tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2623721153002721356.post6660465887926004938..comments2024-03-28T17:49:01.125+00:00Comments on Three Thousand Versts of Loneliness: Can Mandy save Labour? Early reaction to public spending 'relaunch'.Owen Polleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00567787385096905811noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2623721153002721356.post-81244492400017457512009-09-21T16:26:28.432+01:002009-09-21T16:26:28.432+01:00Oh, and on Lord Mandelbrot - he may relaunch somet...Oh, and on Lord Mandelbrot - he may relaunch something, but it'll be a question of convincing people to call it Labour :-)Matt Wardmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04326720801362744582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2623721153002721356.post-85355444525411851572009-09-21T16:25:34.243+01:002009-09-21T16:25:34.243+01:00>if cuts are going to be necessary, perhaps it’...>if cuts are going to be necessary, perhaps it’s easier to work with the ideological grain<br /><br />I don't see any *if* about that, but I think that everyone is being too timid when talking about cuts. I'd suggest that a significant productivity gain for services delivered per unit of money spent - partly from efficiency, partly from better management, partly from reforms which should have been on the agenda in 2000 or before (esp. pensions) - should be achievable.<br /><br />Examples: target police overtime (why not before?), target the 60% jump in GP incomes in ~2004-2006 (why is that still in place?), target NHS productivity, target areas where the decade long boast has been "look at how much money we are spending"<br /><br />My view is that Labour just can't do this due to historical roots and union links, anymore than a party founded by Peta would be able to support hunting.<br /><br />On the symbols, I'd suggest that Mr Cameron's aim to reduce the cost of most of Westminster by 10% is playing very safe indeed. In the same speech he quoted the cost of Parliament as doubling since 1997 (not quite that clear cut due to exceptional items).<br /><br />I'd be looking for a 40% reduction in the costs of Westminster, and perhaps a 10-12% cash reduction combined with a 10-12% productivity gain over 4 years for the public sector as a whole. Whether they have the management in place to do it intelligently is another thing.<br /><br />And that is perhaps quite modest.Matt Wardmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04326720801362744582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2623721153002721356.post-82384653585334497012009-09-14T17:04:47.830+01:002009-09-14T17:04:47.830+01:00A good point, but it is true that the Tories are n...A good point, but it is true that the Tories are not very open about their plans. We need to reduce the size of the public sector, but the transition will have to be managed extremely carefully and the corresponding tax cuts delivered.Kevinhonoreply@blogger.com