Lib Dems declare war on quango state

Lib Dems declare war on quango state

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Sunday, 20, Sep 2009 11:18

By Matthew Champion.

A day after admitting that "savage" cuts were the only way forward for the next government, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has proposed a radical Whitehall purge worth £2 billion in efficiency savings.

On the second day of the party's autumn conference Mr Clegg said up to 90 quangos should be culled or merged, saving more than £1.1 billion in the process.

Government departments would not be safe either from the purge, with the Lib Dem leader proposing cutting the total number to 14 for a saving of £314 million.

The party's health spokesman is also advocating a brutal attack on quangos, promising deep and lasting cuts to health bodies.

"Labour's leviathan has grown so large that health quangos alone now cost around £1.2 billion a year, employing 25,000 people and with 24 quango chiefs being paid more the prime minister," Norman Lamb is due to say

"We will wield an axe to the quango state," he will add, pledging a 20 per cent cut in quango spending and a halving of the Department of Health's size and abolishment of strategic health authorities.

Mr Clegg is also advocating a cut in the number of government ministers to 73 and an end to taxpayer-funded salaries for the opposition leader and party whips.

"As a country we will have to make some big decisions about how to balance the books," he said.

"The best way to cut the cost of government is through real change in how politics is done. As well as not spending billions on wasteful databases and outdated missile systems, we politicians must also cut our cost to the taxpayer.

"Central government in Whitehall is too big, too powerful and too expensive. We could save billions by scrapping entire government departments and culling quangos.

"Doing politics differently and saving money means dismantling Labour's spin machine by halving the number of government press officers and making political parties pay for their own special advisers.

"The nearly £2 billion savings in our proposals could be invested in public services and would be enough to renovate 200 schools every year."