Ivan McKee needs to tackle a massive black hole in the public purse, but insists his new government job is not about ‘doing less with less’
The SNP’s new public service reform chief insists his job is not about making cuts, despite admitting that difficult decisions on spending need to be made.
Ivan McKee has been appointed as the new public service reform secretary, and will be solely responsible for tackling the looming £5 billion black hole in Scotland’s finances.
He was promoted from public finance minister in the last SNP government, where he was seen as the man making sweeping cuts to make sure the Scottish Government balanced its books.
However, he insists his new role is about delivering better public services, not cutting critical frontline services.
Speaking at the Scotland 2050 conference, sponsored by The Scotsman, he said: “Public services must be more efficient.
“Now I know that word can be misunderstood, but let me be clear – efficiency is not about cutting services, it’s not about doing less with less, it’s about doing things better and ensuring that every pound of public money delivers the optimal benefit.
“That means tackling duplication and sharing services across organisations, and better use of data and being honest where we can make improvements.”
Mr McKee says there is a risk public services become unsustainable as demand outstrips output, and that is “not something this government is willing to accept”.
He said: “If we respond only to the pressures of today, we’re storing up greater challenges for tomorrow.
“Government for the long-term means being willing to do things differently.
“It means taking decisions now that may not always be easy, but are necessary to build that sustainable future. That’s why public service reform sits at the heart of this government’s vision for Scotland’s future.
“Building that future starts now. I’ve been clear – public service reform is not an abstract exercise, it’s about the kind of country we are.
“It’s about ensuring that public services that reflect our shared values and beliefs are good quality, efficient, effective and sustainable for generations to come.
“It’s about delivering on the commitments this government made to the people of Scotland to improve services to support people through the cost-of-living crisis and a broader, stronger, fairer economy.”
