First Minister sets out his vision for Scotland in St Andrew’s Day speech

First Minister John Swinney will this week pledge to ‘create the conditions for every person in Scotland to thrive’, as he urges the country to pull together in a spirit of collaboration to remove barriers to economic and social progress.

In a major speech to representatives from organisations across the public and private sectors ahead of St Andrew’s Day, Mr Swinney will reflect on his approach to leadership and why challenges must be ‘understood and solved from the bottom up’.

In the speech – which will be delivered one week before the publication of the 2025-26 Scottish Budget – the First Minister will say he is “here to do the hard work” in finding lasting solutions to improving people’s lives.

The First Minister is expected to say:

“Every single day, I meet inspirational people from all walks of life - people who are doing their bit to make their community, their business or their country that wee bit better today than it was yesterday.

“When added together, those efforts form the engine of progress that is driving our country forward. For me, unlocking that potential is what government is about - it is about creating the conditions for every person in Scotland to thrive.

“I do not believe in trying to solve problems from the top down. Rather, I believe they need to be understood and solved from the bottom up. I am not here to dictate from on high to those on the front line. I am prepared to roll my sleeves up every single day to properly understand barriers to their progress and to find solutions. And in identifying those solutions, I am not looking for quick-fixes or sticking plasters.

“I am here to do the hard work, to lay the foundations for lasting improvements to our country, our economy, and our society. I do not pretend that this style of government is always headline-grabbing, but I do believe it is effective. And, in the long run, I know the results will speak for themselves.”