Events
At Our Scottish Future, we believe Scotland can do better.
We hold regular events to set out ideas on economic growth, tackling poverty and to debate a better way forward for Scotland.
Our events are advertised on our social media platforms as well as through our email list.
To ensure you don’t miss out, follow us on social media and sign up on our website to be kept up to date with our weekly newsletter.
Recent Events
Fringe event at Scottish Labour Conference 2024
At the 2024 Scottish Labour Conference in Glasgow, we held a Fringe event to discuss how Scotland can get back to economic growth and ensuring the benefits of a growing economy are felt by all in society.
The event drew upon our recent report, “From Growth To Good” , which you can read more about below.
Present on the panel were:
Kirsty McNeill, PPC for Midlothian
Daniel Johnson MSP, Scottish Labour spokesperson on economy, business and fair work
Stuart Patrick, Chief Executive of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce
Jim Gallagher, Chair OSF
Launch of our new report “Rewiring Scotland”
On Tuesday 13th February 2024 we launched our new report, “Rewiring Scotland” at the City Arts Centre Edinburgh.
The report called for the Scottish Government to hand more power to Scotland’s cities and regions to help boost the country’s stagnating levels of growth. It also proposed councils should be able to join together to form new Scottish Combined Authorities, potentially led by a directly-elected provost, taking control over powers such as economic development and skills training, as well as calling for cross party consensus on replacing council tax.
On the panel discussing the report were:
Eddie Barnes, Director of OSF
Prof Jim Gallagher, Chair OSF
Wendy Chamberlain MP
Prof James Mitchell, Professor of Public Policy, Edinburgh University
Cllr Cammy Day, Leader of Edinburgh Council
You can read the press release for more information and the full report here.
Better Jobs, Better Skills, Better Pay Conference
On the 30th November 2023, Our Scottish Future, in partnership with the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, held a major conference on Scotland’s economy.
Featuring a high quality line up of speakers and panellists, the conference discussed and explored how Scotland can achieve sustained economic growth to make us an opportunity rich and poverty free country.
To support the conference, Our Scottish Future published a report, “From Growth to Good: a ten-year growth plan for Scotland” which revealed that Scotland has the economic firepower to create 300,000 jobs in new industries over the next decade.
You can read a quick summary of the event from OSF Director Eddie Barnes and watch the speeches on YouTube.
Launch of our new report “A Little Less Conversation: How To Fix Scotland’s Implementation Gap”
On the 1st November 2023, we launched our new report “A Little Less Conversation: How To Fix Scotland’s Implementation Gap” at the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
The launch was attended by journalists and professionals from a variety of policy areas.
The report argued that that the successes of devolution has been stymied in recent years by a combination of “too much politics, too much government, a failure to cooperate, and a centralised political culture”. It praised several successes under the Scottish Government but concluded that Ministers too often “govern by press release”.
The report found that the Edinburgh administration has published nearly 700 consultation papers and 529 strategies or plans since the 2014 independence referendum.
That works out at more than one strategy or plan being published every week.
You can read the press release for more information or watch the presentation on YouTube.
A Stronger Scotland in a Better Britain Rally
On the 1st June 2023, Our Scottish Future held a major rally in central Edinburgh to make the case for a plan that creates a stronger Scotland in a better Britain.
A sensational line up of speakers delivered fantastic speeches, setting out the case for radical reform to political institutions across the UK.
We heard from former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, former First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar.
You can read OSF organiser Ross Newton reflecting on the event and watch the speeches on YouTube
Britain’s Northern Superpower: Building A Greater Glasgow Conference
On the 10th February 2023, Our Scottish Future and the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce hosted a major conference to set out the case to establish Greater Glasgow’s position as one of the UK’s key economic clusters outside London.
The conference heard from former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, former CBI director general Tony Danker, Centre for Cities founder Lord Sainsbury and Glasgow city council leader Susan Aitken.
To support the conference, Our Scottish Future published several papers, “Engine of the North: Making Scotland a European Innovation Leader“, “Glasgow’s Economy in Context” and “Precision Medicine and Scotland’s Opportunity“.
Gordon Brown told the conference that the UK and Scottish Governments should jointly commit to making Glasgow the global centre of precision medicine and said Glasgow had to enter a “new phase of industrialisation” seizing on the new sectors of growth in the global marketplace. You can read more in Gordon Brown’s article in The Herald.
Better Jobs, Better Skills, Better Pay Conference
On the 30th November 2023, Our Scottish Future, in partnership with the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, held a major conference on Scotland’s economy.
Featuring a high quality line up of speakers and panellists, the conference discussed and explored how Scotland can achieve sustained economic growth to make us an opportunity rich and poverty free country.
To support the conference, Our Scottish Future published a report, “From Growth to Good: a ten-year growth plan for Scotland” which revealed that Scotland has the economic firepower to create 300,000 jobs in new industries over the next decade.
You can read a quick summary of the event from OSF Director Eddie Barnes and watch the speeches on YouTube.
Better Jobs, Better Skills, Better Pay Conference
On the 30th November 2023, Our Scottish Future, in partnership with the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, held a major conference on Scotland’s economy.
Featuring a high quality line up of speakers and panellists, the conference discussed and explored how Scotland can achieve sustained economic growth to make us an opportunity rich and poverty free country.
To support the conference, Our Scottish Future published a report, “From Growth to Good: a ten-year growth plan for Scotland” which revealed that Scotland has the economic firepower to create 300,000 jobs in new industries over the next decade.
You can read a quick summary of the event from OSF Director Eddie Barnes and watch the speeches on YouTube.
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