Ministers warned of cuts as ‘every pound’ of spending to face review
Cabinet ministers have been warned they must find more savings in their departments as the Chancellor said “every pound” of Government spending will be scrutinised in a major budget review.
Secretaries of State are being told that any outgoings which are not contributing towards one of Labour’s “priorities” must be cut as Rachel Reeves vows to wield “an iron fist against waste.”
An iron fist? Good grief, what do we say about such silly rhetoric?
Waste is a large part of what they do - have a chat with Ed Miliband about subsidies and electricity generation which doesn't work without it.
6 comments:
The Iron Fist will have to be exported from China, as we have lost the manufacturing capacity.
I'll never expect anything substantial from calls to cut 'waste'. It was all approved spending (initially) after all, and therefore easy to justify.
Now issue a call to cut 'poor value for money' then I'll be more hopeful. Although that does imply that the various departments actually measure and track the benefits of what they spend - which I doubt. Too much work, too much risk to the patronage available.
Alternatively play musical chairs. At the end of each year allocate chairs around the Cabinet Table based on money saved and budget shrunk. Each year take one chair away.
Cut all the NHS waste and the national debt will be back in credit. Not a penny will actually be cut though, off anything
Sam - good point, we can't craft it out of recycled yogurt pots.
DJ - musical chairs is the best bet, but senior officials need to be involved too. That one could be achieved by "musical offices".
Bucko - include all the wasteful subsidies and we could even end up with lower taxes.
Some years ago, I read about the new CEO of a huge American firm required all department heads to tender their resignation, and then 're-apply for that post, giving justifications they should be re-employed. Can't recall if it was fiction or not, but a shame no one thought of doing that here on change of government.
Penseivat
Penseivat - it sounds like the kind of thing an American CEO might do, I can certainly see Musk doing it. Yes it is a shame no one thought of doing that here on change of government. We do need something to stir things up, although the rot probably goes pretty deep.
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