Forthright Scotland

Why the Scottish public sector has serious structural deficiencies that aren't just about "why we need more money spent". It's Neil's biggest bugbear in public policy in Scotland that every problem seems to have a solution of more money. It's not just about the money, it's about the structures, the focus and the way that things are organised that often mean "more money, more problems".

The 2026-2031 programme for Government has been published and in this podcast Neil and James seek to balance hope and cynicism while they trot through the 77 pages of SNP Government priorities.We look at the Public Service Reform, early intervention, quango mergers and some of the more whacky ideas outlined by the Government.

In this the first of a new podcast with James Corbett and Neil Benny, they discuss why we can't fix things in Scotland, what are the main barriers to achievement. What is about the Scottish Public sector that makes it uniquely prone to failure? Their spectacular failure to answer the question in an easy and understandable way allows the listener to enjoy them trying to figure it out.