Hansard

We are not going to get back that couple of minutes. Paul Martin has offered a complete work of fiction; let me offer the chamber some facts.

First, the programme for government’s timing will see all bills progressing to the same timescale as if the programme had been introduced on the first week back after summer recess. There will be no material difference to the timetable of our legislation programme.

Secondly, the Scottish Government continues to govern as it has always done: effectively and in the interests of the people of Scotland.

I thank Paul Martin for giving me the opportunity to highlight just some of our recent achievements. Tomorrow, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth, will publish our budget, focusing on tackling inequality and economic growth.

On Monday, Scottish Water announced its £3.5 billion infrastructure investment programme, which will secure work to support some 5,000 construction jobs. Just last month, we introduced a bill to end the automatic early release of long-term prisoners. We are taking through legislation to control the use of air weapons. From January, free school meals will be introduced for primary 1 to 3—shamefully, the Labour Party voted against that proposal.

The people of Scotland are seeing through the Labour Party, which has betrayed its roots to work hand in glove with the Tory party in talking Scotland down. The people of Scotland prefer positivity, vision and aspiration to the Labour Party’s toxic brand of negativity, doom and despair. That is why the SNP has a 15-point lead over Labour in opinion polls and why the SNP has had more than 52,000 brand new members since the referendum. What is crucial for the Labour Party is that our trade union group probably has more members than make up Scottish Labour’s entire membership.

That is why the people of Scotland will continue to put their trust in this party of government, which continues to discharge its duties in the best interests of the people of Scotland.