Scotland sits at a critical juncture. As we approach the 2026 Holyrood election, the country faces a multitude of intersecting crises  – from stagnating living standards and unacceptable levels of poverty, to squeezed public finances and escalating climate and environmental breakdown. How Scotland’s political parties choose to respond to these crises in this election will determine the kind of society we become, and ultimately the kind of country we leave for future generations.

 

More than a decade of brutal austerity has corroded vital public services and infrastructures while aggravating gross imbalances in power, income and wealth, exacerbating structural injustices. A chronic problem of low investment has undermined living standards, hampered productivity growth, and stifled innovation. The sense of despair and powerlessness deriving from this has created fertile ground for fear, backpeddling, division and hatred to fester. At this critical moment, we must be clear about what the real problems are, and what is really to blame for Scotland’s economic malaise.

Some choose to blame the transition to net zero, while others aim to scapegoat marginalised communities and migrants. Neither are supported by evidence. In reality, Scotland’s intersecting challenges share a common root cause: an extractive and unjust economic system. A system that has delivered growing insecurity, flatlining wages, and rising costs for so many, and soaring wealth for the privileged few.

Now is not the time to shy away from transformative action. Choosing to maintain the status quo would not be a neutral act – it would be an active decision to deepen our multiple crises. The challenges we face cannot be overcome by making minor tweaks to the status quo, or by simply ameliorating the worst excesses of a broken model. Instead, we need political parties to embrace bold and transformative policies that harness devolved powers to the fullest possible extent. 

 

Today we have published our new briefing, ‘Beyond Business-as-Usual’, setting out our policy priorities for the 2026 election. We set out 11 out bold, practical ideas to help Scotland rise to the scale of the challenges we face

– and create a more democratic, sustainable and just economy: 

 

To find out more about these proposals, read our full briefing. We will be publishing more election-related research and analysis over the coming months.