Readers will know from the regular official data provided by both the Scottish Fiscal Commission and the Fraser of Allander Institute that the size of the social security spend within the Scottish Budget is projected to balloon over the next decade.
It has already reached record levels and this has, rightly, raised questions about affordability and the sustainability of the public finances. This important scrutiny has been my primary focus on both the finance and social security committees on which I sit.
Despite several cross-examinations of Shona Robison and Shirley Anne-Somerville throughout respective committee sittings, I am still struggling to be convinced that the Scottish Government is seriously considering any sort of long-term strategic thinking in relation to Scotland’s economy. This is not just my concern, but that of my fellow committee members and external organisations such as Audit Scotland.
Given the increasingly tight fiscal situation, it is more important than ever that, rather than throwing more money at a problem, we are properly evaluating the impact of government social policy on actual measurable outcomes. That way, we can filter out policies which are not delivering and instead put our full financial support behind ones which are verifiably delivering better results for those most in need. Only this pragmatic targeted-approach will deliver much-needed fiscal stability and ensure long-term sustainability of Scotland’s finances.
In case readers think this is only a partisan criticism of the SNP, I am on the record as praising certain government interventions for which the evidence has produced positive results. An obvious example is the Scottish Child Payment which has received acclaim from reputable stakeholders and has robust evidence there to support it. It is reaching and assisting those most in need.
On the other hand, we have several other SNP commitments for which we have so far seen no evidence on which to gauge effectiveness. How can the government possibly expect members to support legislation if we are not being provided with the facts we need to properly scrutinise them?
Another issue relates to the length of time that claimants in Scotland remain on benefits which, in many cases, exceeds that of what happens elsewhere in the UK. While the Scottish Government may claim this is all part of their ‘social contract’ with the people of Scotland, I would argue we need to interrogate the data much more carefully.
It is all well and good the SNP promising the earth to the people of Scotland, but inevitably economic reality will catch up with all their ‘free’ benefits.
We want to help the Scottish Government when it comes to supporting those most in need, especially when it comes to reducing child poverty - of course we do - but that requires tough choices and explicit priorities. Only an evidence-led approach will deliver meaningful social change and properly respect the limitations of the nation’s finances.
