SATURDAY marked the 20th anniversary of 9/11. It’s difficult to believe that it’s been two decades since those horrific terror attacks.

Indeed, no-one old enough to remember will ever forget where they were, and the sense of utter shock and disbelief, as the sheer horror of that day unfolded before our eyes.

Twenty years on, I’m sure that we are all thinking of the victims – all those who died that day and in the conflicts that followed and all those left behind to grieve – and hoping for a more peaceful world for future generations.

Last week, here at home, I was proud to set out the Scottish Government’s latest Programme for Government.

Our Programme for Government details our work to support recovery from Covid and our plans to shape, in the wake of Covid, a fairer, greener and more prosperous future.

It outlines how we will support economic prosperity, improve public services, and invest in schools and childcare. It aims to deliver for those who live and work in Scotland today but also invest heavily in future generations, and it takes further steps to ensure that Scotland lives up to our global responsibilities.

Setting out my government’s legislative agenda for the year ahead is always a big day – but never more so than this year. Our country is still wrestling with Covid, which continues to have a profound impact on our health, economy and society.

The immediate priority of the Scottish Government will continue to be getting Scotland through and out of the pandemic. We are currently seeing a rise in cases, and despite the progress we have made over the last few months, our situation is a fragile one.

I want to take this opportunity to say a heartfelt thank you to people across the country for the considerable efforts and many sacrifices that have been made to fight the virus and protect our NHS. But I also want to issue a strong and heartfelt appeal to please keep it up.

We must all remain vigilant, play our part, and protect the progress we have made over the past few months.

In these deeply challenging and uncertain times, it has never been more important for governments to take bold steps to support and protect our citizens, communities and public services.

I’m extremely proud of the SNP’s achievements in government so far. But the pandemic has turned life as we know it upside down – and as we recover, we have an opportunity to do things differently and reimagine how our society and economy can be.

Beyond the immediate priority of getting Scotland through Covid, the year ahead will be crucial.

Our health and care services have performed magnificently in the most difficult of circumstances imaginable, but they remain under intense pressure.

To support the NHS, our Programme for Government announced a recovery plan backed by more than £1 billion of targeted investment – as part of a total £2.5bn rise in health spending – to increase NHS capacity and make sure everyone gets the treatment they need as quickly as possible.

We have also committed to abolishing dental charges for all and investing an additional £120 million in mental health services. And we will establish a National Care Service.

We also have bold plans in education. Since the election, we have already abolished music tuition fees in schools and extended universal provision of school meals to children in P4.

To further support our young people, over the course of the parliament, we will extend free school meals to all primary school pupils all year round. And we will increase the new and unique Scottish Child Payment from £10 to £20 per child per week as soon as possible.

As the eyes of the world turn to Glasgow with the COP26 conference coming up in November, we will also show global leadership in tackling the climate crisis, invest in new, green jobs, and ensure a fair and just transition to becoming a net zero country.

I truly believe that the differences between the governments at Holyrood and Westminster have never been starker. Building a better future for those who come after us should be the ambition of any government – but the UK Government is sadly lacking that ambition, and taking choices which are already having a severe impact here.

While the Tories at Westminster announce plans to break manifesto promises, cut Universal Credit payments, and impose a tax hike which will unfairly penalise young people and those on lower incomes – the Scottish Government is getting on with the job of delivering bold policies which will make a real difference to people’s lives.

The role of governments across the world is to protect people, businesses and public services and repay each and every person for the sacrifices they have made and the part they have played in helping to suppress the spread of Covid.

Our programme recognises that and sets out detailed plans to address the big challenges we face, deliver change for people across the country, and work to transform our nation and the lives of those who live here.