In the red wall and we have had the return of the snp for a fourth term in the scottish parliament, Nicola Sturgeon likely to be there for a decade. These are three huge Building Blocks in british politics. They are so distinct and distinctive because we are looking at a briton, not a uk, because there are no elections in northern ireland, which look very different politically. Labour Holding Onto Powerfirmly labour Holding Onto Power firmly in wales. They will have been in power for nearly 26 years. The snp firmly in power in scotland and then a very different england with pockets of labour supporting Greater Manchester and other areas, but a very blue map for england, so three very different identities there. Identities there. Lets ust look at where we h identities there. Lets ust look at where we are for identities there. Lets ust look at where we are for the identities there. Lets just look at where we are for the state identities there. Lets just look at where we are for the state of identities there. Lets just look at where we are for the state of the | where we are for the state of the parties in scotland in parliament, and overall, snp, 62 seats, plus three, conservatives i2, i, and three, conservatives i2, i, and labour on three, conservatives i2, i, and labour on 6 3, not a good two days for them. The Liberal Democrats on the same position of four but the greens putting on one less seat, but thatis greens putting on one less seat, but that is only 86 out of hundred and 29 and we have 44 to go so it is by tomorrow afternoon at the very latest we will be clear about the exact picture in scotland but we pretty well know that the snp and the greens together provide a majority for independence for scotland and it is why we see that prosecuted which will be fascinating. We can see the platform there, ready for Nicola Sturgeon. She is in glasgow. And again as we said earlier, she is making it very clear this is not the snp� s choice or even the voters choice but the choice for the people of scotland, thatis choice for the people of scotland, that is the way she wants to characterise it, and that is the way she will address this when she addresses the issue, not necessarily with Boris Johnson addresses the issue, not necessarily with borisjohnson but to him. The last met over a vaccine. With Boris Johnson but to him. The last met over a vaccine. With Boris Johnson but to him. The last met over a vaccine. Indeed. Im ust last met over a vaccine. Indeed. Im just wondering last met over a vaccine. Indeed. Im just wondering the last met over a vaccine. Indeed. Im just wondering the extent last met over a vaccine. Indeed. Im just wondering the extent to last met over a vaccine. Indeed. Im just wondering the extent to which i just wondering the extent to which the First Minister will go into those areas or whether she willjust simply take stock after this Election Result, underline what the achievement is from her Point Of View and what kind of government she wants to be shaping up. As you said yesterday and today, there are new members of the scottish parliament, some of whom are experienced. What message does she want to convey and may be hence there about how she wa nts to wants to tackle the very big tackle question of the future. What wants to tackle the very big tackle question of the future. What she will probably question of the future. What she will probably do question of the future. What she will probably do as question of the future. What she will probably do as a question of the future. What she will probably do as a cabinet will probably do as a Cabinet Reshuffle because she has Angus Robertson in the frame again, very seniorfigure in the snp, he was robertson in the frame again, very senior figure in the snp, he was the leader at westminster. He is back in the snp. And there is absolutely no doubt that he will get a job in a Cabinet Reshuffle so we will not see old faces but veteran faces in her cabinet, because people like mike russell, who has been a leading figure from the 70s, we will see new faces and certainly new msps because they will be a lot of retire us. The statement they will be a lot of retire us. The statement is they will be a lot of retire us. The statement is coming very soon. We dont have too long to wait. Theres not too long to wait before Nicola Sturgeon appears. And also, john curtis is with us, who was looking on a great interest in scotland. And we may cut across Nicola Sturgeon appears. Butjust a thought from you on what she will be thinking and reflecting on after this election. We have had the conservatives already saying, she did not do what she wanted to do but lets face it its still a pretty stunning and successful result. Its still a pretty stunning and successful result. She faces two immediate successful result. She faces two immediate challenges. Successful result. She faces two immediate challenges. The successful result. She faces two immediate challenges. The firstj successful result. She faces two l immediate challenges. The first is to become immediate challenges. The first is to become the First Minister of scotlaml to become the First Minister of scotland. We have had an election in which scotland. We have had an election in which it scotland. We have had an election in which it is scotland. We have had an election in which it is very clear that scotland is divided which it is very clear that scotland is divided on the constitutional question is divided on the constitutional question but it still has to sort out how question but it still has to sort out how to deal with what is hopefully the talent of the pandemic and then hopefully the talent of the pandemic and then to deal with the consequences, and we ought to hear a speech consequences, and we ought to hear a speech this consequences, and we ought to hear a speech this evening that enables her to reach speech this evening that enables her to reach across the political divide in order to reach across the political divide in order to to reach across the political divide in order to address those wider concerns in order to address those wider concerns that the country has. The second concerns that the country has. The second and concerns that the country has. The second and more narrow consideration is whether second and more narrow consideration is whether or second and more narrow consideration is whether or not she can bring back the nationalist movement which has suffered the nationalist movement which has suffered bruises from the first of all the suffered bruises from the first of all the fallout between her and alex salmond, all the fallout between her and alex salmond, her predecessor, and particularly the parliamentary inquiry particularly the parliamentary inquiry in particularly the parliamentary inquiry in which the two of them had to appear inquiry in which the two of them had to appear to inquiry in which the two of them had to appear to give their side of the story to appear to give their side of the story a to appear to give their side of the story. A story which in the end of course story. A story which in the end of course resulted in alex salmond stood course resulted in alex salmond stood as course resulted in alex salmond stood as a course resulted in alex salmond stood as a separate elbow party and took a stood as a separate elbow party and took a number of Snp Activists with him. Took a number of Snp Activists with him that took a number of Snp Activists with him. That project has failed but the question him. That project has failed but the question now is, will she try to hold question now is, will she try to hold out question now is, will she try to hold out the olive branch and reunite hold out the olive branch and reunite her party . And how will she persuade reunite her party . And how will she persuade the potential critics within persuade the potential critics within her party that actually they should within her party that actually they should not necessarily push for a referendum sooner rather than later . There referendum sooner rather than later . There is referendum sooner rather than later . There is a referendum sooner rather than later . There is a job to do for her as first there is a job to do for her as First Minister of scotland and also there First Minister of scotland and also there is First Minister of scotland and also there is an First Minister of scotland and also there is an importantjob First Minister of scotland and also there is an important job for First Minister of scotland and also there is an importantjob for her to do as there is an importantjob for her to do as the there is an importantjob for her to do as the snp leader and person with whom do as the snp leader and person with whom we do as the snp leader and person with whom we would normally regard as the leader whom we would normally regard as the leader of whom we would normally regard as the leader of the Wider National scotland. Its leader of the Wider National scotland. ~ ,. ,. Scotland. A proindependence maori , scotland. A proindependence majority. The scotland. A proindependence majority, the biggest scotland. A proindependence majority, the biggest we scotland. A proindependence majority, the biggest we have| scotland. A proindependence majority, the biggest we have had in scotland . To majority, the biggest we have had in scotland . ,. , �. , scotland . To be honest, ive not thou ht scotland . To be honest, ive not thought of scotland . To be honest, ive not thought of the scotland . To be honest, ive not thought of the answer scotland . To be honest, ive not thought of the answer to scotland . To be honest, ive not thought of the answer to that. Thought of the answer to that question, Nicola Sturgeon is about to speak question, Nicola Sturgeon is about to seak. ~ , to speak. When we first entered government to speak. When we first entered Government Back to speak. When we first entered Government Back in to speak. When we first entered Government Back in 2007, to speak. When we first entered Government Back in 2007, we. To speak. When we first entered Government Back in 2007, we secured just one more seat than the labour party. Very few people back then could have predicted that ia years later the snp would be re elected for a fourth consecutive term as scotlands government. And absolutely no one would have predicted the scale and the record breaking nature of a victory at the selection. We dont yet have confirmation of the final result, but we do know that, on a record turnout, the snp has one 62 Constituency Seats and are on course to do that. That is a higher number than ever before and it would be an incredible 85 of the total. We have notjust help to every Constituency Seat we won back in 2016, we have also gained seats from both labour and the tories and recorded our best ever share of the constituency vote. Indeed, we have won more votes and a higher share of the votes in the Constituency Ballot then any party in the history of devolution. This Election Result is by any standard an extraordinary and historic achievement. We took our positive message of hope and recovery to every corner of our country and it has been endorsed emphatically by the people of scotland. My heartfelt thanks go to all of those in the snp who worked so hard in such difficult circumstances to make all of this possible. I also sent my warm congratulations to successful candidates from all Political Parties and of course my commiserations to those who have lost out. I know from personal experience how tough that is. But most of all i want to thank the people of scotland for putting their trust in me and in the snp once again. We will work to repay that trust every day. 0ver these past 1a years, the make up of the scottish electorate has changed. 16 and 17 year olds can now vote and seeing so many of our young people engaged and energised inspires real hope for the future. And in this election, for the very first time, foreign nationals and refugees were able to vote as well, a tangible symbol of the inclusive country that we are. Thursday morning on my own constituency, i met with Syrian Refugees who had just cast their first votes here in scotland. It was a deeply emotional moment for them and as a country that should make us really proud. So my message today really proud. So my message today really is for all of scotland and it is this one, whatever where ever you are from, whatever age you are, whatever your background and no matter who you voted for, the snp in government is dedicated to working for you. Government is dedicated to working foryou. I pledge government is dedicated to working for you. I pledge that the task of Building A Better Scotland for everyone who chooses to live here will be my priority every single day. As First Minister of course my immediate an overriding task will be to do everything i possibly can to keep us all as safe as possible. Where we are making real and positive progress and now we have not yet beaten covid. During this campaign, isaid not yet beaten covid. During this campaign, i said that tackling the pandemic Must Come First for as long as it takes, and i meant that. I will return to work straightaway to take the decisions that will guide our next steps back to normality and onto recovery. In this election, the snp put forward an ambitious and Transformative Programme to Tra Nsformative Programme To Kick start Transformative Programme to kick start and drive a recovery for this pandemic, so we will now get on with thejob of this pandemic, so we will now get on with the job of delivering that programme. That means the Re Mobilisation of our nhs coupled with the investment to secure it for the future, a new National Care service, investment to support new green jobs service, investment to support new greenjobs and rhys gill service, investment to support new green jobs and rhys gill people for the future, Youth Guarantee to secure opportunities for our young people, action to tackle the Climate Emergency and ensurejust emergency and ensure just transition, emergency and ensurejust transition, or houses, better schools and an unwavering commitment to lifting children out of poverty. The programme we put before the people of scotland will move our country forward and it will make it better, of that i have no doubt. But where we are understandably and focus this weekend on our own Election Results in scotland. The results of the various contests South Of The Border reveal and underline an important truth about scotland and the rest of the uk. The majority of people here in scotland back a progressive, inclusive, outward looking vision for the future of our nation, and yet we are facing many more years of right wing brexit obsessed tory governments that we do not vote for taking us in a direction that we have not chosen. That brings into very sharp Focus A Key Question that was posed at this election, how do we best to secure the kind of country we want to build . And just as we said in this election, it is why the people of scotland must have the right to decide our own future when the covid crisis has passed. This is now a matter of fundamental, democratic principle. Already today, i hear Opposition Parties and some commentators talking about what they call snp demands for an Independence Referendum, they are desperately trying to rewrite the rules of democracy and redefine what constitutes an election win and a mandate. And of course i hear the usual talk of borisjohnson refusing to give in to those demands and the supposedly clever manoeuvres that westminster might be planning. All of this risks treating voters in scotland and our entire democratic process as if they simply dont matter. Voters are not sideshow. It is you, not me, not borisjohnson, not any politician, but you the people matter. So let us be clear about what scotland voted for on thursday, the people of scotland have voted to give Pro Independence parties a majority in the scottish parliament. The final numbers may not be known yet, but it is beyond doubt that the Pro Independence majority in our new parliament is larger than it was in the last one. Both the snp and the scottish greens stood on a clear commitment to an Independence Referendum within the next parliamentary term, and both of us made clear that the timing of a referendum should be decided by a simple majority of msps in the scottish parliament. So in no way can a referendum be described as just a demand of me and of the snp. Its a commitment made to the people by a clear majority of the msps who have been elected to our national parliament, is the will of the country. And given the outcome there is simply no democratic justification whatsoever for Boris Johnson or indeed for anyone else seeking to block the right of the people of scotland to choose our own future. Let me be very clear about this. If the tories make such an attempt, they will not place themselves in opposition to the snp, they will be standing in direct opposition to the will of the scottish people. And they will demonstrate conclusively that the uk is not a partnership of equals and astonishingly that westminster no longer sees it as a voluntary union of nations. That in itself would be a most powerful