Manifesto reaction: Choosing courage over fear for Scotland’s children 

Communications Officer Innes Burns finds hope, humanity and hardheadedness in our roadmap for positive change.

I have just read our manifesto and I am proud to work for Children in Scotland, to say the least.

We begin with an introduction from our superb Chief Executive, Dr Judith Turbyne. Some of her opening remarks immediately spoke to me:

…here at home, we are watching with dismay the anti-migration and wider discriminatory rhetoric and violence that is creating a hostile environment for many of our children, families and communities.

Before joining Children in Scotland, I ran a media platform called Untribal Politics. The clue was very much in the name. I spent years trying to take the sting out of political discourse, searching for truth and showing the human side of politicians. I tried to do this with an open mind, or in other words, without tribal thinking. 

I never claimed perfection, but even so, it at times felt like a bold venture. Many people will read this and ask why I even bothered, especially given the current political climate. 

It was not always like this, though. 

It can feel difficult to remember a time when public discourse was not so fervent, alarmist and divisive. This is somewhat inherent in how politics operates I guess… but it certainly didn’t feel as emotionally arresting or weighty as it does now. Which is why I was genuinely relieved to see our Chief Executive name this so clearly in the manifesto. 

This environment we create for our children affects them deeply. They have a right to grow up without being shaped by fear, hostility and division. 

Which brings me to rights more broadly. The Scottish Government has committed to reducing child poverty rates to below 10 per cent by 2030. Our manifesto rightly points out that there is still a great deal to do, and that there are practical, achievable actions that can and should be taken. 

It calls for continued leadership in upholding the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. This is a landmark piece of legislation that places Scotland among the most progressive countries in the world when it comes to protecting children’s rights and ensuring every child grows up safe, valued and loved. Legislation like this matters, but only if it is properly implemented and resourced. 

The manifesto also speaks powerfully about health and wellbeing. I am, frankly, tired of the demonisation of work/life balance and the dismissal of the very real challenges many of us face in trying to stay healthy, both physically and mentally, in Scotland of 2026. 

Our emotional wherewithal has been depleted through digitalisation. Lockdowns and social media dependency has created unprecedented mind health considerations. Millions of people are missing from everyday life for long periods due to debilitating illnesses like Long Covid. There are children out there with undiagnosed or unrecognised additional support needs. These are all new things we are grappling with.  

These aren’t buzz words. I have lived a lot of it. I was bed-ridden with Long Covid for several months with only social media as my connection to the outside world. It takes a huge amount of work on confidence-building to recover from that.  

At the same time, economic opportunity has narrowed and pressures on families have intensified.  

Too often, issues like children’s rights, tackling poverty, mental health, or fair work are framed as being in conflict with business or economic interests. I encourage people reading the manifesto to challenge this view. A Scotland where children grow up in poverty, where families are pushed to breaking point and where mind health goes unsupported is not a strong economy. It is a fragile one. 

Addressing these challenges is not a barrier to economic growth, it is a foundation for it. When children are healthy, supported and able to learn, they grow into adults who can contribute and thrive. When families have security and stability, communities are stronger. Investing in children and families is one of the most sensible economic choices we can make for Scotland’s future. 

This manifesto recognises that Scotland already has world-leading legislation in place. If delivered well, and with courage, it could be genuinely transformative for the next generation. That is why I hope politicians of all parties take it seriously. 

There is a world where we work together. There is a world where all children in Scotland grow up safe, loved and valued. We will not get there by pointing fingers or by obsessing over what divides us. 

So much of us is the same. That’s something we forget far too often.