Today's news (http://www.localgov.co.uk/index.cfm?method=news.detail&id=86556) is that a Conference is taking place to announce that a 1% saving in public expenditure in the borough of Westminster would save £20 Million - because that is 1% of public spending in the borough.
This is no more than speculation. Maybe bringing "back office" functions together will save money. Maybe it won't. One thing I do know is that our public sector employers will pay through the nose for expensive consultants to try to achieve these hoped-for savings.
That won't be the only money wasted.
Whilst low paid workers facing a pay freeze and job losses have been getting on with the delivery of public services today some of their managers may have been taking in the PowerPoint presentations at the Conference.
Total Place may cost a lot of jobs but it will generate some agreeable lunches on the way. Senior officials attending this Conference will have been able to claim expenses (if not fed suitably at the event).
There is therefore such a thing as a free lunch. Just not for us.
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Consultancy, transformation, consultancy, restructuring, consultancy reframing.... that will save the cash no doubt???? Surely also the 'use it or lose it' financial pressures in local authorities forces some obscene wastage to take place. Surely stopping the penalising (or the threat of penalising) of future budgets and people for underspend will help address some wastage.
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