Sarwar blasts SNP over ‘waste of public money’ as £9m quango bill is revealed

Anas Sarwar has accused the SNP of being “addicted to wasting public money” after figures revealed quango board members are being paid nearly £9 million a year.

The Scottish Labour leader said his party’s analysis of Scottish Government data suggests there are up to 838 positions on the executive boards of the nation’s public bodies.

The estimated cost of pay for board members stands at £8.93 million.

Pay per member varies significantly, with the figures showing a dozen people are being paid more than £800 per day.

One board member is being paid the equivalent of £2,319 a day, the party said.

Scotland’s 14 NHS health boards ran up the largest bill at £1.8 million a year.

Scottish Labour has attacked what it described as the “proliferation” of quangos under the SNP, which currently stands at 131.

Mr Sarwar has claimed the public bodies are failing to improve public services and are being used by the SNP to avoid accountability.

While frontline services were cut to the bone by SNP ministers, millions of pounds of public money was being handed to board members on Scotland’s labyrinth of quangos

He has pledged to cut the number of quangos, including NHS health boards, if his party wins the election next year.

The Scottish Labour leader said: “Under the SNP, the number of quangos has soared while standards in our public services have plummeted.

“Public bodies are being used as shields by the SNP government as it attempts to dodge accountability for its failures, and taxpayers are footing the bill.

“While frontline services were cut to the bone by SNP Ministers, millions of pounds of public money was being handed to board members on Scotland’s labyrinth of quangos.

“The SNP’s addiction to waste is bad for taxpayers, bad for public services and bad for trust in politics.

“A Scottish Labour government will end the SNP’s quango culture and cut red tape across government so that public money goes where it is really needed.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The public sector landscape has been streamlined with the reduction in Scottish public bodies under government control from 199 in 2007 to the current 131.

“Public bodies have a vital role in delivering the Scottish Government’s objectives and are key in areas such as health services, administering the justice system and supporting sustainable economic growth.

“The Scottish Government is working to ensure public services are sustainable, efficient and effective.

“Work in this area is projected to save up to £280 million by the end of 2024-25. Ministers have also committed to a new invest to save fund of around £30 million to generate savings and improve frontline service delivery.”