Forthright Scotland

Why the Scottish public sector has serious structural deficiencies that aren't just about "why we need more money spent".  It's Neil's biggest bugbear in public policy in Scotland that every problem seems to have a solution of more money. It's not just about the money, it's about the structures, the focus and the way that things are organised that often mean &quo...

The 2026-2031 programme for Government has been published and in this podcast Neil and James seek to balance hope and cynicism while they trot through the 77 pages of SNP Government priorities. We look at the Public Service Reform, early intervention, quango mergers and some of the more whacky ideas outlined by the Government.

In this the first of a new podcast with James Corbett and Neil Benny, they discuss why we can't fix things in Scotland, what are the main barriers to achievement. What is about the Scottish Public sector that makes it uniquely prone to failure? Their spectacular failure to answer the question in an easy and understandable way allows the listener to enjoy them trying to figure it out. 

In this episode, Neil and Stephen explore the ideas for education in the Scottish Conservative manifesto. Covering Schooling, Early years and childcare and apprenticeships, colleges and universities, they explore the ideas that make up the manifesto and discuss their experiences of education policy in Scotland. 

Hoping to spend some time talking about Healthcare and Education, Stephen and Neil found so much to be admired in the manifesto, that they spent all the time talking about Healthcare. 

In this episode, Stephen and Neil explore the ideas in the Scottish Manifesto, starting with the public sector efficiency issue and moving into the section of the manifesto about the Economy.