NICOLA Sturgeon has published an action plan for the first 100 days of her new government to kick-start the recovery from coronavirus.

The First Minister and SNP leader was in the Aberdeenshire West constituency on Thursday to launch the publication titled First Steps, setting out plans for economic support, NHS recovery and help for school pupils.

The party leaders were speaking as the final week of campaigning got under way ahead of the Scottish Parliament election on May 6.

Launching First Steps, Sturgeon said: “By backing the SNP with both votes, Scotland will be able to make real progress through and out of the pandemic in the first 100 days, with a pay rise for NHS workers, new cancer centres opened, support for small businesses to go digital, new training courses to help young people into jobs, and immediate action to tackle the climate crisis.

“We’ll take urgent action to support children, families and young people – completing the rollout of 1140 hours of free childcare, expanding free school meals, paying the first instalment of the expanded £1 billion Scottish Attainment Fund and introducing the legal changes to extend free bus travel to everyone under 22 years old.

“We will also start work on longer term challenges, establishing a new Council for Economic Transformation, taking the first steps toward establishing a National Care Service and beginning work on a minimum income guarantee.”

She added that independence would allow Scotland to do “so much more”.

You can read the full 100-day plan here.

READ MORE: Scottish election: Poll predicts SNP and Greens will form pro-independence majority

It comes as a new poll from Savanta ComRes suggested the SNP could lose two seats and miss out on a majority - put put the Greens on course to secure 11 MSPs, more than doubling their current number of Holyrood representatives.

That would mean 72 pro-independence SNP and Green MSPs would be in Holyrood, an increase on the 67 elected at the 2016 vote. 

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