![\"Anas](\"https:\/\/dailybusinessgroup.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Anas-Sarwar-for-website.png\")
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar will cut the number of quangos and merge state-backed investment agencies if he takes office in May.<\/p>\n
Mr Sarwar said he would reduce the number of quangos and government bodies by a third over the course of the parliament.<\/p>\n
There are 133 devolved public bodies in Scotland, costing taxpayers upwards of \u00a36.6 billion a year, said Mr Sarwar.<\/p>\n
He said this \u201cwasteful and ineffective labyrinth\u201d doesn\u2019t serve the public and instead shields SNP Ministers from scrutiny. \u00a0<\/p>\n
He also wants to merge some functions in order to bring about better value for money. This includes bringing the investment arm of Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Futures Trust under the wing of the Scottish National Investment Bank.<\/p>\n
A spokesman said this was aimed at preventing overlap between the investing functions of SE, SFT and SNIB. Current plans do not impact on Highlands & Islands Enterprise nor South of Scotland Enterprise.<\/p>\n
Labour would carry out a \u201croot and branch review\u201d of the eight bodies responsible for land, natural heritage and the environment.<\/p>\n
Mr Sarwar wants to reduce the number of health boards from 14 to three and conduct annual reviews of government working groups and strategies, scrapping \u201cinactive and ineffective taskforces which meet without delivering change\u201d.<\/p>\n
A similar promise to cut quangos was made by Reform UK\u2019s Scottish leader Malcolm Offord who said the money saved by scrapping these bodies could be used to cut income tax.<\/p>\n
In a briefing note before the party\u2019s Spring Conference on Friday, Mr Sarwar said\u00a0\u201cScotland\u2019s public services are at breaking point, but one industry that is thriving under the SNP is publicly-funded quangos.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile local services are cut to the bone and our NHS fights for survival, the SNP spares no expense on its own bloated bureaucracy.<\/p>\n
\u201cI will end the waste, the deflection and the \u2018jobs for boys\u2019 culture of the SNP\u2019s system and put your priorities first.<\/p>\n
\u201cI will restore political accountability so Ministers are responsible for delivery \u2013 not some distant arms-length body.<\/p>\n
\t <\/div>\n