Thank you First Minister.
And last year, of course, we were elected on manifesto commitments
to deliver an independence referendum within this parliamentary term.
We promised to lay the groundwork for an independent nation
that's progressive, compassionate, and built on the principles
of democracy, equality and respect for the planet.
So it's a real privilege to be here with you today alongside the First Minister
and as part of the Scottish Government to set out
how we intend to deliver on that commitment.
Our world is changing.
Economic inequalities are widening.
People across Scotland are under
ever more intense pressure as inflation grows,
and we're accelerating toward climate and environmental breakdown.
Now with the limited levers and the finite budget
that the Scottish Government currently has available,
we are already doing what we can to navigate
these stormy waters and deliver our vision of a fairer and greener Scotland.
Just to give a few examples, the Scottish Child Payment
is putting money into the pockets of those who need it most,
with free bus travel for young people and record investment
in energy efficiency targeted at lower income households,
we're cutting the cost of living and helping to tackle the climate crisis.
These actions and much more
show our determination to deliver on our promises.
But we also have to be honest about the precarious situation
that Scotland is in for as long as Westminster
is making decisions over us.
Countries the world over are facing
economic turmoil and the challenges of transitioning to net zero.
But we are forced to do so with our hands tied by the limits
of the devolution settlement, and held back by a hostile UK government.
With the powers of a normal independent European country
we could chart a different future.
So the paper that we published today
illustrates this basic but powerful point.
It shows that we are being held back
environmentally, socially and economically
by successive Westminster governments that Scotland didn't vote for.
And we all suffer the consequences, either directly or indirectly,
as the Scottish Government is forced to spend limited devolved resources
to tackle the income inequality
that's being created by UK policies.
While other European countries succeed by building
more equal societies in the first place.
The simple fact is that hanging
onto the Etonian coattails of the UK government
in the hope that one day they might start making the right decisions
for the people of Scotland has not worked, nor will it ever work.
Just look at their response to the cost of living crisis, a crisis
that is global in reach
but has been turbocharged by a hard Brexit.
The inflation that we're struggling with, driven
up by the damage wrought by Brexit
and the Westminster response compared to other European countries
has been inadequate
and extracted only after months of pressure and largely
because of the Prime Minister's desperation to distract attention
from the pile of Fixed Penalty Notices in the Downing Street inbox.
Independence would mean that the decisions
that affect Scotland would be made here in Scotland.
It means the Scottish Government and Parliament
chosen by the people of Scotland, for the people of Scotland
being fully empowered to rise to the challenges that we now face,
just like any other normal European country.
Unlike the comparable countries that we've set out in this first paper,
with the powers of independence we can build a prosperous, equal
and greener Scotland.
We can create a fairer, society
where people are not forced into poverty.
And by working with our European neighbours, we can play a powerful part
in tackling the climate emergency, creating
a net zero economy based on clean industries, both restoring nature
and creating high quality, lasting green jobs.
So these Building a New Scotland papers
well set out what we could do with independence.
They'll establish a blueprint for those early years for our new nation.
A fairer nation and a greener nation that can rise to the challenges that we face.
They won't be the only vision for the future.
We want everyone to have a say in what an independent Scotland looks like.
That's the very definition of independence,
after all, empowering the people of Scotland to choose our own future.
So whether you voted yes or no in 2014.
Or if you're one of the half million young people who didn't get the vote
last time but are now of voting age
or indeed if you're one of the many people
who've since moved to Scotland and made this country your home.
I hope that you'll join us over the coming months and play your part
in making this an optimistic, constructive and inspiring debate
about our potential, our future and the country we want to be.