A Wellbeing Economy Agenda for Scotland: Seven Priorities for the New Scottish Parliament
Scotland is entering a new political chapter, and with it comes a chance to rethink what kind of economy and society we want to build for the future.
Our new paper, Seven Priorities for the New Scottish Parliament: A Wellbeing Economy Agenda for Scotland in 2026 and Beyond, sets out a practical vision for how Scotland can move toward an economy that works better for people, communities and the planet.
The report comes at a time when many people across Scotland are still feeling the pressure of rising living costs, stretched public services, insecure work and growing inequality. At the same time, the climate and nature crises continue to demand urgent action.
While political parties may disagree on many issues, there is growing recognition that the current economic model is not delivering the security, resilience or wellbeing people need.
That’s where the idea of a Wellbeing Economy comes in.
Rather than measuring success purely through economic growth, a Wellbeing Economy asks a different question: are people able to live good lives, in thriving communities, within environmental limits?
The paper outlines seven key priorities for the new Scottish Parliament, including:
-
putting wellbeing at the heart of government decisions
-
ensuring everyone has enough income to live with dignity
-
growing local and community wealth
-
creating a new long-term economic strategy
-
delivering climate action and nature recovery at scale
-
using tax and public finance more fairly
-
renewing democracy and shifting power closer to people
Importantly, the paper is not just about ambition, it focuses on delivery. Scotland already has many of the foundations for a Wellbeing Economy, from the National Performance Framework to progressive social policies and growing interest in community wealth building. The challenge now is turning those ideas into the organising principles of government.
Scotland’s future economic direction should be shaped with people, not simply for them. That includes stronger local democracy, greater community ownership, participatory budgeting and the use of citizens’ assemblies to help guide long-term national decisions.
At its heart, this is a hopeful document. Scotland has an opportunity to build a fairer, greener and more resilient future, one based on cooperation, long-term thinking and improving people’s everyday lives.