Reform was back in the headlines this week. Except it wasn’t Nigel.

Sweeping changes to how our public services are delivered and designed have been announced by the Scottish Government. Whenever a politician talks about reforms or efficiencies, public sector workers hold their breath. They know, as do we, that one must look beyond the packaging to see what is under the wrapper. Often, you’ll find they’re just spending cuts in all but name.

Let’s look at the genesis of this: the Christie Commission, published almost 15 years ago, advised the Scottish Government on the future of public services in Scotland. The Commission emphasised the need for strong public services that contribute to an equal and fair nation – one which protects the vulnerable and those most in need.

That’s 15 years ago and the need for public services to still act as a lifeline for those who need them most has never been stronger.

We don’t even need to look that far in our past to see how vital but reprehensibly underfunded our public services continue to be. The pandemic showed us just how broken our social care, hospitals, schools and transport are when facing an emergency.

Read more from Roz Foyer:

Let me be clear: the workers of these services were heroic. Their efforts cannot be forgotten, and ministers would do well to remember this as they plot their savings. It was the infrastructure surrounding them – lack of sick pay, poor planning and the complete absence of enforcement of covid regulations – as........

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