Today marks 100 days since I was sworn into office as First Minister of Scotland.
It is difficult to convey in words just how much of an honour it is leading the country I love.
It’s true that the SNP as a party has faced challenges in these last few months – but it’s also clear that the new government has made progress for the people of Scotland, particularly in helping those most impacted by the Westminster cost-of-living crisis.
In my first hours in the job, I wanted to make clear my commitment to an inclusive Scotland. I appointed a Cabinet which has a majority of women, and brought forward a new generation of talented ministers into top jobs.
I am also determined for Scotland’s government to be open and accessible, through wide engagement with the public, and, importantly, by reaching out to members of other political parties in a spirit of collaboration.
In the first 100 days, we have defined the core missions of my administration – equality, opportunity, community. And we have delivered substantial measures to help achieve them. The needs of people are at the heart of everything we do, especially during this cost-of-living crisis.
That’s why one of my very first actions as First Minister was to triple funding to help households most vulnerable to
fuel poverty. We’ve extended emergency measures to protect tenants during these difficult times.
We’ve committed £15million to deliver free after school and holiday clubs across Scotland. And now, more than 300,000 families are benefiting from our game-changing Scottish Child Payment – which is unique in the UK.
Work to rebuild and reshape how education is delivered is well underway. Proposals for law reform will put victims and witnesses at the heart of our justice system and reduce the risk of reoffending – helping to keep crime down and communities safe.
We are consulting on council tax reforms to tackle the problem of second homes that lie empty.
And we have provided funding to help Scotland’s successful food and drink sector to grow sustainably over the next five years. I am absolutely committed to ensuring that our National Health Service recovers from the Covid pandemic – not just to its pre-pandemic level but beyond.
We are making progress in cutting NHS waiting lists. And I recently announced the biggest pay uplift since devolution for senior medical and dental staff.
I announced further Scottish Government investment in cancer support services – to ensure that everyone diagnosed with cancer in Scotland has access to a key support worker. We have also launched a new 10-year cancer strategy to improve survival rates.
One area I have prioritised is resetting the government’s relationship with business across Scotland – to help maximise the opportunities of the wellbeing economy, and create new and secure jobs.
On the climate emergency, I am clear that Scotland’s future is in unleashing Scotland’s renewable and hydrogen potential, not in unlimited extraction of oil and gas.
Of course, we must ensure that the necessary transition away from fossil fuels to reach net-zero is sustainable and fair – one which supports workers in the north-east, in stark contrast to the Tories’ abandonment of our mining and steel communities in the 1980s and 1990s.
And when it comes to reducing poverty, especially child poverty, we need to look to the long-term and ensure that Scotland is one of the best places in the world to grow up. The Scottish Government’s actions are estimated to lift 90,000 children out of poverty this year alone.
The priorities of this government – centred on my missions of equality, opportunity and community – are, of course, rooted in today’s reality.
But they also show how we can shape a brighter tomorrow.
This is only the beginning, and I pledge that my government will continue to stand up for the interests of Scotland, and deliver on the issues that matter to all the people who live here.
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