THE SCOTTISH Government’s "reset" of public sector spending is good news for criminals, the Scottish Police Federation has warned.

They said the cuts to the justice budget would “inevitably” mean fewer officers on the street. 

Meanwhile, the STUC said the Finance Secretary’s call for efficiencies would “ring alarm bells” for many public sector workers.  

According to analysis by the IFS thinktank, the budgets for local government, the police, justice, universities, rural affairs are due to fall by around 8 per cent in real-terms over the next four years.

While spending on enterprise, tourism and trade promotion is set to fall even further - by 16% in real terms, over the same period.

During her statement to parliament, Kate Forbes said there had been “years of growth in the public sector, due to Brexit and the pandemic”. 

She told MSPs there now needed to be a “reset” with ministers prioritising spending on "health and social security, education and tackling climate change." 

Ms Forbes said: “We need to focus on how the public sector can reform to become more efficient, giving us space to realise our ambitions for better outcomes.”

The reforms would, she said, focus “digitalisation, maximising revenue through public sector innovation, reform of the public sector estate, reform of the public body landscape; an improving public procurement.”

The minister said: “I know that inflation is a real concern for public sector employees – as it is for those in the private sector – and particularly so for those on lower incomes.

“The UK Government has chosen not to act on public sector pay, meaning our more progressive approach, with public sector wages on average 7% higher in Scotland than in the rest of the UK, is funded from within our severely limited budget.

“We do not intend to take the same approach as set out by the UK Government today, but we do need to reshape and refocus the public sector post-Covid and the spending review calls upon all of the public sector to look creatively at ways to sustainably address that challenge, while seeking to ensure fair increases.”

The total budget for justice will sit at £2.8 billion until 2025-26 when it will increase to £2.95 billion. 

With inflation at a 40 year high, and set to keep rising, Calum Steele, the general secretary of the federation, said the “flat cash for police, prisons, legal aid, the judiciary, and courts and tribunals” would be “absolutely brutal”.

He said: “Police numbers will now inevitably plummet. A bad day for the public, a good one for criminals.”

STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer said the government could have done more with the powers they have. 

She said: “Talk of efficiency savings, reviewing public sector bodies and reform will ring alarm bells for many public sector workers. We need real investment to deal with the wages and cost of living crisis that people across Scotland are facing not a reduction in jobs to hold down the pay bill as inflation sores.

“We share the Government’s ambition to end child poverty, however we believe increasing wages in line with inflation particularly for those working in low paid public sector jobs is an essential part of the strategy to provide sustainable support for families.

“Similarly the priority of transitioning to net zero will only be realised with investment in rail services, publicly run buses and energy efficient homes.  

“Whilst recognizing that Scottish Government demands for further fiscal powers limit some decisions, we firmly believe there are tools and levers currently available that have not been deployed in this review.”

John Ferry, the Scottish Liberal Democrat finance spokesman, said ministers needed to be upfront with the public about the detail of the public sector reforms.

He said: “The Scottish Government had two years to prepare for its running ScotRail, but it did precisely nothing to anticipate or avoid the dispute that is now reportedly costing the Scottish economy £80 million a week.

“We can’t afford for that same lack of preparation in other negotiations and disputes because otherwise it is going to cost everyone dearly. It needs the Scottish Government to be upfront about what its plan is for public sector workers in this cost of living crisis.”