LAST month, I was able to help Robert Thomson, a former postmaster in my constituency, highlight the plight of hundreds like him across the UK, wrongly convicted of theft, fraud, and false accounting – all because of a faulty Post Office software program called Horizon.

Innocent people lost their jobs, their livelihoods, and their reputations despite having done nothing wrong.

So, I was pleased to hear the UK Government starting to take responsibility for the scandal with an offer of compensation to those wrongly convicted.

However, I am very conscious that some of those affected have not yet had their convictions overturned and I have been in correspondence with the Post Office urging them to release whatever information they hold that might be delaying progress in quashing those remaining convictions.

The Post Office Horizon scandal is one of the most shocking instances of a denial of justice we've seen in recent times.

After more than 16 years, it is important that Robert and everyone affected by this scandal are finally able to clear their names.

As I mentioned in my last column, one of the first items of business of the new parliamentary term is the Programme for Government - published annually at the beginning of September and setting out the Scottish Government actions for the coming year and beyond.

This was the first from our new first minister, and I very much welcomed the "unashamedly anti-poverty" approach that Humza presented.

The package of measures aims to help build a more equal society through concerted efforts to eradicate poverty, tackle the cost-of-living crisis, and create opportunities for businesses and individuals.

For example, investing more than £400million in the Scottish Child Payment (currently worth £25 per child per week) to help more than 300,000 children across the country.

What a contrast to Westminster's undermining, at every step, the drive to eradicate child poverty with 780 children in Clackmannanshire being harmed by the Tories' cruel two child limit policy.

The Programme for Government also highlighted the existential threat that climate change poses to all our futures. We are in times when the need for climate leadership could not be more stark.

This is a time for action, and the First Minister made it clear that we will continue to rise to this challenge – remaining open and honest with the people of Scotland about the steps we must all take, and the support we will offer, on this crucial journey.

Once again, frustratingly, the fight is being fought with one hand tied behind our backs.

This week we have seen the most cowardly backtracking on climate action from Westminster as the UK Government shrinks from the challenge.

While Sunak was making up nonsense about 'meat taxes', Scotland's first minister was engaging with the UN and leaders from right across the world, showing global leadership as part of a global consensus that more – not less – must be done to tackle the greatest existential threat any of us are facing – the climate catastrophe.