Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce (AGCC) has today launched its Manifesto for the 2026 Scottish Parliamentary Election, setting out a clear call for economic growth, stronger partnership with business, and decisive investment in infrastructure and communities.
The manifesto urges political parties to commit to reconnecting Peterhead, Fraserburgh and Ellon to the rail network, delivering a new community stadium for Aberdeen, and doubling the £500 million Just Transition Fund to £1billion to support jobs, investment and long-term economic resilience across the North-east.
With just 100 days to go until Scotland goes to the polls, the manifesto is published at a critical juncture for the regional economy, as businesses navigate the realities of energy transition, ongoing fiscal pressures and continued regulatory instability.
AGCC represents more than 1,350 businesses across Aberdeen and the wider North-east, from small family-owned firms to major global operators, spanning energy, food and drink, tourism, retail, professional services, manufacturing and the knowledge economy.
Collectively, AGCC members employ over 100,000 people – around half of the region’s workforce, and the manifesto calls on the next Scottish Government to make economic growth a core policy objective and to use all available devolved powers and influence to create the conditions in which business can thrive.
It emphasises the need for policy stability, a more competitive fiscal and regulatory environment, and strategic, place-based public investment aligned to regional strengths and opportunities.
Among AGCC’s key asks of the next Scottish Government are:
- A clear commitment to economic growth as a central objective of government policy;
- A more competitive tax and regulatory environment, including reform of Non-Domestic Rates and fewer Scottish Income Tax bands to improve talent attraction and retention;
- Sustained investment in skills and the workforce of the future, including work-integrated learning, graduate apprenticeships and fair funding for universities and colleges;
- Stronger support for the energy transition, including pressing for an end to the UK Energy Profits Levy, accelerating renewable energy consenting, and doubling the £500million Just Transition Fund to £1billion;
- Targeted place-based investment to support city and town centre regeneration, housing delivery, culture and the visitor economy, including a new community stadium for Aberdeen; and
- Improved connectivity, including a commitment to reconnecting Peterhead, Fraserburgh and Ellon to the rail network, enhancing existing rail links, safer trunk roads, better public transport, full-fibre broadband and support for Aberdeen International Airport as a national asset.
Russell Borthwick, Chief Executive of Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce, said: “The North-east of Scotland has consistently delivered exceptional economic value for Scotland as a whole - but our contribution cannot be taken for granted.
“Confidence is fragile, investment decisions are being delayed, and too many firms feel constrained by policy and regulatory uncertainty.
“This manifesto is a clear call to action for the next Scottish Government. It sets out, in practical terms, what businesses need to grow, invest and create jobs: policy stability, competitive taxation, effective regulation and a genuine partnership between government and industry.
“Businesses are not seeking handouts. They are seeking growth-focused decisions that unlock private investment, protect high-value jobs and sustain productivity. With the right policy environment, North-east Scotland can continue to be an economic powerhouse for Scotland – but that outcome is a choice, not a given.”
AGCC is urging all political parties and candidates standing in the 2026 Holyrood election to engage meaningfully with the business community and to commit to the policies contained in our manifesto that support long-term growth, competitiveness and economic resilience, both in the North-east and across Scotland.
You can view the manifesto in full here