Programme for Government is a chance to turn rhetoric into action

Comment piece by Aileen McLeod first published in The National on Monday 19 August 2024

In September the Scottish Government will lay out plans for the year ahead in their Programme for Government.

This is a vital moment for the Scottish Government, a chance to turn rhetoric into action and demonstrate how commitments made will be delivered. Commitments to eradicate poverty, tackle the climate emergency, improve Scotland's public services and ensure we have a thriving economy.

Over the last few years, Scotland has been known for our leadership in the Wellbeing Economy movement. We were a founding member of the Wellbeing Economy Governments partnership (WEGo). We saw a commitment from the Scottish Government to place wellbeing at the heart of policymaking; a commitment to create an economy where both people and planet can thrive.

In her 2019 TED Talk, Why governments should prioritise wellbeing, Nicola Sturgeon outlined the Scottish Government’s commitment to economic transformation. She made a compelling case for prioritising the wellbeing of people over wealth. The former First Minister stated her government’s ambition for Scotland to 'be the country that helps change the focus of countries and governments across the world to put wellbeing at the heart of everything we do.'

Yet, since the launch of WEGo in 2018, our progress in Scotland has been hampered by a lack of action. Right now, Scotland is at risk of falling behind in an agenda the world is waking up to and which we were among the first to champion.

Next month will see the pivotal UN Summit of the Future reflecting the growing, global movement happening as people awaken to the urgent need to address the challenges of our time.

In my role as Director of the Wellbeing Economy Alliance Scotland (WEAll Scotland), I have the privilege of meeting with people from across the world. Recently, I have noticed that I’m increasingly being asked ‘what has happened to Scotland?’ as our absence at the forefront of this movement is noticed.

The Programme for Government is an opportunity for John Swinney to get Scotland back on track. To reestablish our position as world leaders, enacting groundbreaking legislation. It is an opportunity for the Scottish Government to deliver on the long-promised Wellbeing and Sustainable Development Bill - a vital step towards establishing a Wellbeing Economy in Scotland.

Our current economic model that relentlessly prioritises maximising economic growth at all costs is a recipe for societal and planetary disaster. The drive for growth has not, and is not, delivering fair or sustainable outcomes. We have rising poverty, growing inequality and we are crossing safe environmental thresholds.

We must pause and ask ourselves: ‘what are we growing and at what cost?’ We need a Wellbeing Economy that delivers social justice on a healthy planet.

As we face increasing financial, social and environmental crises, the Wellbeing and Sustainable Development Bill offers the opportunity for a step change to policymaking. It would enable bold action to safeguard the wellbeing of people. It has the power to ensure that decisions made today don’t harm future generations with the creation of a Future Generations Commissioner. It creates an opportunity for Scotland to have a positive impact both at home and globally.

In a just and compassionate Scotland, everyone should have the opportunity to live a good and dignified life. Prioritising our collective wellbeing enables us to adopt a collaborative approach to policymaking. It empowers people to realise their full potential in all areas of life.

Sustainable development helps us to improve our collective wellbeing in Scotland, in a way that reduces inequality and protects the wellbeing of current and future generations. It asks us to act in a way that leaves our planet in a better state for our grandchildren and their grandchildren. And it reminds us that our wellbeing is closely connected to that of others around the world, inspiring us to be a responsible and caring global neighbour.

I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a Scotland I want to live in: a Scotland where everyone can flourish. That’s why we’ve been working closely with Carnegie UK, Oxfam Scotland and Scotland’s International Development Alliance, calling on the Scottish Government to deliver on their commitment and ensure the Wellbeing and Sustainable Development Bill is front and centre of the Programme for Government.

And support for this Bill is not just limited to us. In June this year, over 150 social and environmental justice NGOs, grassroots community groups, faith leaders, service providers, funders, economists, academics, think tanks and business leaders joined us in an open letter to the First Minister. Support for this Bill runs far and wide across society as we can see the opportunities it presents.

The Wellbeing and Sustainable Development Bill is an opportunity for the Scottish Government and Parliament to work together to pass world leading legislation that creates a clear and shared narrative of progress for Scotland. It places wellbeing and sustainable development as the drivers of policy and practice.

But most importantly, I believe this Bill can set out a road map for a future where everyone in Scotland can thrive.