Exclusive:John Swinney and Kate Forbes to set out 2050 vision at 'Davos-style' event for Scotland

Politicians and business leaders will chart Scotland’s path to 2050 at an inaugural annual conference.

John Swinney and other party leaders will deliver their vision for society in 2050 in a “Davos-style” event for Scotland.

The Scotland 2050 event, taking place in Edinburgh in June, will bring together politicians, business and civic leaders - to chart a path over the next 25 years.

We can only hope John Swinney and Kate Forbes have brought a greater sense of pragmatism to the Scottish Government (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell) | Getty Images

Organised by Barrie Cunning, managing director of Pentland Communications, the conference, hoped to be an annual event, will focus on long-term issues impacting Scotland and how they can be solved.

Mr Cunning said the event would be “the most inclusive conference that has taken place in Scotland”, with tickets free of charge to attend.

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Mr Cunning said: “We want to look at ‘where do we want Scotland to be by 2050 and how do we tackle the issues affecting Scotland?’. The issues facing Scotland are too big to go way.

“We do not hear the significance of the long-term impacts, we just end up hearing the same old messages, which usually fall within a parliamentary term. So this goes far beyond the parliamentary cycle. We want a vision of what Scotland will look like in 2050.”

He added: “The event has been born out of frustration of hearing the same things over and over and nothing being done. So this is getting that conversation started. We want to hear from people and what matters to them.”

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Mr Cunning, a former Labour candidate, has had confirmation the First Minister will speak at the event, as well as Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar and Scottish Lib Dems leader Alex Cole-Hamilton. Invitations have also been sent to the Scottish Conservatives and the Greens, while other MSPs are also due to speak.

Business leaders and experts will also attend, with Mairi Spowage, professor of practice and director of the Fraser of Allander Institute, confirmed as a speaker. Barrister Cherie Blair - the wife of former prime minister Tony Blair - and broadcaster Bernard Ponsonby are also poised to speak at the event.

The event has vowed to “create a platform where the people of Scotland can come together, with visionary leaders from business, politics and civic society to share innovative ideas and inspire a forward-looking vision for our nation”.

Scotland 2050 aims to “address current challenges, explore new opportunities, and foster a collaborative environment that will shape the future of Scotland for generations to come”.

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Scotland 2050 will hold its inaugural conference at the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh on June 17.

Mr Cunning said: “We talk about having a housing crisis, but nothing has happened to fix that. Every year we hear about the NHS, but very little about how we achieve something better in the long term.

“My ambition is to have this on a yearly basis. Maybe next year could be in Glasgow.”

He said the conference had been dubbed as “a Davos-type event for Scotland”, while he described it as “the most inclusive conference that has taken place in Scotland.”

“We want a cross section of Scottish society and we’re keen for members of the public who are maybe fatigued with politicians and politics to get involved and give us their views,” he said.