When the building blocks slip

In her latest TFN column, our Chief Officer Sara Redmond reflects on post election feelings and Scotland’s future.

Recent months have been shaped by the election, and the mood has felt unusually flat. Pollsters have called this a “loveless” campaign; not because people don’t care, but because the conversation has centred around who and what party voters don’t want, rather than the kind of future we can build.

People feel frustrated, unsure whether our institutions can deliver change that genuinely matter. When you’re juggling rising costs, stretched services, and uncertainty about your future, it’s hard to feel inspired by political messages that don’t speak to your reality. 

The cost of living continues to be the top issue for people. That isn’t just an economic concern; it’s a warning sign for our health and wellbeing. When the basics become unstable, everything else follows. We know people in Scotland’s most deprived communities live around 11 fewer years than those in the least deprived, spending 21 fewer years in good health. Poor housing is linked to respiratory issues and anxiety, while people living with long term mental health conditions face significantly worse physical health outcomes.  

Health, and what affects it, are intrinsically linked. As are the structures that should improve it, from council services, community groups to governments. It’s like a towering Jenga puzzle. Without us working together to understand the deep rooted, inseparable problems and the solutions available, the tower will crumble and collapse.  

But from my vantage point, there is still a lot that gives me hope. 

Every week, the ALLIANCE hears from our members pushing forward work rooted in lived experience. We see it in the bold ambition of CHAS, whoseMore Than a Hospice appeal is reshaping how Scotland supports its children and families; a reminder that compassion and innovation can sit side by side. We see it in the National Deaf Children’s Society, recognised for supporting a Deaf teenager to secure the right to BSL interpretation in school; a powerful example of rights in action. And we see it in Talking is Mental, who work to tackle loneliness in the local community. Just a few examples of the true building blocks of change; built slowly, layer by layer, by people who care deeply about their communities. 

We must remember meaningful progress has never depended on just one moment or one party. It depends on whether all levels of government, political parties, and civil society take seriously the concerns people are telling us about income, housing, mental health, and the wider conditions that shape their lives. These issues all overlap, ultimately determine people’s health and wellbeing. 

Treating them in silos simply doesn’t work. 

Some polling suggested poverty wasn’t a top concern for voters, but researchers point out that people’s worries about poverty are often wrapped up in concerns about the cost of living, housing and other health related issues. Talking about health and social care isn’t just about hospitals or care homes; it’s about whether people have the building blocks they need to live well. We must ensure Scotland is the best place to live at every stage of life. 

That’s the conversation we need to have now – because the urgency people feel is real, and it deserves a response rooted in action. 

Scotland’s future depends on strengthening the building blocks of health and wellbeing. Investing in prevention. Tackling inequalities. Listening to what people are telling us and acting on it. The Jenga tower must be as strong as it can be.

This article first appeared in the May edition of TFN magazine.

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