Cuts post-election - which ones would you like to see?

Squish_21

Benefits

Benefits need cutting.

Other = bankers bonuses

Inga

Other - please describe below

We have had years of slicing off the top of budgets across the board and further arbitrary savings will be very damaging and cut right into the bone. I think there are areas like tackling tax avoidance and stopping criminality that would pay massive dividends for increased resources and pay for themselves so many times over.
I also think that the more jobs we can create in the public sector the better because if we weren't paying them a wage we would have to pay them benefits and get nothing in return. Net same cost but some pensioners get tidy gardens and the like.

bigheadxx

Benefits

Inga wrote: »

I also think that the more jobs we can create in the public sector the better because if we weren't paying them a wage we would have to pay them benefits and get nothing in return. .

Isn't this what we have been doing for the last 13 years, creating public sector jobs to massage the unemployment figures? 1 million extra public sector workers in just over 10 years.

This is labours solution big state, big borrowing, big taxes. We wouldn't have half the problem we have now if job creation in the private sector had been allowed to flourish rather than strangled by job creation in the public sector.

Pennywise

Benefits

Inga wrote: »

I also think that the more jobs we can create in the public sector the better because if we weren't paying them a wage we would have to pay them benefits and get nothing in return. Net same cost but some pensioners get tidy gardens and the like.

Depends what type of job is being created though doesn't it?? Over the past 13 years, all I've seen is more an more pen-pushers and fewer "coal face" workers.

If we had a million more teachers, street-sweepers, nurses, policemen, construction workers building new roads, new railways, etc., then I'd be in full agreement with you as we'd have something to show for the money.

However, we've had none of that. In our local GPs, there's now an army of desk-bound receptionists and administrators, we've "five a day co-ordinators" in our Town Halls, our street hasn't been swept for years, our village has graffitti on walls that has been there for years, our roads are full of potholes (long before the bad winter), we've been waiting for a by-pass for 30 years, we're still waiting months for every time we need a hospital appointment, the local public toilets have been closed down, our local swimming pool is threatened with closure, we've now got a PCSO who just walks around but can't do anything whereas a few years ago our village had its own proper policeman - I could go on. But at the same time, we've a million more people on the public payroll - where are they and what are they doing?

We need a concentrated effort to get the public sector back to doing what people want it to do - that's providing the basic core services and providing them efficiently. That means devolving power and responsibility as low as possible down the chain of command, empowering the coal-face workers and stripping out the vast tiers of middle management who may work "hard" doing what they do, but is that actually necessary or useful to the core services that people really want?

Jonbvn

Benefits

kabayiri wrote: »

Halve the number of MPs.

What about the MEP's? They're up there with motorbike ashtrays in my book.

Fire_Fox

Defence eg Trident

The last time there was 'efficiency savings' in the NHS I don't recall there being specific redundancies at admin or manager level. There was a policy of freezing posts, no annual leave, sickness or maternity cover, no filling vacancies. That was fine initially but as many key roles are largely female (nursing, housekeeping, pharmacy, laboratories) after a while a few too many women go on maternity leave and come back part time/ not at all ...

A selfish comment about benefits: I am sick to the back teeth about hearing about 'hard working families' and 'old people'! :mad: There are a bucket load of couples and singletons who are struggling on benefits - paying all the bills on your own on £65 a week is not do-able. I'd love a winter fuel payment or free bus pass please! Having said all that, I do think the system needs a shake-up - be that workfare or tougher screening.

Degenerate

Graham_Devon wrote: »

Other being cutting the WASTE in the public sector. Not just targetting the jobs and leaving the waste. Don't think this falls under efficiency savings....at least not how I hear efficiency savings talked about.

That's precisely what "efficiency savings" should mean.

ILW

Cannot see much happening in the public sector when Chief Executives of local authorites, health trusts etc. all justify their salaries on a basis of "I am worth £250k because I am running an organisation with a budget of £XXXX employing over XXXX people". Not exactly an encouragement to increase efficiency.

Old_Slaphead

Reduce public sector pensions

ILW wrote: »

Cannot see much happening in the public sector when Chief Executives of local authorites, health trusts etc. all justify their salaries on a basis of "I am worth £250k because I am running an organisation with a budget of £XXXX employing over XXXX people". Not exactly an encouragement to increase efficiency.

You'd pretty soon see savings if they were paid bonuses dependant upon achieving efficiencies (however it's measured)

mardatha

Other - please describe below

Maybe the first cuts should be in the number of MPs, their salaries, and the house of lords . Start at the top, not the other way round !