This week, Scottish First Minister John Swinney will set out his vision for Scotland ahead of the 2025-26 Scottish Budget.
Representatives of public and private sector organisations will hear the speech from the First Minister – being delivered ahead of St Andrew’s Day and the 2025-26 Scottish Budget – which will outline how the Scotland should come together and collaborate to remove the barriers to economic and social progress. Swinney will say:
“Every single day, I meet inspirational people from all walks of life - people who are doing their bit to make their community, their business or their country that wee bit better today than it was yesterday.
“When added together, those efforts form the engine of progress that is driving our country forward. For me, unlocking that potential is what government is about - it is about creating the conditions for every person in Scotland to thrive.”
As part of this, the bottom-up approach will be promoted by Swinney, to ensure that lasting solutions can drive better life outcomes for communities. Touching on this, the First Minister is anticipated to say:
“I do not believe in trying to solve problems from the top down. Rather, I believe they need to be understood and solved from the bottom up. I am not here to dictate from on high to those on the front line. I am prepared to roll my sleeves up every single day to properly understand barriers to their progress and to find solutions. And in identifying those solutions, I am not looking for quick-fixes or sticking plasters.”
With the Scottish Budget being delivered at the beginning of December by Shona Robison, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government, Swinney is also expected to outline how the budget will lay the foundations for ‘lasting improvements’ to Scotland’s economy and society in the long run.
Image credit: iStock
