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Nicola Sturgeon to outline plans to combat climate change Sturgeon demands agreement on 'legal' independence referendum
(about 16 hours later)
Climate change, the economy and building a fairer country are central to the Scottish government's plans for next year, Nicola Sturgeon has said. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is to demand Holyrood be given the power to hold a second independence referendum.
The first minister is due to announce the programme for government as MSPs return to Holyrood on Tuesday. Ms Sturgeon confirmed to MSPs that she would "seek agreement to the transfer of power that will put the referendum beyond legal challenge".
Speaking ahead of the unveiling, Ms Sturgeon said the Scottish government would do "everything in its power" to prevent a no-deal Brexit. As she unveiled her government's plans for the year, she said the parliament had a clear, democratic mandate.
She also said there had been a "meltdown" at Westminster. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has indicated his opposition to a second vote on Scotland leaving the UK.
Ms Sturgeon told BBC Good Morning Scotland on Monday that she would set out a "very ambitious package of measures". Ms Sturgeon told the Scottish Parliament it "now seems inevitable that there will be an early UK general election".
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. She added: "Let me by crystal clear today - the SNP will put Scotland's opposition to Brexit and our right to choose independence at the very heart of that contest."
The government is aiming to reach net-zero emissions by 2045, having declared a "climate emergency" earlier this year. Ms Sturgeon said the referendum bill that was introduced to Holyrood earlier this year was about to resume its parliamentary progress.
However Scottish Green co-leader Patrick Harvie said "there has been little in the way of an emergency response since". She said her government intended to offer the choice of independence within this term of parliament.
'Extraordinary political times' The first minister was speaking as she outlined her programme for government, detailing the 14 bills and other measures the Scottish government intends to bring forward over the next year.
The programme, titled Protecting Scotland's Future, will include 14 new bills as well as a raft of non-legislative announcements. The "centrepiece" of that would be work to tackle the climate emergency, she said.
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. Ms Sturgeon promised a "Scottish Green New Deal" that would start to create the right conditions to kick-start investment and make a "significant impact" on greenhouse gas emissions.
"But today's programme for government is launched in extraordinary political times. Its commitments include £500m for improved bus priority lanes to tackle congestion and increase usage.
"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. It would also see further electrification of the railways and increase low carbon heating in new homes.
"The Scottish government and the SNP will do everything in our power to try to prevent that outcome. Ms Sturgeon told MSPs in the Scottish Parliament that while the Westminster government was shutting down, the Scottish government was "stepping up".
"Scotland did not vote for any form of Brexit and having a catastrophic no-deal Brexit imposed on us is completely unacceptable." Bills for introduction in 2019-20
Nationalist 'obsession' Measures tackling climate change
Ms Sturgeon added that while "getting on with the job", the SNP would continue their plans for a second independence referendum. In April, Ms Sturgeon declared a "climate emergency" in her speech to the SNP conference.
However Scottish Conservative chief whip Maurice Golden said the first minister had failed to deliver on previous promises made. She later said the Scottish government would legislate to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2045.
He said: "Every year Nicola Sturgeon sets out a range of warm-worded promises and every year she fails to deliver. The package of measures includes:
"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." Legislation that will allow charges to be applied to single-use coffee cups will be brought in under the Circular Economy Bill, the first minister added.
The Scottish Greens said the programme for government "lacked the ambition, scale and courage" required to tackle the climate emergency.
The party's co-leader Patrick Harvie said: "Scotland needs a Scottish Green New Deal which recognises the purpose, scale and bravery required of an emergency response."
Meanwhile, other bills include one that will enable councils to introduce a tourist tax.
To help improve mental health care, the first minister said her promise to install 350 counsellors in schools - a commitment made last year - would be achieved by this time next year.
The Scottish government will also work with councils on a "community wellbeing service", with this supported by £17m of additional funding, she said.
In addition, £10m will be made available in each of the next two years to try to deal with the "public health emergency" caused by drug abuse.
There was a record 1,187 drugs deaths in Scotland last year.
Another bill will see men and women able to have civil partnerships rather than marriage in Scotland.
Scottish Conservative interim leader Jackson Carlaw criticised the first minister over her comments in seeking another vote on Scottish independence.
He said: "It's typical of the first minister that her statement both began and ended with independence. It really is the be-all-and-end-all for her nationalist government."
He added: "The people of Scotland have had enough of this. They simply want Nicola Sturgeon to give it a rest."
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said that the government had taken its eye "off the ball" because its primary focus was on independence.
He said: "Communities shouldn't lose out because of the SNP's constitutional obsessions. Liberal Democrats demand better for our public services."