But where was I? Ah yes, today the prime minster and his deputy wrote a letter to members of the public sector asking for workers’ opinions about the best ways to save money.
The letter is part of the government’s “Spending Challenge”, aimed at engaging the country in thinking about public services and how they are provided. You can see an explanation of said challenge, courtesy of David Cameron’s big pink face, by clicking here.
In a nutshell, the government is asking the public sector to make suggestions as to how public spending can be cut “in a way that is fair and responsible”. The letter says: “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.”
It’s a nice thought, but how much of this is in earnest, how much a PR stunt (“Look at us, listening to the people who are affected by these changes..”) is up for debate. But maybe I’m being cynical – we’ll have to wait and see…
Dastardly and Muttley?
The Tories and their bag carriers have made a political and ideological choice to cut government borrowing back below a level that is necessary ( see economists not featured in the Tory press). Make no mistake, this is not a readjustment or ‘ trimming our cloth to fit’; this is naked attempt to re-model this country. I have yet to see why workers who are dedicated to public service should collaborate in turning our inner cities into Detroit or Baltimore