Centre for Public Policy

These events brought academic expertise together with the policy community to discuss both the opportunities and challenges around how Scotland’s emerging social security system and other public services can be financed over the longer term. 

Both were part of the Centre's wider engagement work which sees us running events and engaging with parties across the political spectrum and the policy community.

The Gathering: Why is preventative spending so hard?

At SCVO’s The Gathering conference on 4 February, the Centre for Public Policy’s Director, Professor Nicola McEwen, and Associate Director, Professor Kezia Dugdale, talked over some of these challenges to a packed room of 260 third sector colleagues. 

They shared insights into how money is raised in Scotland, how it is spent, and what the funding gap in Scotland’s social security spending will look like in the next five years.  

They discussed the importance of policy focused on prevention to manage the demand on public services, exploring why preventative spending in Scotland has proved so challenging. In keeping with the Centre’s commitment to solution-oriented engagement, they also offered practical suggestions both on prevention and support for the third sector. This included calling for more transparency in third sector funding and a Fiscal Framework between the sector and the Scottish Government.  

You can read more about the Gathering on the SCVO website. 

Collaborating with colleagues in Voluntary Health Scotland  

The Centre’s Associate Director Professor Kezia Dugdale also chaired a panel event at the Gathering conference for Voluntary Health Scotland, Catalysts for Change - The Role of Third Sector Leaders in Health Creation. 

The event brought together a panel of five speakers from Public Health Scotland; Carers UK; Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs; Parkinsons UK; and Voluntary Health Scotland to discuss how to create better, fairer health outcomes. 

You can read a summary and key messages on the Voluntary Health Scotland website. 

Scottish Labour conference: Social security and poverty in Scotland 

On Saturday 22 February, the Centre for Public Policy hosted a fringe event at the annual Scottish Labour Party Conference in Glasgow, discussing social security devolution in Scotland. 

Nicola and Kezia were joined by Paul O’Kane MSP, Scottish Labour Party Spokesperson on Social Security, and Peter Kelly, Chief Executive of the Poverty Alliance, for a panel discussion hosted by Conor Matchett, Political Editor of the Scottish Sun.   

The conversation centred on social security powers in Scotland, derived from the Scotland Act 2016, exploring whether and how these have been and can be used, alongside other policy levers, to eradicate poverty.   

Nicola and Kez underscored the complexities of Scotland’s social security system, its continued links in with UK Government policies, and the urgent need for a sustainable, holistic approach to tackling poverty. The panel acknowledged the positive impact that support like the Scottish Child Payment has made for families, while highlighting the challenges of sustainability and the risks of unintended policy consequences. 

The Centre for Public Policy is currently undertaking a project funded by the Robertson Trust to assess poverty in Scotland as a multi-level, multi-sector grand policy challenge, detailing the impact of siloed decision making on people living with poverty. The project will draw upon evidence to highlight the impact of a fragmented policy landscape, and establish a Policy Lab to drive solutions. 

Find out more and stay in touch 

To hear more updates and about future events from the Centre for Public Policy, subscribe to our mailing list. 

For more information about our anti-poverty project please contact: public-policy@glasgow.ac.uk  

 

 

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Listen to the Spotlight podcast: Why is prevention so hard? 

Tune in to a recent episode of the Spotlight podcast, featuring a conversation with former Auditor General for Scotland and Honorary Professor with the Centre for Public Policy, Caroline Gardner, and Independent Strategic Advisor on The Promise Scotland, Fiona Duncan. 

The episode focuses on a big question in public policy – why is prevention so hard? Can we spend money more wisely? Given the fiscal pressures on the system, prevention is now not just an option but a necessity to create sustainable public services.   

Policymakers know we should be tackling the root causes of issues, but systems, short-termism and complexity get in the way. 

Tune in and subscribe. 

First published: 13 March 2025