This is my first column in these pages since stepping down as First Minister at the end of March.

I am looking forward to writing here about issues relevant to my Glasgow Southside constituency, as well as reflecting on matters of national importance.

When I decided to step down from the government, I knew that I faced a period of adaptation.

Being a senior government minister involves almost every minute of every working day being accounted for by meetings, engagements, briefing papers and questions in Parliament.

Decisions, large and small, on difficult issues and more straightforward ones, are always there to be made.

Sometimes it feels that there is scarcely time to breathe, let alone think. And if that is true in normal times, it was even more so during the long, difficult months of Covid.

To go from 16 years of that to being a backbencher – still an incredibly busy job but without the weight of government responsibility – was always going to be a difficult transition.

And, of course, since I stepped down, there have been unexpected and unwelcome developments that I am not able to expand upon here, but which have made this period even more challenging.

However, in spite of that, I am enjoying the new perspective and different focus that comes with no longer being First Minister.

Throughout my time in government, I have always worked hard to do the best for my constituents. 

However, having even more time now to spend in the Southside is something I relish.

There are many issues facing my constituents – for example, housing, the quality of the environment, transport links, access to health services – that I will raise and, where necessary, campaign on from the backbenches.

I will also write about them here on occasion. I look forward to highlighting the many positive developments happening across the Southside, from the achievements of young people in our schools to new community and housing projects and the redevelopment of the iconic Citizens Theatre, to name just a few. Of course, my constituents, like people across the country, are affected by national trends and issues too. Top of that list right now is the cost-of-living crisis.

The Tory mismanagement of the economy has had a severe impact and is still making daily existence extremely hard for too many people.

While the Scottish Government’s powers and resources are limited, I am proud of the work we did when I was First Minister to mitigate that impact, including the ongoing extension of free school meals.

I am particularly proud of the Scottish Child Payment – the only initiative of its kind in the UK – that is putting £100 per child per month into the pockets of the lowest-income families and lifting thousands of children out of poverty.

I know that the new First Minister is just as committed as I am to action of this kind.

Improving the lives of young people – with a particular focus on those who grow up in care – will continue to be a cause close to my heart and one that I will speak out on from the backbenches.

That is just one of the many issues that I look forward to championing on behalf of my constituents in the months and years ahead. Making sure we take the action necessary to tackle climate change and protect the planet for those who come after us, is another.

Of course, over the past few weeks, I have also enjoyed having slightly more time for a personal life!

Being First Minister was a huge privilege and a job I enjoyed immensely, but the pressures and time demands that come with the role inevitably meant that I too often neglected family and friends and missed out on many special events and celebrations.

I am trying now to make up for that, and it has been a joy to catch up properly with some of those closest to me.

I am looking forward to doing more of that in the months to come – and also to indulge in my new-found love of hillwalking.

Perhaps the most terrifying thing I have done since stepping down, though, has been learning to drive.

It is slightly embarrassing to be only getting round to acquiring this life skill at the ripe old age of 52 – but I am glad I have finally taken the plunge.

And while it is daunting, I am so far enjoying it – and coping with it – much better than I thought I would.

I have already braved the motorway and also navigated the labyrinth that is the one-way system around my constituency office in Govanhill.

However, while it is going well, I will need quite a few more lessons before I am ready to sit my test, so if you encounter me on the roads over the next few weeks, please be gentle!

Lastly, if there are issues you would like to hear my views on here, or if you are a constituent who needs my help or advice, please feel free to contact me at the address you will find on the Scottish Parliament website.

For now, thanks for reading.