After nearly two decades in power, the record of the Scottish National Party is no longer a matter of promise, but of performance. And for Scotland’s business community, that performance raises profound concerns about the country’s economic direction and its future.

Scotland is a nation rich in talent, resources, and entrepreneurial spirit. Yet economic growth has lagged, investment has faltered, and too many businesses now face a climate of uncertainty rather than opportunity. This is not the result of global forces alone. It is the product of political choices.

For years, constitutional division has taken precedence over economic delivery. The relentless focus on independence, despite the clear complexities it would entail, has created a drag on confidence. Investors hesitate. Employers delay expansion. International firms look elsewhere.

Let us be clear, independence is not a cost-free aspiration. It raises fundamental, unanswered questions about currency, debt, trade, and fiscal sustainability. Businesses do not operate in a vacuum. They depend on stability, clarity, and access to markets, particularly the rest of the United Kingdom, Scotland’s largest trading partner. The risk is not abstract. It is immediate and practical. What currency would Scotland use? How would cross-border trade function? What will happen to public spending if revenues fall short? These are not ideological questions. They are the bread and butter of economic reality. Meanwhile, day-to-day pressures mount. Many firms face rising costs, regulatory burdens, and skills shortages. What they need is a government focused relentlessly on growth, improving productivity, supporting enterprise, and attracting investment. Instead, they see drift.

This is not an argument against Scotland. It is an argument for Scotland’s success. Businesses want to invest, to hire, to grow. But they need a stable foundation on which to build. The upcoming Holyrood elections are not simply another political contest. They are a choice about Scotland’s economic future. More of the same risks entrenching stagnation. A change in direction could unlock opportunity. Voters do not need to accept decline as inevitable. They can demand better. They can demand a government focused on jobs, growth, and prosperity, not constitutional obsession. Scotland’s future should be built on economic strength, not economic uncertainty.

Struan Stevenson
CEO Scottish Business UK (SBUK)

Spring 2026