Scottish ministers should make it clear which manifesto promises are a priority as they face “tricky decisions” and a funding squeeze, the Institute for Fiscal Studies has said.
The new Scottish Parliament should prioritise improving awareness of its tax powers, as only one in five people realises the powers are shared with Westminster, a survey has found.
Despite substantial increases in spending, performance of some public services in Scotland and Wales continues to lag behind its pre-pandemic peak, according to new research.
The Scottish Parliament has approved the 2026-27 Scottish Budget, with a pledge to maintain its commitment to shield those on lower incomes and support investment in public services.
In its analysis of the recent Scottish budget, the Institute of Fiscal Studies has warned that the government in Edinburgh will need to achieve unprecedented efficiency gains in order to deliver...
The cost of delivering services across Scottish councils is rising faster than available funding, raising serious questions about their financial sustainability over the next three to five years.
Delays in discharging patients are costing NHS Scotland an estimated £440m in hospital days alone, but the full financial impact wider on the health and social care system has yet to be quantified,...
As chair of the Accounts Commission, Jo Armstrong wants to encourage Scotland’s ‘beleaguered’ local authorities to take on more risks and chase down efficiencies as they seek to meet their ongoing...
William Burns, social care policy adivsor at CIPFA, explores whether a National Care Service could deliver sustainability for the troubled sector in England, and looks elsewhere in the UK to learn...
Scotland’s colleges have been warned that they will have to change the way they operate in the wake of swingeing funding cuts that have left almost one in three reporting a deficit.
The drive for public service reform in Scotland is being hindered by uncertain and inflexible local authority funding, according to council chief executives.
Scottish Government plans to shed thousands of public sector jobs to plug a projected annual budget gap of £4.7bn have been described as “implausible” by leading economists.
The next Scottish Government will face a budget hit of more than £850m as growth in income tax revenue fails to keep pace with the rest of the UK, according to warnings from the nation’s official...
The Scottish Government has been urged to build more homes for social rent after research showed the value of social housing to improve lives amid a deepening housing crisis.
This year’s Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland report has shown a weakening of Scottish public finances, with the nation’s net fiscal deficit as a share of GDP rising from 9.7% to 11.7%....
Scottish councils have been told to make urgent improvements to their workforce planning as concerns over financial sustainability intensify and sickness absence rates reach a record high.
The Scottish Government has said it plans to shed thousands of public sector jobs as part of a package of measures to plug a projected annual budget gap of £4.7bn.
