What Does Economic Success Mean? Key Themes from Holyrood’s Debate on Growing Scotland’s Economy

By Chloe Bukata, Communications and Engagement Lead

On 9 June 2026, the Scottish Parliament debated a Scottish Government motion on Growing Scotland’s Economy, led by the newly appointed Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Tourism and Transport, Stephen Flynn. While the motion focused on boosting economic growth, productivity, investment and exports, the debate revealed a deeper question: how should Scotland define economic success?

For organisations working towards a Wellbeing Economy, the discussion was notable because it exposed clear differences between parties on the role of GDP growth and whether broader measures of progress should play a greater role in shaping policy.

Growth as a Means, Not an End

The Scottish Government’s position was firmly pro-growth, but ministers sought to frame economic growth as a tool for improving people’s lives rather than an objective in itself.

In opening the debate, Stephen Flynn argued that growth should lead to “good jobs with good wages”, stronger businesses and higher living standards for future generations. He repeatedly emphasised that economic success should be reflected in outcomes that people experience in their daily lives, including better jobs, affordable homes and greater confidence in the future.

This theme was developed further by SNP MSP Karen Adam, who posed a question that sits at the heart of many Wellbeing Economy discussions: “Who is this growth for?” She argued that growth should not simply be about increasing wealth or improving headline economic indicators, but about reducing poverty, strengthening public services and creating thriving communities.

Taken together, SNP contributions suggested what might be described as a “growth-plus” approach: economic growth remains important, but its value should ultimately be judged by whether it improves living standards and social outcomes.

The Greens’ Challenge to GDP

The most explicit Beyond GDP perspective came from Patrick Harvie MSP of the Scottish Greens.

Harvie directly challenged the idea that GDP growth should be the central measure of economic success, describing GDP as a simplistic metric that combines positive and negative activity without distinguishing between their impacts on people or the environment. He argued that Governments should focus instead on wellbeing outcomes and criticised what he saw as a shift away from Scotland’s previous commitment to a wellbeing economy approach.

In doing so, Harvie referenced Scotland’s earlier leadership role in the international Wellbeing Economy movement and highlighted the need for economic activity to be judged according to its contribution to wellbeing, equality and environmental sustainability.

For the Greens, the debate was not simply about how to achieve growth, but whether growth itself should be the primary goal of economic policy.

Labour’s Focus on Jobs, Wages and Public Services

Contributions from Scottish Labour took a more traditional social-democratic approach.

Daniel Johnson argued that economic growth matters because it is ultimately reflected in jobs, wages and opportunity. Much of Labour’s contribution focused on productivity, earnings and Scotland’s economic performance relative to other nations and regions. Similarly, Jenny Young highlighted issues such as skills shortages, workforce participation and employment growth.

While Labour emphasised the importance of economic growth as a route to better public services and living standards, wellbeing economy language featured little in its contributions.

Conservatives and Reform: Competitiveness First

Conservative and Reform MSPs focused most strongly on competitiveness, business conditions and economic output.

Rachael Hamilton linked prosperity to job creation, improved services and stronger economic performance, while advocating measures to improve Scotland’s attractiveness for investment.

For Reform, Duncan Massey presented perhaps the clearest GDP-first perspective of the debate. His speech focused on economic growth, deregulation, tax reductions and competitiveness, with little discussion of alternative measures of success or wellbeing outcomes.

A Debate About More Than Growth

Although every party spoke about the importance of prosperity, the debate highlighted a growing divide over how prosperity should be measured.

For some, GDP growth remains the primary indicator of economic success, with social benefits expected to follow from a stronger economy. For others, economic performance should be assessed against a wider set of outcomes, including health, equality, environmental sustainability and quality of life.

The debate therefore reflected an ongoing conversation that sits at the heart of the Wellbeing Economy agenda: growth alone does not tell us whether people are thriving.

As Scotland enters a new parliamentary session, questions about what we measure, what we value, and how we define success are likely to remain central to discussions about the country's economic future. WEAll Scotland will continue to advocate for wellbeing at the heart of government and economic decision-making, including through our Seven Priorities for the New Scottish Parliament, which sets out practical steps towards building a fairer, greener and more democratic economy.