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Nicola Sturgeon will make the announcement as MSPs return to Holyrood
Climate change, the economy and building a fairer country are central to the Scottish government’s plans for next year, Nicola Sturgeon has said.
The first minister is due to announce the programme for government as MSPs return to Holyrood on Tuesday.
Speaking ahead of the unveiling, Ms Sturgeon said the Scottish government would do “everything in its power” to prevent a no-deal Brexit.
She also said there had been a “meltdown” at Westminster.
Ms Sturgeon told BBC Good Morning Scotland on Monday that she would set out a “very ambitious package of measures”.
She added that a “big focus” would be on reducing emissions from transport, while consideration would also be given to areas including heating, agriculture and land use.
The government is aiming to reach net-zero emissions by 2045, having declared a “climate emergency” earlier this year.
However Scottish Green co-leader Patrick Harvie said “there has been little in the way of an emergency response since”.
‘Extraordinary political times’
The programme, titled Protecting Scotland’s Future, will include 14 new bills as well as a raft of non-legislative announcements.
Ms Sturgeon said: “The plans I set out today will continue our efforts to combat the global climate emergency, while also taking steps to strengthen our economy and help build a fairer country.
“But today’s programme for government is launched in extraordinary political times.
“The UK is in the middle of a constitutional crisis, unprecedented in peacetime as we face being driven off the cliff of a no-deal Brexit by an out-of-control Tory government.
“The Scottish government and the SNP will do everything in our power to try to prevent that outcome.
“Scotland did not vote for any form of Brexit and having a catastrophic no-deal Brexit imposed on us is completely unacceptable.”
Nationalist ‘obsession’
Ms Sturgeon added that while “getting on with the job”, the SNP would continue their plans for a second independence referendum.
However Scottish Conservative chief whip Maurice Golden said the first minister had failed to deliver on previous promises made.
He said: “Every year Nicola Sturgeon sets out a range of warm-worded promises and every year she fails to deliver.
“This is what happens when a nationalist government obsesses about breaking up Britain at the cost of the everyday priorities that should be its concern.”
