Alex Salmond has put urgent action to tackle the twin blights of booze and bigotry at the heart of his priorities for the new Scottish Government.
Setting out his stall for the newly-formed majority government as it entered a five-year term at Holyrood, the First Minister promised early legislation on sectarianism and minimum pricing of alcohol.
He also outlined a “social wage,” calling it a “pact” between politicians, public services and the people to create the “social and economic circumstances” for a prosperous Scotland.
That was seen as an indication the public sector must prepare itself for pay restraint, as a necessary measure to keep policies such as the council tax freeze and free higher education.
Mr Salmond said, “We shall deliver the social and economic circumstances that allow for people to dream, to aspire and to be ambitious but it is for the individual to realise their dreams, to reach for their hopes, to meet their ambitions.
“For the sacrifices we must all make, there is a reward in the form of a society geared to our values.”
He pledged to retain vital services in return and promised to grow the economy and create jobs.
Turning to sectarianism and alcohol abuse, Mr Salmond said, “Part of the social wage is that we should work towards a safer society.
“In the age of Twitter and texts, the dreams of a free-speaking world are contaminated by strains of bitterness.
“Technology has given fresh energy to old hatreds and viral sectarianism again seeps across our land.”‘Scourge of our safety’He added, “It will be stopped. I will not have people living in fear of some idiotic 17th-century rivalry in the 21st century.
“Sectarianism travels at least in part hand in hand with another scourge of our safety and happiness the booze culture.
“Thus the first legislation this parliament will see in this term shall address bigotry and booze.”
The Scottish Parliament is expected to pass new laws increasing jail terms for sectarian-related disorder to a maximum of five years before the start of the football season in July.
And ministers will also bring back plans to set a minimum price per unit of alcohol proposals which were defeated in the last parliament when the SNP was in minority government.
Opposition parties largely welcomed the focus on the economy and jobs, but warned the SNP about becoming caught up in “constitutional wrangling” over independence.
Outgoing Labour leader Iain Gray welcomed the pledge on sectarianism and alcohol, but called for a greater focus on ensuring Scottish workers benefit from renewable jobs.
He said, “Scotland shouldn’t just have the wind turbines, it should have the jobs too.
“I remember the jobs boom when the North Sea opened up. I was growing up in Inverness at the time.’We need to do more'”But then, Scotland got 70% of the jobs created. Now we get only 10% of the jobs renewables projects create.
“We need to do more.”
Tory leader Annabel Goldie’s speech focused on the SNP’s plans for an independent Scotland.
She said, “At its root, the debate about our identity is not just about economics, balance sheets, or profit and loss accounts.
“We can argue until the cows come home about how much worse off Scotland would be if rent asunder from Britain but at its core it is about how we feel.”
Scots Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie questioned the SNP’s budget figures.
He said, “The deep suspicion is that a five-year council tax freeze will be at the price of a five-year pay freeze.
“And that will cost public sector staff on modest wages dearly.”
The Scottish Government’s detailed programme for government, including a list of planned legislation, will come after the summer break.