Findlay criticises SNP over ‘obscene' public spending

The Herald Scotland

8 hours ago

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He said: 'The size of the state under the SNP has grown to an extremely ineffective, bloated state. It costs far too much money.
'The hard-working taxpayers are paying for all that. Just today, I was looking at the list of government agencies and quangos on the Government's official website, and there was a link taking you to an entity that is offering those jobs and male breast reduction surgery.
'You know, I believe the Scottish Government should be focused on cutting waste, reducing waste — not reducing the size of moobs. The Government do not even know where their money is going. It is obscene.'
The Scottish Tories later clarified that the quango in question was This is Remarkable Ltd, a body listed on the Scottish Government's directory of public organisations.
The company was previously known as Investors in People Scotland, rebranding in 2017. It is currently in liquidation and has not filed accounts since 2022.
Its website appears to have been turned into what is known as a content farm, where large volumes of low-quality or SEO-optimised articles — often unrelated or only loosely connected — are published with the goal of driving web traffic.
The content is usually cheaply produced or AI-generated, and written to match popular search terms.
The site features blog posts on rhinoplasty, vaping regulation and gynecomastia — male breast reduction — clinics in South Korea.
Screengrab of This is Remarkable website (Image: NQ)
One page provides a handy checklist of 'What Makes a 'Good' Gynecomastia Clinic' and recommends the DA Plastic Surgery's Male Chest Centre in Seoul.
'South Korea leads the world in male breast reduction thanks to volume, technology, and patient-centric service,' the website says. 'Among many high-performers, DA Plastic Surgery's Male Chest Centre shines for its hybrid scar-saving technique, concierge care, and transparent package pricing.'
Liquidators were appointed in December 2022. The firm's last set of accounts described a difficult situation, with the company's turnover falling from £2.1 million to £1.4 million.
In his interview, Mr Findlay also hit out at the £4 million a year being given to Criminal Justice Scotland, which he criticised for publishing guidance on avoiding the word 'criminal' due to concerns over stigma.
'Some of the things it promotes is policing of language. It tells the public they should not call criminals criminals. This is just ridiculous waste of money,' he said.
'And on top of that, you have 5,500 public sector workers in Scotland earning over £130,000 a year. What are they all doing? What we are saying is we would be laser-focused in ensuring that every one of these jobs actually delivers for the taxpayer, delivers public services.
'And I bet you that if you ask John Swinney this question, he could not put his hand on heart and say that is actually happening just now.'
Mr Findlay said a Scottish Tory government would also look at all universal benefits.
'Scotland's social security benefit is going to rise to £9 billion by 2030. This is unaffordable. So whether it is social security spending, whether it is this huge client state the SNP have built, or whether it is the vast salaries of people who do not deliver for taxpayers, all of that is in play quite rightly.'
However, when pressed on whether he expected to become First Minister, Mr Findlay said: 'I think you would probably have a chuckle if I suggested that I am likely to become the next First Minister.'
Scottish Labour Deputy Leader Jackie Baillie said: 'This cringe-worthy interview from Liz Truss cheerleader Russell Findlay shows how little the Scottish Tories have to offer to the people of Scotland.
'The Tories tanked our economy and inflicted years of misery on our communities — it is no wonder the party is fading into irrelevance.
'At the next election, only one party can turn the page on SNP failure and deliver a new direction for Scotland, and that is Scottish Labour.'