We are committed to creating a dynamic economy in Scotland. As Scotland’s Enterprise Minister, Nicol Stephen delivered a cut in business rates saving Scottish business £180 million per year. We believe there is now an opportunity to go further. A further cut in business rates would give Scottish business a real competitive edge.

That’s why we want to see:

• business rates lowered to below those of the rest of the UK.
• incentives for local authorities to grow their local economy with a new scheme that allows them to keep some additional funding directly when they do.

We must ensure the brightest and the best ideas in Scotland get taken through to make the biggest impact for business and the economy. Industry in Scotland currently spends around £500m a year on research and development (R&D) – on half of the UK average and a miserable fifth of Sweden’s. We need to follow their neighbour Finland’s example by giving this issue a far higher profile. Scotland has the drive, ambition and dynamism to create world-class, world-beating ideas and we need to have the support in place to turn those ideas into a business reality.

That’s why we want to see:

• the establishment of an Investment and Innovation Agency in Scotland.
• investment in research multiply threefold – to international standards.

Significant skills shortages are emerging in important sectors of our economy. At the same time, tens of thousands of young Scots are not in education, employment or training (NEET). We need to do more to support this group of disadvantaged and often disaffected young people, with a big expansion of the vocational education opportunities in our schools and colleges. We need to make the most of the hidden talent in Scotland. At the same time we need to support our students and further and higher education sectors.

That’s why we want to see:

• more links between business and our schools to help develop a real culture of entrepreneurship in our young people.
• our colleges and schools working far more closely together to give a higher priority to vocational courses.
• an increase in modern apprenticeships.
• the graduate endowment abolished and top-up fees opposed.

Government must realise the huge impact it can have, particularly on small and medium sized business. While a lot of red tape is created in Brussels or at Westminster, the role of the Scottish Executive and its agencies – especially Scottish Water and SEPA – remains significant. Often it is not individual rule or regulations that cause problems, but the cumulative effect of a number of them.

That’s why we want to see:

• a reduction in the burden on business by moving to a more proportionate system of regulation that is based on a proper assessment of risk.
• businesses that consistently meet high standards rewarded through a reduction in the burden of inspection and regulation.
• more joint inspections by various government agencies to limit the amount of management time spent dealing with inspections.