 The vote last Thursday on the future of her nation was an extraordinary expression of civic democracy, the like of which we have never seen, a turnout of 85 per cent on a registered vote of 97 per cent. Over 3.6 million people in Scotland made their mark on a piece of paper and, in so doing, ensured their voice was heard. Scotland has demonstrated once more our commitment to ensure that constitutional change comes through the democratic process. The referendum campaign has been remarkable and it has been inspirational, not just for us in Scotland but to people throughout the world who have fixed their eyes on us. Like you, I have been truly humbled by the clear wish of so many of our fellow Scots to be involved, many for the first time. How often have we heard people say they were not going to bother voting because it wouldn't make a difference, not this time. Let us be clear about the scale of this unprecedented level of involvement and what it means for all of us. There are challenges for politicians, for political parties and for the institutions in Scotland. It is now for us to embrace and nurture that desire for political expression. It cannot and it must not be business as usual. People have come off their cities, out of their homes, into the streets and public meetings and then into polling stations. They are not going back. It is for the political parties to make their own decisions about how they involve young people, those living in our most deprived communities and women in the future. However, this Parliament, like other institutions in Scotland, must also respond and I pledge to you and to our fellow citizens my determination to do so. When you elected me as Presiding Officer, I made it clear that we needed to reform this Parliament. I said in July 2011 that we need to find new ways of working in this chamber, in our committees and in all of our other activities. Progress has been made, our working week has changed, topical questions have been introduced and for the last two years I have been taking this Parliament to towns and cities throughout Scotland as part of our Parliament days. The doors of the Parliament have been thrown wide open through the revamp festival of politics and the Great Tapestry and Andy Warhol exhibitions. 55 per cent of the people viewing the exhibitions were visiting the Parliament for the first time, but we have more to do. I have plans already in place to hold a conference in the spring for young women of school age. Two weeks ago, I asked the Parliament officials to drop a programme to expand the Parliament days into our most deprived communities. Our committees also need to continue to assess their own programmes to consider when they meet, where they meet and who is invited to speak to them. I know I can count on your support to do more. As politicians, we have our own heroes, the people who inspired us to get involved in politics in the first place. My inspiration is a teenager with Senator Robert Kennedy, brother of President John F. Kennedy. In 1966, he travelled to South Africa at the height of apartheid and when Nelson Mandela was in prison. He made a speech to young people, often referred to as the ripples of hope speech. I return to that speech time and time again to the mind myself why I am involved in politics. I want to share with you today a couple of paragraphs which strike me as particularly relevant to us, but it is a speech of its time. The references to men, naturally, these days, refer to all of us. He said this. The first element of this individual liberty is the freedom of speech. The right to express and communicate ideas. Above all, the right to affirm one's membership and allegiance to the body politic, to society, to the men whom we share our land, our heritage and our children's future. Hand in hand with freedom of speech goes the power to be heard, to share in the decisions of government which shape men's lives. Everything that makes life men's life worthwhile, family, work, education, a place to rear one's children and a place to rest one's head, all this depends on the decisions of government. Therefore, the essential humanity of man can be protected and preserved, only where the government must answer. Not just to the wealthy, not just to those of a particular religion, not just to those of a particular race, but to all of the people. Colleagues, it is now our duty to make sure that all those who have expressed their wish for the power to be heard are heard in this Parliament and by this Parliament. We now have a huge opportunity and many challenges. Let us face them together.