Humza Yousaf will want to work quickly to establish himself in office as Scotland’s new First Minister.
He convinced a slim majority of SNP members last week that he was the right person for the job.
Now he must prove to the rest of the country he has what it takes.
With an in-tray from hell, there are few easy wins available to him. But imposing buffer zones outside abortion clinics would be a huge step forward.
There is broad support among MSPs to limit where anti-abortion demos can take place.
No one wants to clamp down on a person’s right to express themselves. But women should not be harassed while they are in such a difficult and stressful situation.
Demonstrations must be kept away from the front doors of clinics.
Dr Greg Irwin, a consultant at Glasgow Children’s Hospital, was praised after he recently confronted an anti-abortion vigil. In a message to Yousaf, Dr Irwin has now called for the buffer zone Bill to be pushed through as a matter of priority.
It comes after around 100 protesters gathered at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital for their last vigil after almost six weeks of protests. No one should be bullied when making life-changing decisions about their health.
If people want to protest, that is their choice but they should keep their distance and stop harassing vulnerable women. They could always listen to Nicola Sturgeon and protest outside the Scottish Parliament.
The new First Minister should do all he can to heed Doctor Irwin’s call.
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our newsletter here.
