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SNP's pledge of no sackings unravels as IFS economist warns Swinney may need compulsory redundancies

From the Newshound archive · first published 19 September 2026.

John Swinney, Scotland's First Minister, whose pledge of 'no compulsory redundancies' is under pressure after the IFS warned voluntary departures alone cannot shed 12,000 public sector posts by 2031.
John Swinney, Scotland's First Minister, whose pledge of 'no compulsory redundancies' is under pressure after the IFS warned voluntary departures alone cannot shed 12,000 public sector posts by 2031.

David Phillips, head of devolved and local government finance at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, told Holyrood's Public Service Reform Committee that natural attrition alone is unlikely to deliver the workforce cuts the Scottish Government needs. John Swinney has repeatedly insisted there is "no question" of compulsory redundancies, but the IFS warning puts that pledge under direct challenge. Ministers must cut around 12,000 public sector roles by 2031 to plug Scotland's near-£5 billion financial black hole.

Phillips told MSPs that 'attrition, if it happens randomly across the workforce, might not be delivering the scale of cuts you need.'

Unite, one of Scotland's biggest unions, says public sector workers have started to 'panic' over what Swinney's reforms could mean for them.

The SNP's own civil service produced a report last month already floating a voluntary redundancy scheme, despite ministers' public denials.

MoreDaily Mail NewsSNP ministers warned public sector savings hard to achieve without compulsory redundanciesThe HeraldScottish Government may be forced into compulsory redundancies to meet reformsThe ScotsmanCompulsory redundancies 'may be needed' to cut public sector workforce - The ScotsmanDaily RecordSNP Government may be forced to sack civil servants to meet savings target, expert warns - Daily Record
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