At the time of writing Liz Truss is still Prime Minister, but by the time you read this she may well be gone.

The UK Government is in utter chaos. Not only did Liz Truss sack the Chancellor she appointed just 38 days before, but she has been fighting a losing battle for her own job from the moment she entered No 10.

You could laugh at the absurdity of it all were the consequences not so grave. Tory turmoil and calamity isn’t just about the Westminster political bubble. It has a direct effect on the wellbeing of tens of millions of people already struggling to put food on the table, keep their homes warm or pay their mortgages.

Meanwhile, here in Scotland the party of government continues to get on with the job of putting people first.

At the Scottish Parliament and in local authorities across the country, the SNP is providing practical support to households facing the daily consequences of Westminster agendas. But we’re also offering a more progressive and more equal alternative to the torrents of disastrous policies and agendas which flood out of Westminster.

Last week’s SNP conference in Aberdeen couldn’t have made the contrast with the unfolding mayhem in Westminster any starker.

My Glasgow SNP colleagues led from the front on a wide range of issues affecting our communities, our country and our planet. From the appalling racism directed at pupils and teachers at St Albert’s Primary in Pollokshields to the women’s protests in Iran, from divesting pension investments from fossil fuel companies to community wealth-building, the Glasgow team made our mark.

But it was the ambition, pledges and positivity of the First Minister’s conference keynote address that highlighted the gulf between the priorities in Scotland and Westminster most of all.

With concerns about the cost-of-living crisis over the winter months mounting by the day, Nicola Sturgeon announced that around 145,000 children in Scotland will soon be benefitting from extra financial support.

The First Minister pledged to double the Bridging Payment to those families not yet eligible for the Scottish Child Payment to £260.

In the face of soaring food and energy costs this offers many families respite in the run-up to Christmas.

With the First Minister also confirming that the Scottish Child Payment - the only financial support of its kind in the UK - would rise to £25 per week and extend to all children under 16, it’s clear that our Government at Holyrood is prepared to act for the benefit of people and communities in Glasgow and across Scotland. 

Call me cynical, but the evidence of 12 years of hammering the poor tells me that whoever ends up in the Tory hotseat, they won’t be prioritising the support of struggling households at their time of greatest need.

From the bedroom tax to the benefits cap, the Scottish Government continues to spend hundreds of millions of pounds just to mitigate UK policies we never voted for. And it begs the question: just how long do we have to put up with this for? Because we should be clear on one thing. The escalation of the economic and energy crisis should of course be laid at the door of Liz Truss and her Tory cronies.

But the ongoing shambles in which the UK finds itself is a consequence of Brexit Britain and the courting and promotion of the worst political traits and cultures. Independence remains the best way forward for Scotland, a route out of Westminster’s mismanagement and onto a future that fulfils our potential and lets us play our part in the international family of progressive and successful nations.

The First Minister made an incredibly compelling and pressing case for independence, but she also spelled out that road to it must be both legal and democratic.

As readers will know, the decision on whether Scotland’s Parliament has the right to legislate for Scotland’s people to choose their own future currently rests with the UK Supreme Court. Of course, I hope the judges allow us to proceed with plans for a referendum next October, but if they rule against us, it will simple expose once again the limits of our democratic ability to respond at a time when Holyrood’s powers are already under threat of being dismantled by the Tories.

The case for independence isn’t a diversion from the challenges Scots face day and daily. Our commitment to a better, more prosperous, more equal Scotland perfectly aligns and compliments our continuing work on the ground.

We are delivering a better today to build a better tomorrow.

Welcome Places

Supporting people living on low incomes has been an SNP priority from day one of our administration and this week we rolled out more practical support to do just that.

Starting Monday, almost 30 council and community venues have begun offering sanctuary and support to those impacted by the cost-of-living and energy crises.

From Yoker to Castlemilk, Easterhouse to Pollok, and communities in between, Welcome Places will provide residents with somewhere warm and comfortable, but also advice and support, access to services, refreshments and the use of wifi and PCs in some venues.

No one wants to be in a situation where Welcome Places are needed and provided, but the impact of Tory policies is a major threat to the wellbeing of far too many citizens for us not to step in.

Holiday food and activity programme

And this week saw thousands of children again take advantage of the holiday food and activity programme at dozens of community-based venues across Glasgow.

Although the cost-of-living crisis has escalated in recent months, it’s been a fact of life for too many Glaswegian families long before the current headlines.  

That’s why we started the programme over four years ago, meeting a demand that hadn’t been addressed by previous administrations. And working in partnership with dozens of grassroots community groups and opening it to everyone who wants to take part, has made for a genuinely inclusive programme.

That’s why it’s gone from strength to strength, with more projects than ever this year, and is something myself and Glasgow SNP colleagues are rightly proud of.