Two Pillars of a successful nation are A vibrant economy and cohesively functioning society; one will not happen without the other, otherwise, the nation limps. I have been writing about this topic since 2014. Today, I am glad to read this, “An overriding theme of our member research is that they believe equally in the need for a strong economy but also in the creation of a strong society.” in the following articles.
Courtesy of The National, Scotland
Business for Scotland challenges the thinking that big corporations are always good for the economy
BUSINESS For Scotland (BfS) has started the process of publishing a new economic strategy by sharing a vision we call Clarity, a new economics for a new Scotland, with our members donors and backers.
Over the summer we will refine this into a new vision for prosperity for Scotland and it will form the foundation of our new campaign to explain the benefits of nationhood to the Scottish population.
Our policy positions are driven by our members’ opinions, which are posted online or articulated at our monthly discussion lunches, at our annual activity review, or through member and wider business opinion research.
This has allowed BfS to formulate a range of policies we believe will lead to the creation of a fairer, greener, wealthier, inclusive, more sustainable, successful and economically confident Scotland.
The draft document sets out those policies as part of a process of discussion and refinement prior to our final publication.
BfS champions the small to medium sized business sector in Scotland (SMEs). We have to switch from thinking that big corporations are always good for the economy. We believe that the true wealth of a nation comes from creating a business environment that also allows small businesses to grow quickly.
And large corporations need to be made to pay their fair share of tax.
BfS champions EU membership and/or membership of the Single Market and Customs Union. We were the leading business organisation actively campaigning for a Remain vote in the EU referendum in Scotland. We continue to produce research and opinion aimed at educating and informing politicians of the dangers of Brexit and especially what has become known as a ‘hard’ Brexit.
BfS champions political and economic pluralism. Our members are pro-independence but they come from a range of political viewpoints and very few fall neatly into political definitions of ‘left’ and ‘right’.
An overriding theme of our member research is that they believe equally in the need for a strong economy but also in the creation of a strong society.
Members share the belief the seed of a strong society can grow if it is firmly planted in a successful economy, and that strong economy can only exist if it is underpinned by a fair, sustainable and protected society.
This is not centralism but rather a blend of ideas that would wrongly be labeled as ‘left’ and ‘right’, into a pluralistic/combined approach to creating a greener, fairer, more confident, entrepreneurially successful nation that does not leave any communities behind.
Pluralism is the next iteration of political and economic thought and will appeal to people across the political spectrum. Clarity is about designing a new, creative, intelligent and clear approach to generating a more widely shared prosperity for Scotland, a vision around which Scotland’s entrepreneurial company base, our entire public sector, our universities, and industries can be aligned.
As the media predicts a battle within the independence movement as to whether to campaign from the left or the right of centre, Business for Scotland’s approach aims to appeal to a broader church and represents a new approach that doesn’t look to other nations such as Norway and New Zealand but simply proposes bespoke solutions to make the most of Scotland’s opportunities.
The idea that became Clarity was first mooted in my National article: here’s a link. Comments on my Thursday column in The National have also helped shape the document.