MAREE TODD: A privilege to pay tribute to Queen's devotion

Holyrood Notebook by Maree Todd

It is with sadness that this month we marked the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. I know my constituents across Caithness will join me in extending sympathies to His Majesty the King and the rest of the Royal family at this difficult time.

The Queen of Scots, as she was known, had a deep affection for Scotland. As the King put so eloquently during the motion of condolence at the Scottish parliament, she "found in the hills of this land and in the hearts of its people a haven and a home."

It therefore feels fitting that her final weeks and days were spent at her beloved Balmoral and that Scotland was able to lead the tributes, formal rituals and ceremonies in the days following her passing.

I was able to watch on, along with fellow parliamentarians and staff, as the Queen’s coffin passed along the Royal Mile on its way to St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh where she spent her final night in Scotland. The Motion of Condolence was then put forward by the First Minister, and she spoke of the Queen as a friend to our parliament, setting us parliamentarians a fine example of unfaltering dedication to public service.

Nicola Sturgeon also spoke fondly – as many senior parliamentarians have done – of both the fun and wise counsel that she enjoyed in her times spent with the Queen.

Along with cross-party colleagues from parliaments across the UK, I travelled to London to attend the reception of Her Majesty’s coffin in Westminster Hall ahead of the lying-in-state.

It was a great privilege to represent the Scottish parliament on this historic occasion and take in the poignant service, and pay tribute to the Queen’s life of devoted service. The music was astonishingly beautiful.

As we mark the end of Her Majesty’s life, we welcome a new head of state, King Charles III, a monarch with a strong connection to Caithness. The now former Duke of Rothesay has spent a great deal of time in the county over the years.

Just last month he attended several engagements across the far north. I hope to see his long-standing relationship with the county continue and I wish him strength as he takes on his new role amid a time of great personal loss.

While the nation mourns, we must also recognise that the cost crisis is deepening, and that efforts to mitigate the impact must continue.

I welcomed the Programme for Government (PfG) set out earlier this month by the First Minister, which outlined key actions the Scottish Government will take to help households and businesses get through the most severe economic crisis of our lifetimes. Measures included increasing the Scottish Child Payment to £25 a week and extending the payment to all eligible under 16s, a rent freeze, additional funding provided to local authorities to help people with energy costs and rent, and a freeze on Scotrail fares to March 2023.

The Scottish Government is doing all that it can to tackle the cost emergency, but it is the UK government that holds the key policy levers and resources to significantly make a difference.

It is now for the newly appointed Prime Minister, Liz Truss, to outline with certainty and transparency how she intends to support people and businesses through the tough economic times ahead – included within this must be a detailed plan on how she will act to fix our broken energy system.

• Maree Todd is the SNP MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross.

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