Consultants face chop in £7billion Whitehall war on waste
CONSULTANCIES charging taxpayers rip-off fees are facing the chop in a £7 billion war on waste.
Whitehall departments have been ordered to crackdown on consultancy fees as new figures lay bare huge levels of spend.
It comes after an investigation by the Sun on Sunday found more than £1.5billion of taxpayers’ money has been wasted on woke schemes, vanity projects and wasteful initiatives.
Now the Cabinet Office has pledged to reduce £7billion spent per year on temporary staffing and contractors.
Official analysis found that in 2022-23 total spending on consultancy was £1.2billion, up from £997million in 2017/18.
Among the highest spenders on consultancies in 2022-23 were the Department for Health and Social Care at £281million and the Department for Transport at £225million.
Cabinet Office Minister, Georgia Gould said: “The recklessness with which previous Conservative governments spent billions of taxpayer money on external consultants and temporary staffing is finally revealed to the public today.
“At £7.38billion, the scale of the problem is clear for all to see, and it embodies the sticking plaster politics we are so used to seeing.
“Hardworking Brits deserve better. They deserve a government of service, one that’s on their side. That’s why we won’t be continuing this indefensible practice of wasting taxpayer’s money on expensive non-essential consultants.
“As the Chancellor set out on Monday, we will be working night and day fixing the foundations to deliver for working people across the country. That’s the leadership this country deserves.”
It comes after Chancellor Rachel Reeves set out a plan to fill a £22billion “black hole” in the nation’s finances left by the previous government.
Ms Reeves has declared the new Labour Government has no choice but to increase taxes in the Autumn budget.