With less than three months until Scotland’s parliamentary election, our engineering sector is not alone in pondering the what-ifs and maybes of the potential outcomes.

We all like a good guessing game, but more than any other issue, business leaders are aligned behind one particular concern: that uncertainty is the biggest brake on our economic potential.  For engineering, manufacturing and the wider industrial landscape, unclear – or unhelpful – policy filters through to hesitation in investment, and investment delayed unfortunately often becomes investment lost.

It was with that reality in mind that Scottish Engineering joined with its fellow members of Trade Associations Scotland to publish a joint manifesto for the next Scottish Parliament.

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This coalition of business and industry organisations represents a wide cross-section of the Scottish economy, and its collaboration is not a lobbying wish list or a sector‑specific pitch. It aims to be a practical blueprint for sustainable economic success built on stability, clarity, and the recognition that Scotland’s prosperity depends on the confidence of those who commit their capital and careers to its future.

At the heart of the manifesto is a straightforward proposition: sustainable economic growth starts with a stable policy environment.

Businesses planning investments in defence, aerospace, energy or advanced........

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