SNP ministers ‘lack detailed plan’ to tackle £5bn shortfall, Auditor General warns
‘Devil will be in the detail’ as Scottish government grapples with £5bn black hole, says head of Audit Scotland
Ministers have been warned they do not have a detailed plan in place to deliver on the SNP’s pledge to implement public sector reform.
Auditor General Stephen Boyle said setting out goals “will not be enough” and the “devil will be in the detail” as the Scottish government deals with a projected budget black hole of nearly £5 billion by the end of the decade.
After his party’s election victory in May, First Minister John Swinney appointed Ivan McKee as Cabinet Secretary for Public Service Reform to drive the agenda.
But Mr Boyle, head of Audit Scotland, said a concrete plan for how change will be delivered has yet to be set out. Mr McKee has claimed there will not be cuts and job losses - despite plans to reduce the public sector workforce.
In a blog post, Mr Boyle wrote: “I believe that change is possible.
“That public service reform in Scotland, if done well, can ensure government is able to provide effective and sustainable public services in the future.
“But we now need tangible action and at pace.
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“Setting out that goals will be achieved by the end of this parliament will not be enough.
“Ministers need to explain to the public and the Scottish Parliament what stepping stones will be taken so that they get there.
“And the devil will be in the detail of those delivery plans.
“Without clear priorities, robustly costed and adequately resourced policies, agreed delivery timelines, and well understood measures of success, meaningful reform will be difficult to deliver.”
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Mr Boyle also stressed the need for “much greater transparency” and for “greater collective leadership”.
“Ivan McKee is the Cabinet Secretary for Public Service Reform,” he wrote. “But it will take a cabinet and Scottish government united around the aims of reform for it bedelivered.
“Inevitably, there will be trade-offs and compromises. And the Scottish Government will need to bring public service leaders, the public, and the Parliament with them, too.¶
“For their part, public service leaders will need to rise to the challenge.¶
“It is a formidable undertaking, and difficult work, but the stakes are now higher than ever.¶
“If the right foundations aren't put in place in this Parliament, the consequences for public services will be far greater in the future. And much more difficult and painful to fix.”
Scottish Labour finance spokesman – and leadership candidate – Michael Marra accused ministers of “simply not being honest with the public”.
“The Auditor General is right to point out that this SNP government has not set out a clear and detailed plan about the level of spending in Scotland over the medium to long term,” he said.
“We know that there are significant financial challenges facing the country, particularly around how to close the £5 billion black hole by the end of the decade.
“SNP ministers are simply not being honest with the public.
“They make pre-election promises, with uncosted gimmicks, and yet have no idea about how to fund them.
“Time and again, the SNP fail to deliver on their pledges, while taxpayers are left to pick up the tab for the ever-increasing spending and public services are neglected.”
Scottish Liberal Democrat public service reform spokesman David Green pushed for decentralisation.
“Instead of reforming public services, the SNP have ploughed ahead with centralising them,” he said.
“The centralisation of bodies like Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service have failed to deliver many of the benefits that were promised.
“It has also been extremely harmful to local communities across the country, which now have less control over decisions that directly affect their area.
“What’s more, the decision to scrap the medium-term financial strategy is symbolic of a government that doesn’t really know where it is going.
“Real reform should push power closer to communities and deliver excellent value for money, neither of which the SNP are known for.”
The Scottish Government has been contacted for comment.
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