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I was pleased to speak in the debate welcoming the return of the Social Enterprise World Forum back to Scotland for its 10th anniversary. The purpose of the World Forum is for social enterprise leaders, practitioners and supporters from all over the world to come together to share knowledge, build networks and discuss practical ways to build a more sustainable economy.
The event comes at a time when more people are realising that the current way in which our economy and society work is not fair and is not set up to deliver in the interests of the many.
However, when we are debating the importance of social enterprise, it is crucial to highlight the negative impact of failed Tory austerity, as we will not create a better society while promoting inequality through austerity and we will not grow a dynamic, community-led social enterprise approach against a backdrop of deep cuts.
The Tory party need to seriously rethink their zealous austerity agenda, which continues to chip away at our public services and their ability to invest in areas such as social enterprise.
We can all recognise the massive potential of growing the social enterprise sector of our economy. We need to follow that up with resources and investment, and that means an end to austerity and recognition of the need for investment in growth right across Scotland.
