SNP’s Scrooge will be a national hero if he tackles Scotland’s bloated public sector – Stephen Jardine
The fact that 800 public sector workers are being paid despite not having a job to do is just one reason why urgent reform is vital
Scotland’s Public Service Reform Secretary is a good man. Unlike many senior politicians, Ivan McKee has a proper back story. He has run a business. In fact, he’s run several, here and abroad. Which makes him the best possible person to squeeze millions in savings from Scotland’s over-sized public services.
So I’d imagine Ivan McKee’s head was in his hands this week reading the tale of Mary Morgan. She retired as chief executive of NHS National Services Scotland in May after it was replaced by Public Service Delivery Scotland, a new quango set up to, ironically, drive efficiencies.
Note the word ‘retired’. She left public service with a £2 million pension pot, according to BBC Scotland, so you might think that would be the end of it. However she also received a £378,000 redundancy payment “in accordance with the terms and conditions of her employment”. Whoever wrote that contract should be fired on Monday morning.
Headhunter risk may be smaller than feared
In the vast ocean of public sector finance, it’s important to remember this money doesn’t come from some magical tree in a faraway land. It comes from the taxes raised from hard-pressed Scots.
None of this reflects on Ms Morgan. According to Public Service Delivery Scotland, she had an “exceptional” career. Who wouldn’t want to end their working life with a deal like that?
The blame lies fairly and squarely with the geniuses who propose these contracts. The justification always given in the commercial world is that such generous terms are required to stop high-flying individuals being headhunted. Ms Morgan had worked for the NHS for 44 years. Given the current state of that organisation, a big move elsewhere was probably not on the cards.
The impression from all of this is of a public sector out of control. On Monday, a strike ballot opened at the Scottish government over a mandatory required level of office working.
Civil servants have been told they should work from the office 40 per cent of the time but their union says that is “unacceptable” and have threatened a walkout.
Eight jobs at the same time
We’re constantly told flexible and hybrid working is more productive. It certainly was for Kashim Chowdhury who used home working as a cover to hold down eight full-time UK government jobs.
Chowdhury evaded scrutiny, claiming he had to work from home because of his sick mother but his appalling performance eventually saw checks being made. By that time he’d extracted £349,378 in gross pay. On Monday he was found guilty of nine charges of fraud.
Of course, most civil servants are not on the make or waiting for bumper retirement packages or desperate to work from home, but every case like this is a slap in the face to the diligent staff who get low pay and even less thanks. Those who take public service seriously should be the angriest of all right now.
The Scottish government has a target to reduce its workforce by 2.5 per cent by 2030, saving £700 million. But in the last year the headcount has actually grown... plus we have 800 workers being paid while waiting for redeployment and a policy of no compulsory redundancies.
Ivan McKee might not see himself as Scrooge, but this Christmas some frugality in the public sector is the gift Scotland wants and desperately needs.
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