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John Swinney has been accused of being ‘out of his depth’ after repeatedly failing to answer simple questions about his public sector reform.
The First Minister was asked seven times during a live televised interview to explain the impact on jobs or finances of his proposal to merge NHS boards and quangos and overhaul local government.
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Minister → click → government
But he failed to provide any answers about the impact on headcount or public finances, instead resorting to what critics called a ‘word salad’ with no real substance.
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critics → fail → substance
The lack of detail comes despite public sector reform being a key focus in Mr Swinney’s programme for government unveiled last week for the coming parliamentary year.
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reform → come → year
Malcolm Offord, Scottish leader of Reform UK, said: ‘That was just a 15-minute word salad – I don’t think I learned anything new.
‘
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I → say → anything
What I’m surprised to hear is that a Government that has been in situ for 19 years, who does actually know what is going on and is on the inside, still cannot put names and numbers around the reorganisation.’
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what → ’m → reorganisation
Scottish Conservatives finance and social security spokesman Craig Hoy said: ‘John Swinney was asked a basic question about his own plans and repeatedly refused to answer it.
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Swinney → say → it
‘This is a clueless First Minister who cannot say how many NHS jobs could be lost, yet expects Scots to believe he has a grip on the SNP’s £5billion budget black hole.
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he → say → hole
First Minister John Swinney appeared on BBC Scotland on Sunday morning
However, when pressed to give answers on his public sector reform by Gary Robertson, Swinney failed to give figures on jobs cuts or savings
‘
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Swinney → appear → cuts
He is completely out of his depth, trying to bluff his way through the mounting financial chaos his party has created.
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party → try → chaos
‘After 19 years of SNP government, they still cannot bring themselves to make the difficult decisions needed to get spending under control.
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they → bring → control
‘Scots don’t need more waffle, gimmicks and empty promises from John Swinney – they need a First Minister who can actually balance the books and deliver for hardworking taxpayers.’
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who → need → taxpayers
During the interview on the BBC’s The Sunday Show, presenter Gary Robertson asked Mr Swinney four questions about how many jobs will be affected by the proposed reforms and three about the financial savings involved and he failed each time to provide a clear answer.
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he → ask → answer
But when asked about the number of jobs affected by health board reforms, Mr Swinney said: ‘I have been very open about the fact that I think public sector employment will fall over the course of this parliamentary term but fundamentally we have to deliver public services in communities with members of the public and in support of their needs, so that will require public servants the length and breadth of the country to be delivering health and social care services.
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that → ask → services
‘So in all of that we will make sure there is appropriate and effective provision right across the country.
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we → make → country
There will be substantial public service employment as a consequence but fundamentally public services will be built around the needs of individuals to a much greater extent in the future than has been possible in the past.’
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services → build → past
Mr Robertson asked for ‘honesty’ about the number of jobs in the NHS which will go as a result of the changes he wants to make, but Mr Swinney said: ‘I can’t put a specific figure on that today Gary, and I simply wouldn’t be giving a comprehensive answer if that was the case.’
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that → ask → answer
He also said that there are ‘lots of variables’ in public finances when questioned about the number of jobs that need to go to fill a £5billion shortfall to the end of the decade.
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that → say → decade
Asked about the savings he wanted to achieve, he said he wanted to ensure public services are sustainable.
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services → ask → savings
Pressed on the financial savings from reducing health boards to two, he said he wanted to ‘remove the obstacles and barriers’ that local boundaries can put in place but failed to provide any figures.
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boundaries → press → figures
During the interview, Mr Swinney also refused to rule out patients needing to travel further for care after health board reform – but said ‘that would not be my intention’ and that he wanted as many services delivered in local communities as is safely possible.
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services → refuse → communities
Scottish Labour acting leader Dame Jackie Baillie said: ‘It’s hard to tell whether John Swinney is being evasive or simply has no idea what he is going to do, but either way it’s not good enough.
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it → act → what
‘People’s jobs are on the line and our public services could be plunged into chaos – Scotland deserves to know what lies ahead.
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what → plunge → chaos
‘SNP chaos has done enough damage to our services and our finances already.
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chaos → do → services
‘The SNP must come clean about what it is planning, how many jobs are at risk and what it will mean for our public services.’
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it → come → services
The Aporia
