As we approach the 2026 Holyrood election, the Countryside Alliance invited parties to write an article for our website setting out their vison for rural Scotland. 

Here is the response from Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar:

For too long Scotland’s rural communities have been let down and overlooked by the SNP

Housing shortages, a lack of opportunities, poor transport links and inadequate digital connectivity have all held back the potential of rural Scotland and fuelled depopulation.

Scottish Labour will get the basics right and help Scotland’s rural communities thrive.

We know a one-size-fits all approach does not work for Scotland so we will take a regional approach to economic development that capitalises on the unique strengths of each part of Scotland.

We will prioritise rural-specific industries within our industrial strategy, ensuring that government interventions are designed for both rural and urban areas from inception.

Scotland already has a fantastic global reputation for quality food and drink and rural Scotland is the backbone of that industry. We will promote Brand Scotland on the world stage, working with the UK Government trade networks and Scottish diaspora to boost Scottish exports and grow Scottish tourism.

Scottish Labour believes that our agricultural industry in Scotland should be supported to continue contributing to our excellent food and drink production, sustaining our climate, natural resources and biodiversity, benefitting local communities and national economy, and protecting workers' pay, jobs and welfare.

We will modernise agricultural support to deliver a fairer system for businesses of all sizes and we will simplify the regulatory environment for farmers, ensuring that rules are clear, proportionate and based on practical understanding. Any changes to agricultural payments will be phased in so that no producers face cliff edges in support and we will ensure that the system rewards farmers for nature-friendly practices, recognising the environmental contributions already made by Scotland’s farmers and crofters.

I know too often young people in rural communities are forced to leave to find work. That’s why Scottish Labour will build an education and skills system that works for every young person and every part of the country, including by creating 9,000 new apprenticeships, so no qualified candidate in a key industry is turned away.

After nearly two decades of SNP failure, rural communities have been let down time and time again – from the crisis in our lifeline ferry service to the failure to dual the deadly A9 to the sorry state of local roads. Scottish Labour will deliver a ferry system that works, upgrade dangerous roads like the A9, deliver a £350 million pothole fund and improve local bus services.

We will fix the SNP’s housing emergency, which has taken a profound toll on many rural areas – overhauling our planning system to speed up applications and get projects approved faster and turning the SNP’s lacklustre planning hub into a central planning agency.

This will help us to deliver 125,000 new homes across Scotland, of which 10 per cent will be built in genuinely rural areas.

We will make sure rural communities see the benefit of local energy projects and we will support community ownership.

We will prioritise full-fibre broadband and 5G rollout – particularly in rural and underserved areas – to ensure businesses and workers can operate effectively from anywhere.

The healthcare needs of rural communities are at the heart of our plans for the NHS.

As well as fixing the basics across the board – empowering local services, tackling shameful waiting lists and improving access to GPs – we will use technology to make healthcare more easily accessible.

I will lead a government focused on delivering for every single person in Scotland and right across government, we will make sure policies work for rural areas.

Only Scottish Labour can get rid of the SNP, fix the basics and deliver the change rural communities need. 

 Anas Sarwar is Leader of Scottish Labour.