Politics

RESEARCH JUSTIFICATION

This section examines Scotland’s political trends, including key funding priorities to understand how they affect vulnerable populations.

How do current political trends influence local communities?

Current Political Climate

The current political climate is a fast moving and quickly changing one. The rise of the far-right in England & Wales, under Reform UK is a phenomenon that has not totally translated to Scotland. Whilst there is a shift towards Reform this is perhaps more due to the waning relevance of the Conservative party in both in Scotland and the UK (Bella Calledonia, 2025). There is still large support for independence in Scotland with polls recently swinging to 52% in favour to 48% against. It is worth noting that EU membership is still a large issue in Scotland and only adds to the Independence debate, as 62% of Scottish voters called for the UK to remain in the European Union in 2016. EU citizens are also increasingly welcoming of an independent Scotland in the EU (The National, 2025). Whilst there is a growing desire for independence, the threat of Russia, gradual withdrawal of the USA from Europe and possibility of a far-right government in Westminster mean this is becoming increasingly unlikely. 

Planning Policy Structures

Scotland’s planning system is structured around National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4), which sets the national spatial strategy to 2045 and carries statutory weight in all planning decisions.

The NPF4 brings together climate, nature, and placemaking policy in one framework, guiding every Local Development Plan (LDP) and planning application across the country. The framework emphasises sustainable, low-carbon and compact development, prioritising reuse over new build, biodiversity restoration, and the creation of 20-minute neighbourhoods. Regional Spatial Strategies address cross-boundary growth and infrastructure, while LDPs translate these national aims into site-specific strategies. Communities are further empowered through Local Place Plans, giving residents and local groups a formal role in shaping how their areas develop (Scottish Government, National Planning Framework 4, 2023). 

While NPF4 represents a form of centralisation in strategy and standards, the Scottish Government has also committed to greater decentralisation in delivery. Through mechanisms like community planning, Local Place Plans, and the Empowering Communities Programme, national objectives are intended to be implemented through local partnerships and regional collaboration (Scottish Government, Local Governance Review, 2023, Planning (Scotland) Act 2019). The result is a hybrid model, centrally coordinated, but locally enacted, that aims to align planning and investment decisions with Scotland’s national priorities for net zero, resilience, and inclusive growth while ensuring that communities remain active participants in shaping their future.

Power of Community Takeovers

Scotland has one of the most progressive community ownership and land reform frameworks in the UK, rooted in the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 and later Right to Buy legislation. These tools enable communities to take control of previously private land and assets, supporting local governance, sustainable development, and economic resilience.

Examples such as the Isle of Eigg and Isle of Gigha show how buyouts can reshape communities: both now manage renewable energy, develop housing, and generate tourism income, with surpluses reinvested locally (Highlands & Islands Enterprise, accessed 2025, Community Land Scotland, accessed 2025).

In rural areas, community land trusts like the Assynt Foundation use ownership to restore land, promote sustainable forestry, and support local enterprises. Revenues fund housing, conservation, and small-scale economic activity, aligning environmental stewardship with local social and economic benefits (Assynt Foundation, accessed 2025). Urban communities have also taken over underused public assets, such as former schools or community buildings, to provide cultural, social, and economic infrastructure, demonstrating the adaptability of the model (Scottish Community Development Centre, accessed 2025).

Across these cases, the partnership between national legislation and local agency enables communities to direct investment, manage resources, and build resilience. The model shows how decentralised ownership can advance economic, social, and environmental aims at once, offering a template for regenerative, place-based development. It highlights that when communities gain control of land and infrastructure, they can deliver outcomes that reflect local priorities while contributing to national goals for sustainability, equity, and climate action.

Funding Priorities

The Scottish Government’s funding priorities are shaped around the twin ambitions of a just transition and a fair, green economy. Recent programmes, including the Programme for Government 2024/25 and the National Strategy for Economic Transformation, direct investment toward net zero infrastructure, renewable energy, and place-based regeneration, with a strong focus on circular economy principles and community wealth building (Scottish Government, 2024, Scottish Government, 2022). Funding streams such as the Place-Based Investment Programme and the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund are now used to anchor investment in local contexts, linking climate action, economic renewal, and social resilience. 

There’s a clear shift toward distributed development rather than centralised growth, with emphasis on regional resource networks, rural innovation, and low-carbon manufacturing. Investment in areas like timber innovation, renewable energy systems, and skills transition programmes suggests a future economy built around material circularity and local production rather than extraction and export. In this sense, Scotland’s funding landscape is beginning to mirror a broader policy narrative: one that connects environmental repair with social regeneration and treats the built environment not as an endpoint for investment, but as an active framework for transition. 

“This Government will focus our efforts and resources on our four key priorities: eradicating child poverty, growing the economy, tackling the climate emergency, and ensuring high quality and sustainable public services.”

- John Swinney FM 2025 (Scottish Government, 2024).