Meeting of the Parliament 19 June 2024
When I took up the role of Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic—six weeks ago, I believe, although the election has distracted us all somewhat—I was asked about my plans and priorities. I said, and I reiterate it today, that the plan is simple: it is to get the economy firing on all cylinders and to use the engine of economic growth to power a better future.
Although the plan is simple, the prize is enormous. Scotland is a country where growth is recognised as a key enabler of social, economic and cultural progress, and where economic success enables us to eradicate the scourge of child poverty, achieve net zero and provide our public services with the investment that they require in order to save, empower and transform lives.
Today, we publish our latest progress report on the national strategy for economic transformation. We remain committed to its vision of “a fairer, greener and wealthier” economy that works for all the people of Scotland. It is a plan to transform our economy through a relentless climb to the top rather than a self-defeating race to the bottom, and through looking outwards to what can be achieved rather than inwards at what we must not lose.
Scotland’s growth needs to be fair, green and sustainable. It should be growth that is defined by a spirit of innovation, in which the traditional bedrocks of our economy—tourism, financial services and food and drink—reinvent themselves for a digital and net zero world. The growth should be founded on the industries of tomorrow, including space, financial technology, life sciences and advanced manufacturing.
The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care and I recently chaired a round table with leaders from the national health service, leading universities and private sector companies that are looking to develop and scale up new products and services in Scotland. They were clear that not only does Scotland have an incredible history of innovation, but it has the people, data, supply chains, enterprise agencies and policy makers that can deliver a future that is every bit as successful as our past.