CBI Scotland has launched a business manifesto ahead of the upcoming Holyrood elections and called on all political parties to work with firms to provide bolder, better and fairer solutions to the challenges Scotland faces.
Next Scottish government facing greater set of challenges
The 2021 election has been described as the most important since devolution and the next Scottish government will face a greater set of challenges than any previous Holyrood administration. From rebuilding the economy from the devastating impact of the pandemic, to tackling the climate crisis and reskilling our workforce for the jobs of the future, none of these challenges can be met by government alone. That is why it is crucial that the voice of business is heard in the run-up to the election on 6 May.
A new partnership for prosperity sets out three steps that will set us on course to tackle those challenges and reset the relationship between Holyrood and the firms that underpin Scotland’s economy and society:
- Build Scotland’s economic recovery in partnership with business
- Unlock Scotland’s competitive advantage
- Champion the role of business in an economy that works for everyone
Manifesto includes thirty key recommendations and dozens of other positive actions government should take
These include:
- Skills funding should be more closely aligned to industry needs and strike a better balance between undergraduate learning, work-based learning and short, sharp provision to support continual upskilling and rapid retraining.
- Make every home a green one by retrofitting all homes to a high standard of energy efficiency and use LBTT to incentivise energy efficiency improvements in homes.
- The Scottish and UK governments should work together to deliver a digital revolution that sees gigabit-capable digital connectivity rolled-out across all of Scotland by the end of the next parliament.
- Set out a long-term tax strategy that attracts people to live and work in Scotland.
- Mandate a government-wide commitment to open data for better informed policy solutions that can boost productivity and wellbeing.
- Consider how an enterprise partnership between universities in Scotland could be created to help turn more great ideas into successful businesses.
- Develop the skills needed to create an exporting culture by increasing the uptake of foreign languages at school and considering the role of secondary, further and higher education institutions in offering opportunities to study commercial international trade.
This election must be about rebuilding Scotland from the devastating impact of the pandemic. A new partnership for prosperity highlights steps government and business can take together to achieve that and aims to ensure the economy is at the centre of the political debate in the run up to 6 May.
Please get in touch with Gregor Scotland for more information about CBI Scotland activity ahead of the Scottish Parliament election.
Read the key recommendations or the full manifesto