TUESDAY saw the First Minister announcing a positive and progressive Programme for Government with poverty-relief. Despite the economic situation, it was a bold and ambitious plan with compassion and green values at its heart.

The biggest headlines went to the rent freeze and eviction ban which have been put in place until at least March 31. These changes will provide a vital lifeline for tenants across Scotland who are being punished by runaway inflation, soaring prices and skyrocketing bills.

The Scottish Government may not have the economic levers to make all the changes that we would like to, but we are using the powers that we do have to help people who are having their lives turned upside down by Westminster’s failures.

It was also a big milestone for reproductive rights.

Over the last six months, I have been working on a private members’ bill to introduce 150-metre buffer zones to stop campaigners from targeting medical facilities that provide abortion services. I am proud to say that the bill was included in this year’s programme.

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It is appalling that such a bill is even necessary. But it follows an increase of so-called “vigils” from anti-choice campaign groups outside hospitals and clinics. These are stationary protests by campaigners who often come armed with megaphones and extremely graphic images and banners.

Sometimes they are only a few feet away from the front doors of the buildings and are often within hearing distance of the people they are targeting. This is totally inappropriate and wrong. But, without the necessary legislation in place to stop them, they have been allowed to continue.

Although it is the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and the Sandyford Clinic in Glasgow that have seen the highest profile protests, this is a national issue as 70% of women of reproductive age live in a health board area that has had hospitals or clinics targeted by anti-choice groups in the past five years – my bill aims to end these protests for good.

Public opinion is very clear, with polling by Savanta ComRes showing that two-thirds (68%) of Scots support the intentions of the bill.

It has also been supported by medical professionals, with the British Medical Association and the Royal College of General Practitioners both offering their support.

This depth of feeling has been reflected in the consultation stage, with more than 12,000 people taking part. I am grateful to every single person who took the time to contribute.

One of the campaign groups that I have been working with, Back Off Scotland, has compiled stories from people who have been on the receiving end of protesters.

The stories they have shared are heart-breaking. Many have recounted traumatic and painful memories when describing the terrible impact that the campaigners have had on them and the people they care about.

One woman said that she still felt “haunted” by an image from one of the posters being used by protesters; another said that five years later she still felt trauma because of them. Nobody should ever have had to endure that, and nobody should in the future.

Buffer zones are not a new idea; they already exist in Australia, Canada and parts of England. The evidence from these places is that they work, but also that they will be challenged.

For a bill like this to be successful, it needs to be as robust as possible, not just morally but also legally.

My team is busy analysing the responses that we received, but I am confident that they will make the bill as strong and watertight as it can be.

There has also been support from across our Parliament.

The First Minister has joined MSPs from across the chamber in calling for reform and working constructively to implement parts of it as soon as possible.

Over the summer, she held meetings and a summit with local authorities to discuss the practicalities of using local by-laws to introduce pilot buffer zones while my bill progresses through parliament.

This is something I welcome, although it can only ever be a temporary solution.

We can’t risk a postcode lottery where people in one part of the country have rights and protections that someone else in another part does not. That is why we need one fixed law that applies to every community in Scotland.

The Scottish Government’s support of my bill will bring a great deal of institutional support and expertise. It means that we will hopefully be able to pass it and put it into effect as soon as possible.

The debate takes place with the backdrop of the US Supreme Court’s shocking decision to roll back abortion rights. It did not just remove the rights of millions of people in the US, it mobilised and galvanised anti-choice campaigners around the world.

It also underlined that progress can be fragile, and that it can be reversed. We need to protect every single gain that we have made and extend them. We can never take them for granted.

Every person who has had to run a gauntlet of protesters is one person too many. I am looking forward to the day that nobody ever has to worry about intimidation, harassment or abuse when accessing healthcare. On Tuesday, we took a big step closer to it.