Scotland
The State of the State 2026
For more than a decade, our State of the State reports have provided a view of the public sector from the people who run it.
This year, we interviewed more than 100 public sector leaders including politicians, senior civil servants, police chief constables, council chief executives and NHS officials. From our conversations we’ve created a number of key insights from public sector leaders.
Scotland’s government and public services face the same issues as the rest of the UK: uninspiring economic growth, constrained public finances and pressurised public services. They are striving to fix the same underlying problems around sluggish delivery, gridlocked talent and legacy IT. And like the rest of the UK, Scotland has an abundance of reasons for optimism if it can seize these opportunities and recognise its proper potential.
The State of the State in the words of the people who run it.
For more than a decade, our State of the State reports have provided a view of the public sector from the people who run it. This year, we interviewed more than 100 public sector leaders including politicians, senior civil servants, police chief constables, council chief executives and NHS officials. From our conversations we’ve created a number of key insights from public sector leaders. Our interviews with public sector leaders described a system that is too often weighted against its own talent – and many shared views of how it could better serve the public.
The public's view of the public sector.
This year’s survey finds the Scottish public differing from the rest of the UK in some characteristic ways, notably:
• The Scottish Government is trusted by the Scottish public more than any other national administration is trusted by their nation in the UK
• Satisfaction is higher than the UK average when it comes to the quality of the local environment and safety from crime, but lower for council services and adult skills opportunities
• On priorities for government, the Scottish public puts greater emphasis on social care and less on crime compared to England
• Opinion is split in Scotland when it comes to the balance of tax and spending relating to the Scottish Government
The impact of digital and potential of Artificial Intelligence in public services
Getting it done matters more to the public than doing it online
Authors
Ed Roddis
Before joining Deloitte, he worked in communications, public affairs and research roles in various parts of the third and public sectors spanning local government, education and public financial management.
Keen to learn more about what this means for your sector? Get in touch with our team UKDeloitteStateof@deloitte.co.uk
