Budget deficit to hit £529 million as Holyrood funding increase for local councils spent on teacher pay deal
The budget deficit for local authorities is on course to reach around £529 million as a Holyrood funding increase risks being swallowed by teachers’ pay rises and other existing commitments....
Public service reform motion passed at Holyrood as minister pledges ‘concrete proposals soon’
A public service reform motion was passed at Holyrood yesterday as the new cabinet secretary charged with ‘rewiring’ the sector pledged concrete proposals would be coming ‘soon’. MSPs debated the...
Public sector needs to be ‘rewired’ says minister ahead of crunch debate
Scotland’s public sector needs to be ‘rewired’ to drive improvements and protect services for future generations, a Scottish Government minister has said. Ivan McKee, cabinet secretary for public service reform,...
Public sector leaders gather to hear from new ‘reform’ minister at event in Glasgow
Public sector leaders gathered in Glasgow on Monday to hear from the new cabinet secretary charged with reforming public services. Ivan McKee, formerly public finance minister and now the Public...
Aberdeenshire Council’s landscape team scoop digital gold award for modernising frontline service delivery
Aberdeenshire Council’s landscape team has won a gold public service award for a digital programme brought in to modernise its park and grounds service delivery. The council was named overall...
Licensing platform on course to be ‘Scotland’s most successful GovTech scaleup’ as it hits £1m revenue in first year
A licensing, permits and registration platform is on course to be ‘Scotland’s most successful GovTech scale-up’ after hitting £1million in revenue in its first year. ePass, which has been adopted...
Smoother journey ahead for Dumfries & Galloway road users with new digital pothole reporting tool
Dumfries & Galloway road users are able to report defects including potholes via a new online tool – as council teams bid to improve the quality of the urban environment....
King’s Speech commitment to digital identity highlights access to public services over immigration control
The King’s Speech today contained a commitment to digital identity as a way to modernise access to public services rather than a vehicle for immigration control. Ministers chose to state...
Government’s AI ambitions need better plumbing
Scotland’s AI Strategy 2026–2031 sets out an ambitious five-year plan for responsible AI in public services. The strategy is right to aim high. The harder question is whether the data...
Webinars launched to help Scottish public sector get to grips with AI ‘challenge’
A series of webinars have been launched to help Scottish public sector organisations get to grips with this year’s Futurescot AI Challenge competition. Three 60-minute online sessions will be hosted...
Digital Justice & Policing 2026: October 22 2026
DigitalScotland 2026: November 24 2026
