The first minister will today set out her priorities for government, vowing to hold a second independence referendum in the next parliament.
Nicola Sturgeon is expected to say the SNP were elected on a “clear mandate” to hold a referendum on whether to become an independent country.
She is also due to use her statement in the Scottish Parliament this afternoon to speak of the last 15 months which have been “far too full of sadness and heartbreak”.
The SNP leader will pledge to tackle the Covid-19 crisis as the government’s “immediate priority”.
Her speech is expected to say: “And so that people in Scotland – not Boris Johnson – get to decide Scotland’s future, we will hold a referendum on whether to become an independent country.
“In my view, this parliament will be the most important in our devolved history.”
The first minister will also commit her government to making a “decisive shift towards becoming a net zero nation”.
Other pledges will include tackling child poverty, the climate crisis and establish a new national care service.
However, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said the country cannot be “dragged back to the old arguments and division” and must focus on the national recovery.
He added: “We need a relentless focus from the government on protecting lives and livelihoods and taking action to stave off the jobs crisis.”