James Kelly MSP

I hope you and your family have had a lovely Christmas and Hogmanay.

I have taken some time to spend with my wife and daughters, and reflect on an incredibly busy past year.

From elections to personal achievements in my close family, there are many moments we can look back on fondly.

While there is much we should celebrate, it has also been a year of tragic events and upset, and it is important that we remember all of 2017: strife and disaster in foreign countries, terror attacks in London and Manchester and the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

The new year allows us the time to reflect, and to look forward.

Close to home for me, 2018 will be the year where devolution is put to the test more then ever before.

Faced with the choice between using the Scottish Parliament’s powers and not, it will be the actions of the SNP government which will shape the future of Scotland.

For years, public services have faced the brunt of austerity from the UK and Scottish governments.

Just from headlines from over the past few weeks, we know the issues that are no longer dismissible.

I have heard from people angry about the state of roads, with pavements untreated and lethal ice rinks forming outside their homes.

The same with NHS waiting times, with people turning up and sitting, unable to be seen for hours because of the immense pressures on our health service.

There is a huge opportunity for the Nationalists to invest in Scotland’s services: by using the tax powers of Holyrood.

When the budget comes before MSPs in the coming weeks, Derek Mackay has the chance to mark out a change of direction.

I will be setting out Labour’s tax plans in the near future: how we would improve our public services and invest in public sector workers if we were in government.

If the SNP is serious about tackling austerity, ministers need to end the blame culture of avoiding responsibility.

They can use 2018 to make a commitment to improve Scotland: to invest in our health service and local government.

No more claiming it is someone else’s fault; now Scotland can use its powers to start to solve its problems.

In my day job, I will be looking forward and thinking about the Scotland Holyrood should be working towards.

I hope you will also look forward and that this coming year is all you want it to be.