This came exactly one year ahead of the vote, and a year since John Swinney became party leader and First Minister.

I am honoured to be contesting the Inverness and Nairn seat for the SNP. It’s where I live, and I know it well as part of the Highlands and Islands region that continues to be my focus in the coming year. And it was good to see that Robert Leslie will contest the Orkney seat again, as John Swinney rallied the membership in readiness for the campaigns ahead of next May.

We are living in uncertain times, and with Keir Starmer and his UK Labour government having opened the door to Farage’s Reform, now more than ever it falls on the SNP to offer a brighter future for Scotland.

Under John Swinney’s leadership, the SNP will be offering the people of Scotland the opportunity to vote for party that is focussed on creating a vibrant economy in every part of our country, tackling the challenges faced by our public services, and creating a better future for everyone who lives here.

Scotland is an enterprising, outward-looking and compassionate nation that will flourish with the powers of independence. Over the next 12 months, the SNP Government will deliver on the people of Scotland’s priorities and spread a message of hope, to unite people behind our vision of an independent Scotland.

In the same week as we looked ahead to next year’s election, we debated the Programme for Government for the final year of this parliament, building on the great work we are already doing to reduce child poverty – Scotland is the only nation in the UK where numbers are falling – and on tackling issues around housing.

I am proud of the work that has been done to get on top of the situation with second homes and short-term lets, which are a real issue in Orkney. These positive policies have not just provided extra revenue for local authorities but have encouraged properties to return to the housing market – becoming homes once more.

The SNP’s actions and commitments on maximising the money in folks’ pockets amount to a Scottish cost-of-living guarantee – protecting measures that mean people in Scotland get a better deal than elsewhere in the UK. This includes lower council tax and water bills, a majority of workers paying less income tax than in the UK, free prescriptions, free bus travel for 2.3 million Scots, an extension of free school meals and breakfast clubs, a child care and early learning package worth £6000 for each child.

This is a programme for a better Scotland, for a stronger NHS and a more resilient and wealthier Scotland. It is a Programme for Government that gets our nation on track for success, and a future where we can eradicate poverty, not just mitigate the worst of Westminster damage.

This is a regular column by SNP MSP Emma Roddick. All Highlands and Islands MSPs have been offered the same space in The Orkney News to share their personal views.