Scotland 2050 is all about looking forward to the future

Unlike other events of this nature, I have intentionally made Scotland 2050 a free ticketed event, as I believe that everyone should be part of the conversation about Scotland’s future, irrespective of background or ability. It really is the conference for the people of Scotland.

The birth of Scotland 2050 came about through a frustration with short-term politics; the game playing, the soundbites and the growing disconnect between those in office who talk about delivering for the people, and the people not feeling that politics is delivering for them. It’s something us politicos hear all the time, but rarely have we seen a concerted effort to do something about it, and that’s one of the core missions of Scotland 2050, how can we get more people interested in and inspired by Scottish politics.

We have seen that in the election in Scotland that has just passed, a reduced voter turnout and a feeling of apathy and being “scunnered”. I get it. I don’t need to dissect the election results any more than what has already happened. We know we need political parties, especially those in government to do what they said they will do as opposed to offering meaningless promises. But we also need opposition parties to step up and engage with government when they can. We need them to act for the benefit of the people of Scotland and not oppose for the sake of it.

Another example that reinforces this perception is the ongoing saga in Westminster over the potential leadership challenge to Keir Starmer. On the one hand you have Wes Streeting who resigned as Secretary of State for Health and is now on a one-man mission to speak to people about the state of the country. He should have remained in post as health secretary promoting the work that the Labour government has done to bring down waiting lists, kept his powder dry and seen how things play out.

Contrast that with Burnham, aka the saviour of modern-day socialism, who is standing in the Makerfield by-election. The public perception is that its two people putting their own ambitions ahead of the country.

But going back to the initial question, why am I organising Scotland 2050? Scotland 2050 is all about looking forward to the future, how will we tackle the issues affecting Scotland today for a better tomorrow, but to truly answer this question I need to look at my own past and life journey.

Casting my mind back to 1997, I had left school without any qualifications. The future looked uncertain as I navigated or attempted to navigate life at 16 trying to figure out what I wanted to or could do. I will forever be grateful to the education I received at what was at the time Stevenson College. Back then I didn’t have the network I have now, I didn’t have political connections, I didn’t come from a family that did or even discussed politics, my Mum and Dad were hard working people who were busy and had things going on. But what I did know is that I had an idea of what I believed in, I had an idea of the type of society I wanted to live in.

Looking back, it’s clear that my politics, even then, was left leaning and from looking back at those early years it’s clear to me now that I had an entrepreneurial mindset, although, hand on heart it has taken me a lot longer to realise that. So why am I organising Scotland 2050?

Twenty-nine years on and my politics remains the same. I’ve stood for office, run a business, established a conference, but my core political belief is about supporting and helping people to achieve their full potential, and I want to play my part in helping and supporting people to do just that. I passionately believe that everyone should be part of the conversation about Scotland’s future irrespective of background, and by bringing people together from the world of business, politics and civic society we can do just that, and in turn we can collectively work together to shape the future political discourse of Scotland and the direction in which the country goes in and I believe that Scotland 2050 is an effective platform for that discussion.

Scotland 2050 exists to challenge the status quo and ask the tough questions but also to act as a forum for a progressive discussion about the future of Scotland. To coin a phrase, Scotland 2050 is a people powered movement. We are looking forward to taking Scotland 2050 to other parts of Scotland across the summer.

At this year’s Scotland 2050 conference which takes place on Tuesday at the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh we have keynote speeches from former Labour First Minister Jack McConnell, Alex Cole Hamilton MSP and Ivan McKee MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Public Service Reform and panel sessions on housing, the economy and energy.

To be part of the conversation about the future of Scotland and to secure your free ticket, please go to www.scotland-2050.co.uk