Leaders seek public sector cut suggestions
By politics.co.uk staff
Britain’s six million public sector workers have been asked to suggest ways to cut costs by David Cameron and Nick Clegg.
The prime minister and his deputy have written to every public sector worker in the country asking for help as they implement the spending review.
Wednesday’s emergency Budget saw chancellor George Osborne suggest departmental budgets would have to be cut by 20% as the coalition acts to swiftly reduce Britain’s deficit.
With NHS and international development spending ringfenced, all other departments will have to reduce expenditure by 25%.
“We want you to help us find those savings, so we can cut public spending in a way that is fair and responsible,” David Cameron and Nick Clegg wrote.
“You work on the frontline of public services. You know where things are working well, where the waste is, and where we can re-think things so that we get better services for less money.”
Paul Kenny, general secretary of the GMB, was livid at the suggestion.
“Cameron and Clegg have a damned cheek in asking public sector workers to cooperate in sacking thousands of them. It is an utter outrage,” he said.
“We have news for Cameron and Clegg – public sector workers are organised in trade unions and we are perfectly capable of speaking up on their behalf.”
Public sector staff have until July 9th to send in their suggestions. The consultation, branded a ‘spending challenge’ by ministers, will then be opened up to the public before the spending review completes its work this autumn.
