Elections to the Scottish Parliament will be held on Thursday 7th May.
SIDA published our policy priorities for the next Scottish Parliament and Government at our annual conference in September 2025 and many of our member organisations and network partners have also produced their own key asks.
Over the last few weeks, each of the political parties who had MSPs at the end of the last session of Parliament have published their manifestos. Here’s what they have had to say on key issues of interest to SIDA and our members, on tackling global poverty, injustice and environmental threats:
Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party
- “Another part of our drive to curtail public spending would see us reduce the Scottish Government’s foreign aid budget. At a time of stretched budgets, our priority should be to fix our problems at home, so we would redirect this money towards public services instead” (p10)
- “Reduce the Scottish Government’s spending on foreign aid and direct it towards our domestic public services.” (p11)
- “Close down the SNP’s international climate change budget so that we can spend this money on our priorities at home instead” (p46)
- “The support they announced for households struggling with heating oil costs was less than half the amount of money they’re planning to spend dealing with ‘International Climate Change’ next year. The Scottish Conservatives believe this money should be spent dealing with our problems at home, so we would close down this budget and direct funds towards domestic priorities like helping households with the cost of heating oil instead. (p45/46)”
- “Review charity law to consider whether bodies that receive almost all their funding from government or the public sector should still be classed as charities” (p15)
Scottish Greens
- “Safeguard and expand Scotland’s international development programme, including the International Development Fund, the Climate Justice Fund and the Humanitarian Emergency Fund.” (p132)
- “Keep climate justice at the heart of Scotland’s international commitments, supporting those across the world who have contributed the least to climate change but are suffering its worst impacts, including by providing direct funding to support locally-led projects.”” (p5)
- “Place legal duties on public bodies and any organisation acting on their behalf to not only uphold human rights here in Scotland, but consider how their work impacts on the human and environmental rights in other countries.” (p7)
- “Ensure coherence across all Scottish Government activities to ensure we are not contributing to the same global crises we are trying to solve, for example by contributing to humanitarian support in warzones where the damage has been caused by arms dealers in receipt of Scottish Government funding” (p132)
- “We will use Scotland’s voice to support a feminist and anti-colonial approach to international relations, and to work for global debt, finance and tax justice.” (p132)
- “Ensure that Scotland’s authorities take every opportunity to uphold international law, UN resolutions, warrants and rulings of the International Criminal Court, in holding accountable any individuals who are suspected of committing war crimes or crimes against humanity” (p131)
- “Advocate for an international Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty to stop the global expansion of coal, oil and gas production and phase out existing fossil fuel use in a fair and managed way that supports workers and the most climate vulnerable countries. Scottish Greens will continue to call for Scotland to join the international Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance.” (p5)
- “We will use Scotland’s voice to support a feminist and anti-colonial approach to international relations, and to work for global debt, finance and tax justice” (p131)
- “Ban the United States Military, and other governments involved in and facilitating war crimes and genocide, from using Scottish Government owned infrastructure, including Prestwick Airport and HIAL airports.”” (p131)
- “Ensure Scotland works towards a world free of nuclear weapons, including by committing to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, and amending the Marine Scotland Act to ban the movement of nuclear weapons through Scottish waters.” (p131)”
- “Establish a Scottish Reparative Justice Fund to support racialised communities in Scotland, global climate justice initiatives and partnerships with Caribbean and African nations affected by Scotland’s historic role in the slave trade.” (p132)
- “Ensure Scotland’s voice is heard globally through expanded diplomatic engagement and representation, including expanding Scotland’s external representation networks to key global cities and regions, strengthening advocacy on climate, human rights and sustainable development” (p131)
Scottish Labour
- “Maintain the international development budget, ensuring that funding for humanitarian aid is only delivered through not-for-profit organisations and is targeted at areas where we have Scottish partnerships in place. (p86)
- “Establish an aid matching scheme, so that government contributions to international development can double the generous donations made by the Scottish public to specific projects. (p86)”
- “Carry out robust human rights due diligence checks on business support funding for defence, to take account of product end use and ensure public money is not connected to products used in human rights abuses around the world.” (p86)
- “Protect Scotland’s commitment to being a Fair Trade Nation, promoting ethical trade and workers’ rights around the world, as well as at home.” (p86)
- “Expand the availability of ESOL courses in Scotland, so that those seeking refuge in our country are given support to learn English to help them integrate and build lives here.” (p86)
- “…build a tourism strategy that: Establishes a Major Events Bureau, strengthening the Edinburgh festivals, supporting the expansion of the Scottish Events Campus and positioning Scotland as leading destinations for world-class sport, culture, and international conferences.” (p83)
- “In turbulent global times, acting in solidarity is even more important. It was a Scottish Labour government that first introduced Scotland’s voluntary contributions to international development work, in recognition of Scotland’s outward facing and internationalist outlook. We will continue this work, making sure that the contribution Scotland makes is as effective as it can be in tackling humanitarian crises around the world. (p86)
Scottish Liberal Democrats
- “Supporting the Liberal Democrats’ calls to restore the UK’s role as a global leader on climate change, including through international development and loss and damage finance” (p72)
- “Standing up for the values of democracy, liberty, human rights, the rule of law and international development, both at home and abroad.” (p96)
- “Putting tackling climate change and delivering a just transition at the heart of a new skills strategy” (p72)
Scottish National Party
- “We will increase the £15 million International Development Fund by at least 25% by the end of the next Parliament. This will be in addition to the continuation and growth of our Climate Justice Fund and our ‘aid match’ scheme with SCIAF.”” (p34)”
- “Our commitment to fostering a new global approach to Loss & Damage continues to shape the case we make internationally for an ethical approach to foreign policy” (p34)
- “Issues of human rights, climate justice, and gender equality are central to our international approach.” (p33)
- “We will continue support for tackling global emergencies through the Humanitarian Emergency Fund, and give particular focus on supporting the efforts related to United Nations Security Council Resolution1325, which recognises the disproportionate impact of conflict on women and girls” (p34)
- “Issues of human rights, climate justice, and gender equality are central to our international approach.” p32
- “Our commitment to fostering a new global approach to Loss & Damage continues to shape the case we make internationally for an ethical approach to foreign policy” (p34)
- “We will take the necessary action to achieve net zero by 2045.” (p61)”
- “We support finding a fair, long-term solution to the global debt crisis.” (p34)
- “We maintain our firm and unequivocal opposition to nuclear weapons – both in principle and to their location in Scotland. This includes opposition to the replacement of the Trident nuclear missile system and to the UK Government’s commitment to increase the number of nuclear warheads to the tune of £15 billion.” (p34)
- “We will continue to build strong international partnerships with our neighbours in Europe, and stand up for peace, democracy, and the rule of law in an increasingly uncertain world.” (p33)
- “We will expand the number of ‘Scotland House’ consulates around the world to over 40 by consolidating Scottish Government and Scottish Development International offices into a single network.” (p41)
- “We will develop an agreement with the third sector to strengthen its voice and improve lives, which will include delivering funding on a multi-year basis to allow better planning of service provision.” (p33)
Reform UK
“There is no “just” transition in Aberdeen or Grangemouth while well paid jobs are haemorrhaging overseas. All because politicians prioritised the ideology of Net Zero over the economic necessity of the Scottish people to have affordable energy for our families and businesses. (p15)
“Scrap all SNP Net Zero related targets, subsidies and quangos (p15)”
“Form a department of government efficiency to cut waste and duplication and the endless funding of lobbyist charities by taxpayers” (p25)
[ENDS]
Promoted by Scotland’s International Development Alliance, 24 Canning Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8EG