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Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Public Sector Reform Ivan McKee was reported to have said compulsory redundancy could be an “endpoint” if no role remained and other options had been exhausted. He was also reported to have said the Scottish Government’s no-compulsory-redundancy policy remained in place. The news reports of his 1 October 2026 Holyrood committee appearance do not establish that the written policy has been formally changed.
What McKee reportedly said
At a meeting of Holyrood’s Public Service Reform Committee on 1 October 2026, McKee discussed public-body headcount reductions and referred to VisitScotland as an organisation that had worked through the no-compulsory-redundancy policy, according to reports by The National and the Press Association. The National reported him describing a case where “there clearly is no role for someone” and “every other avenue has been exhausted,” followed by a question from MSP Murdo Fraser about compulsory redundancy as an endpoint. McKee reportedly answered, “Yes,” before stressing that a “very, very extensive process” was in place.
The same reporting says McKee maintained that the no-compulsory-redundancy policy remained in place. Those statements may sound inconsistent, but the reports do not explain how the policy is meant to operate in the exceptional situation he described.
How to understand the apparent contradiction
| Question | What the reports say | What they do not establish |
|---|---|---|
| What was said about an endpoint? | The National and the Press Association reported that McKee answered “yes” when asked whether compulsory redundancy could be an endpoint after other avenues had been exhausted. | The reports are not an official committee transcript, so they do not independently verify the full exchange or its precise context. |
| What was said about the policy? | The Press Association reported that McKee emphasized that the no-compulsory-redundancy policy remained in place. | The reports do not include the policy document or specify its precise scope, exceptions or legal effect. |
| Has the written policy changed? | The news accounts describe the remarks and the policy commitment as both being made. | They do not establish a formal policy amendment or resolve how the reported endpoint answer fits with the continuing commitment. |
| Which workers and bodies are covered? | The National reported McKee referring to VisitScotland and discussed workforce reductions across public bodies. | The accounts do not set out which organisations or groups of workers fall within the policy, or whether its rules apply identically across them. |
| What counts as exhausting alternatives? | Reported alternatives include voluntary schemes and seeking suitable vacancies for staff whose roles are no longer needed. | The reports do not provide the complete procedure, the order in which options must be tried, or who decides that alternatives are exhausted. |
| Was the apparent conflict clarified? | The Press Association reported that the STUC sought clarification from McKee. | The accounts do not establish that McKee or First Minister John Swinney later issued a formal clarification reconciling the remarks. |
What alternatives were described
The National reported that the SNP introduced a no-compulsory-redundancy policy in 2007. According to that report, workers whose roles are no longer needed may remain on a priority movers list while suitable vacancies are sought; voluntary schemes and movement between roles are also among the measures described. McKee reportedly said people on the list remain at work. The reports do not provide the underlying policy text or a complete account of how redeployment decisions are made.
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That distinction matters to workers’ personal finances: a person awaiting a suitable role is not necessarily in the same position as someone whose employment has ended. But the reports do not give enough information to determine what any individual worker would be paid, how long they might remain on a list, or what would happen to their employment if no suitable role were found. Workers need the applicable employer policy and individual terms to answer those questions.
Workforce figures in the coverage
The figures reported alongside the exchange describe different aspects of workforce change and have distinct attributions. They should not be read as a single estimate of compulsory redundancies or their cost.
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| Figure | Attribution and qualification |
|---|---|
| 32 civil servants; wage bill of at least £2 million and possibly as much as £2.4 million | The National reported in 2026 that 32 staff whose roles were no longer needed remained on a priority movers list, citing a figure previously published by The Sunday Times. The reported wage-bill range is part of that reporting chain, not an independently audited total. |
| 11.5%, or more than 1,000 posts over four years | The National reported in 2026 that McKee gave this as the reduction in core Scottish Government civil-service personnel, attributing it to natural attrition or the ending of contractor arrangements. The report does not say every reduction used the same mechanism. |
| 20% by 2030; almost 1,500 jobs | The National reported a workforce-reduction target of 20% by 2030 and an estimate of almost 1,500 jobs needed to reach it, attributing those figures to an earlier report in The Herald. |
The National also reported that McKee could not give a total cost across the wider public sector for workers awaiting redeployment, because costs depended on individual circumstances and organisational approaches. No overall public-sector cost estimate follows from the reported figures.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Union response and the earlier assurance
The Press Association reported that STUC general secretary Roz Foyer wrote to McKee seeking clarification and warned that mixed messages could harm relations with unions. Foyer called the intervention “either a confused mistake or, worse still, a worrying sign of intent to come,” according to that report.
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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →The Press Association also reported that First Minister John Swinney had told it in early September 2026 that his reforms would result in no compulsory redundancies. The available accounts do not establish whether Swinney or McKee later formally reconciled that assurance with McKee’s reported answer at committee.
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What workers should take from the reports
- McKee was reported to have acknowledged compulsory redundancy as a possible endpoint after other avenues had been exhausted.
- He was also reported to have maintained that the no-compulsory-redundancy policy remained in place.
- The reports do not prove that the written policy has been formally changed, nor do they establish that compulsory redundancy is categorically ruled out in every circumstance.
- They describe redeployment and voluntary measures as alternatives but do not set out complete rules, eligibility criteria or a definitive sequence.
- For an individual employment or pay question, the relevant employer’s policy and the worker’s terms are needed; the news accounts do not determine what any particular person would receive.
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