The SNP have spent £20 million of public money on Diversity, Equality and Inclusion roles and training since 2019, the Scottish Conservatives can reveal.
A series of Freedom of Information responses to the party show that Councils spent £2.5 million, the justice sector £1 million, the NHS £8.9 million, universities £5.9 million, and the Scottish Government £1.7 million.
The costs per year have also doubled, from £2.1 million in 2019-20 to £4.3 million in 2023-24.
Examples of this sort of wasteful spending includes £3,000 for membership of Stonewall’s Diversity Champions Scheme and £1,100 on a trans awareness training.
The number is likely to be much higher, as many organisations claimed not to hold data on DEI centrally.
Scottish Conservative deputy leader Rachael Hamilton MSP said that Scots will be outraged that the SNP have squandered millions on their ideological projects while making savage cuts to public services.
Scottish Conservative Deputy Leader Rachael Hamilton MSP said: “Hard-pressed Scots will be outraged that the SNP have squandered millions on woke DEI training and roles, when they are making savage cuts to vital public services.
“This is yet another example of the SNP prioritising ideological projects over the issues that people actually care about.
“It’s difficult to justify this level of spending when the NHS remains in permanent crisis mode, educational standards are plummeting, and Scotland continues to have the highest drug death rate in Europe.
“It’s no wonder Scots are fed up with left-wing politicians at Holyrood. They’re wasting taxpayers’ money like it’s going out of fashion.
“Only the Scottish Conservatives, with Russell Findlay at the helm, are committed to taking a claymore to this culture of waste and championing common-sense policies that put people’s priorities first.”
Notes:
The public sector has wasted £20 million on Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion roles in six years. From 2019-20 to 2024-25, public bodies including NHS boards, councils, the Scottish Government and universities have spent £19,987,747 on measures relating to DEI. (Freedom of information request, available on request).
Spending on DEI doubled between 2019-20 and 2023-24. In 2019-20, DEI related spending was £2,109,599, but by 2023-24, this had doubled to £4,262,148. (Freedom of information request, available on request).
Many DEI initiatives are not a good use of taxpayer’s money. Examples include spending includes £3,000 for membership of Stonewall’s Diversity Champions Scheme, £1,100 on a trans awareness training and £2,535 celebrating Black History Month and Pride Month. (Freedom of information request, available on request).