Anas Sarwar vowed to set up a Scottish Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) as he blasted the SNP over a new prison that will cost as much as a five-star hotel with a waterpark
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has vowed to set up a version of Elon Musk’s brutal spending watchdog.
In a speech at the Scottish Labour Conference, he lashed out at wasteful SNP spending – and said his party will do better. He pledged to set up a Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), apparently modelled on the US group helmed by billionaire Musk.
Mr Sarwar told delegates: “As First Minister, I will respect every penny of your money. And that’s why we will have our own Department of Government efficiency to stop the waste, deliver value for money for you, the taxpayer. And that value for money will extend to every part of government.”
He cited the example of a new Barlinnie prison in Glasgow, which is set to cost almost £1billion – having originally been budgeted at £100million. This is less than a five-star luxury hotel in Dubai, Mr Sarwar quipped.
He said: “To put that into context, the SNP is spending the same amount of new money on a new Barlinnie prison as the cost of building the five star luxury Atlantis hotel in Dubai, which has over 1500 bedrooms as well as a wellness centre, 17 restaurants and cafes, an aquarium, a swimming pools and a waterpark with no less than 105 slides.
“And they think that’s value for money for a prison, for murderers and rapists in Scotland. So we will end SNP waste once and for all.”
Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has brought in swingeing cuts across various government agencies – prompting widespread criticism. Opponents have said huge layoffs of federal employees and the withholding of funds allocated by Congress are unlawful.
Several of Musk’s initiatives and Trump’s executive orders related to DOGE have been halted by federal judges – including DOGE’s access to sensitive records from the Treasury Department.