Young People are Our Future

Our future lies in our young people. We’re striving to build a better future for them - delivering policies driving better access to education, healthcare and travel for Scotland’s young people. The SNP are committed to ensuring all young people in Scotland have the best start, and that the world they grow up in is one of safety, inclusion, and peace.

Education is a fundamental right - and the SNP have spearheaded policies which champion education and widen access for our young people. We’ve made university free for Scottish students, ensuring that tuition fees are not a barrier to accessing higher education in Scotland. We’ve increased funding for colleges and apprenticeships, allowing young people more choice to pick the education path that is right for them. We provide an Education Maintenance Allowance and an allowance for Scottish young carers, ensuring that no young person is forced to leave education because of financial strain. Adding to

that, we have just introduced the First Minister’s Start Up Challenge Fund, to support entrepreneurial 18-30 year olds. Our record investment in education has paid off - 93% of school leavers in Scotland go onto positive pathways for adult life.

For those that are care experienced, the SNP Government has put measures in place to ensure that you are not disadvantaged because of circumstances that are no fault of your own. We have instigated “The Promise” and I was so glad to see the Children: Care, Care Experience and Services Planning (Scotland) Bill be passed in Holyrood just last month in March 2026. Since 2018, the SNP Government has ploughed

over £60 million into the Care Experienced Children and Young People Fund to support tailored educational and wellbeing interventions. On top of that, positive outcomes for care experienced school leavers have increased from 58% to 85% since 2009/10. We know that it is hard to transition from being in care to leaving the system, which is why we provide support with the Care Leaver Payment of £2,000 as well as a student bursary of £9,000 per year for those from care with no family support to ensure no-one is left behind.

We also recognise that young people in the workplace deserve equal pay with their co-workers. If you’re doing the same job, you should get the same pay. That’s why I support making the minimum wage equal for all – a manifesto promise that the UK Labour Government have broken with age based bandings still in place for this financial year. You can read more detail on this in my article here.

Young people deserve healthcare that is accessible, and that makes them feel empowered and confident in their choices. We introduced vital policies of free dental care for under 26s, and free prescriptions and eye tests for all in Scotland. Under an SNP Government, in 2021 Scotland passed

landmark legislation making us the first country in the world to provide free period products to anyone who needs them, by law. There is still work to be done to ensure stigma free access in schools but I am dedicated to making that happen, as well as giving reusable alternatives to disposable products with my support of the Scottish Youth Parliament’s Providing Access, Dismantling Stigma (PADS) project. You can read more about how the SNP has championed healthcare for all in Scotland here.

having public transport provision and I am determined to work hard to rectify this situation, so that every young person can take advantage of this incredible offer of free transport. The SNP government also removed peak rail fares for good in Sept 2025, making train travel more affordable in Scotland. Free and accessible public transport for young people tackles isolation, helps you save money and be able to travel sustainably across Scotland. These provisions are under threat should any other party form the next Scottish Government.

I know how important it is for young people to be able to get around independently. All young people under the age of 22 receive free bus travel, anywhere in Scotland. No matter the distance or operator, journeys are free. This provides huge freedom for young people in Scotland, facilitating easier access to education, leisure and work. There are still accessibility issues due to many of our rural villages not

The SNP is fighting to ensure a positive future for all young people in Scotland, standing for a world that is safe, inclusive and peaceful. In an independent Scotland, the SNP would seek to negotiate with the rest of the UK for the removal of Trident from Faslane as hosting nuclear weapons does not make us safer.

We know how important environmental issues are for our younger people. Scotland is a global leader in tackling climate change, and we’ve set out an ambitious framework to help Scotland reach net zero emissions of all greenhouse gases by 2045 to ensure that the planet we leave for the next generation is protected and climate change is tackled head on. We have already achieved over 51% reduction in emissions meaning we are more than halfway towards our target of net zero by 2045 and are decarbonising faster than the EU27 average. We are also miles ahead with woodland creation, adding 8,470 hectares if new forestry and woodland in 2024/25. Scotland is a renewable energy powerhouse and we are increasing our capacity to ensure our reliance on fossil fuels reduces. It is vital that we support this transition to ensure jobs within the renewable industry and energy supply chains in the North East of Scotland.

From my work with young people running Stonehaven Youth Club and the Kincardine & Mearns Youth Clubs (SCIO) charity, I am confident that Scotland will prosper with today’s young people at the helm – you are our future and it is our job to support you in getting there. Vote for me and the SNP on 7th May to protect these vital policies which ensure that all young people in Scotland have the best start in life.