CBI Scotland responds to 2026 SNP manifesto

Michelle Ferguson, CBI Scotland Director, said:

“After 19 years in government and rising business costs, firms were looking for bold action from the SNP to drive growth. Clear steps are needed to unlock investment, strengthen skills and boost competitiveness, and it is welcome that key priorities such as planning reform, backing high-growth firms and cutting bureaucracy have been taken on board.

“But the test now is delivery. Businesses are ready to invest, hire and expand, and they need a government that matches that ambition with decisive action to create the conditions for growth. That means delivering a stable and competitive tax regime, a planning system that works at pace, a robust skills pipeline and an apprenticeship system that is better aligned to the needs of a modern economy. The question businesses will be asking is whether the next Scottish Parliament, whoever leads it, is serious about making that happen.

“The party’s pledge to fund year-round childcare for children up to 12-years could bring thousands of families, particularly women, back into the workforce – but firms, parents and providers will want to see greater clarity on how this is funded and delivered.

“Completing the A9 by 2035 will be welcomed by firms forced to wait too long for progress on upgrading this vital route and all efforts must be made to ensure this is now delivered on time. Backing the Acorn Carbon Capture and Storage project in the north-east is the right call and is not only essential to decarbonising the economy, but crucial for securing long-term competitiveness in the north-east. Bringing Acorn forward will require close collaboration with the UK Government and business.

“The plan to deliver 150,000 new apprenticeships over the next five years, and a pledge to deliver an Apprenticeship Accelerator Grant, are positive steps to help tackle known skills gaps. But firms are looking beyond headline numbers. Wider reform of the Apprenticeship Levy system is needed to: give employers and learners real flexibility; improve transparency on how funding is used for skills development; and support lifelong learning and reskilling in Scotland’s workforce. The commitment to provide 8,000 graduate apprenticeships over the next parliament – equating to just 1,600 a year – highlights a worrying gap between government ambition and level of business demand.

“The SNP’s pledge to reform a planning system in need of modernisation and streamline regulation, both of which are handbrakes on growth, will be welcomed by firms. Faster decisions, clearer consents, and properly resourced planning teams are critical if the SNP is serious about turning renewables, infrastructure projects and other opportunities into jobs and long-term growth. We urgently need delivery that matches the pace of the private sector’s ambition.

“With every passing day, this election is increasingly being defined by the economy. Whoever forms the next government must work with business to put forward a realistic, ambitious and deliverable plan to kickstart Scotland’s stalled economy and set the country back on a path to long-term, sustainable growth.”