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Motion · S6M-20545 · 23 Jan 2026

250 Year Anniversary of Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations

Lodged by Kenneth Gibson (No Party Affiliation) Standard Motion 22 supporters

The motion

That the Parliament recognises that 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the first publication of economist Adam Smith’s An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations; understands that his work sought to explore what made or caused nations to be wealthy, and subsequently became a foundational text in classical economics, introducing key concepts, such as the division of labour, productivity and the invisible hand of free markets; recognises the work as one of the most outstanding products of the Scottish Enlightenment, the 18th century intellectual movement that saw Scotland produce an exceptional array of influential thinkers and works through the promotion of reason and empirical inquiry; regrets that the concepts that Smith railed against, such as protectionism and mercantilism have re-emerged across Western polities, and believes that the anniversary provides an important opportunity to reflect on Smith’s legacy, as well as Scotland’s enduring contribution to economics.

Supporters (22)

Source: the Scottish Parliament motions and amendments record.