “acute pressure” as a result of rising demand.

Turning to delayed discharge, the First Minister added that Scotland’s low unemployment and immigration issues caused by Brexit had led to a depleted social care workforce.

He insisted: “The austerity we are facing in Scotland is direct product of austerity cuts from the United Kingdom Government and Anas Sarwar is going to prolong those cuts within Scotland if his party win the election.”

The Scottish Labour leader said there would be "no austerity" under Labour and told him he agreed about the need to “get rid of this rotten Tory Government”.

He went on to tell the SNP leader: “In 23 days’ time the Tories could be gone if people vote Labour. They could be gone, and we can start changing our country.”

Mr Swinney was also quizzed over his record as education secretary by Mr Ross and by an audience member over cuts to teacher numbers in Glasgow.

“John Swinney was education secretary in Scotland when our Pisa rankings - our international comparison with the rest of the world - plummeted," said Mr Ross.

The member of the audience pressed the First Minister on teacher cuts and how he would tackle the issue.

As part of a recent SNP-Green budget deal, Glasgow City Council is planning to cut up to 450 teaching posts over the next three years.

The Herald has previously reported that the process for carrying out an initial cut of 172 positions is already well underway, and revealed the 45 primary schools that will be worst-affected by the proposals.

"Glasgow and Scottish parents in education are sick of you passing the buck. We're sick of hearing it's Westminster's fault that education is in crisis," the audience member asked Mr Swinney.

The First Minister said there were difficult financial issues and "there's a fixed sum of money that's available to the Scottish Government."

He added: "We've expanded that,, to increase tax, to make more resources available, to invest in our public services, because we were so concerned about the levels of public funding."

Scottish Greens co-leader Ms Slater, pointing to her time in the Scottish Goverment before the collapse of the Bute House Agreement in April, said ministers faced "impossible" decisions because of a squeeze to the size of the block grant from Westminster.

Earlier in the debate, Ms Slater said Scotland's three main parties had let voters down.

“Tonight’s debate isn’t about politicians, it’s about you – you and your family’s future," she said.

“A vote for the Scottish Greens is a vote to tackle the climate crisis. No new drilling for oil and gas, and a switch to 100% renewable energy.”

She added: “The Tories, SNP and Labour have let you down. We are offering an alternative, one that builds a greener, more equal future.”