Humza Yousaf to outline new government priorities

Humza Yousaf will set out his key priorities in his first major statement to parliament today.  

The First Minister will publish a policy prospectus alongside the statement, which will list the outcomes the Scottish Government will aim to deliver for communities and businesses over the next three years. 

The government has said that the work to achieve these outcomes is expected to fall under three key missions of equality, opportunity, and community, building on its legislative agenda in the Programme for Government and the Bute House Agreement. 

Yousaf said: “In just under three weeks, this government has tripled our support for households struggling with high energy bills with our £30 million Fuel Insecurity Fund, announced an additional £25 million to help the North East become the net zero capital of the world, and reinforced our commitment to supporting families with a £15 million investment in free high-quality school-age childcare. 

“These measures will make a real difference and have come as a response to the challenges presented by our ongoing recovery from the Covid pandemic and a cost-of-living crisis exacerbated by Brexit and the UK Government’s economic mismanagement, as well as climate change impacts and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

“These challenging times we live in call for us to share a fresh vision of how we face them.  

“My Cabinet has considered how we can build a better future for Scotland and the outcomes necessary to achieve that – through a determined focus on reducing poverty and strengthening public services, seizing the opportunity to build a growing and green wellbeing economy through the net zero transition and supporting business, and reaffirming our commitment to equality, inclusion, and human rights in everything we do. 

“We will do so using the powers of devolution to their maximum, whilst making the case that as an independent nation, we can do so much more to make Scotland a wealthier, fairer, and greener country. 

“I have promised to lead Scotland in the interests of all our people. I am grateful to my Cabinet and Ministerial colleagues for the major steps we’ve already taken towards that aim, and I look forward to updating Parliament on our plans for the next three years this afternoon.”