Policy roundup 2025

In 2025, the Policy team played a key role in shaping national decision-making and influencing human rights and social security policy.

Social Care
The ALLIANCE worked to inform the development of the National Care Service. Although the Scottish Government largely shelved plans for this early in the year, which the ALLIANCE expressed disappointment about, our work towards transformational change in social care continues.

In the Ministerial Statement on the future of the National Care Service, the Social Care Minister quoted the ALLIANCE at the start of the statement. Of the two amendments the ALLIANCE proposed on the National Care Service Bill, one on independent advocacy was not moved following a commitment from the Minister of cross-party discussions over an agreed common definition. One on care records resulted in a tied vote and was defeated on the Convener’s casting vote. Ultimately, the two amendments passed at the final stage and are now part of the final Care Reform Act.

Human Rights
In 2025, we have been working to inform a forthcoming Scottish Government Bill to incorporate human rights into Scots law, as well as engagement with UN reporting on human rights in Scotland.

Several of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights’ recommendations echo those which the ALLIANCE made in our parallel report to the Committee. Following our session with, and subsequent letter to, the Scottish Parliament Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee about our parallel report about economic, social and cultural rights in Scotland, the Committee wrote to the Minister for Equalities to follow up with some questions prompted by our evidence. We were also invited to a meeting with Scottish Government to provide information and advice on the government’s response to the UN Committee’s concluding observations.

Fair Finance
During the year, the Policy team worked with ALLIANCE colleagues to campaign for fair funding for third sector organisations, as well as continuing our work to call for improvements to social security payments for disabled people and unpaid carers.

As a result of submissions to Scottish Parliament Committees’ calls for views on the Scottish Government’s budget, the ALLIANCE was invited to give in person evidence to two separate Committees. Our contributions focussed on the importance of a human rights budgeting approach being embedded across all areas of government and ensuring that there was appropriate and adequate investment in social security.

We spoke out against the UK Government’s proposals to make cuts to social security payments for disabled people, including having the ALLIANCE’s opinion piece on UK social security cuts was featured by the Herald.

The ALLIANCE concluded active participation as a member of the Advisory Group to the Independent Review of Adult Disability Payment. The Chair noted, “Your guidance and insights have been invaluable to me in undertaking the Independent Review.” The Independent Review final report was published in July, and directly reflects several ALLIANCE recommendations.

Scottish Parliament election
During 2025, we prepared an ALLIANCE manifesto for the 2026 Scottish Parliament election shaped by extensive engagement with members and across ALLIANCE programmes.

We held a series of membership engagement events to facilitate input into and feedback on the ideas for our manifesto. These were attended by 20 members, and several other members have been engaged with individually or submitted written input. Members attending the ALLIANCE manifesto members event praised the opportunity to discuss the content of the manifesto and the suggested asks we had compiled

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