CAMERON PROMISES SPENDING CUTS, DECENTRALISATION AND TRANSPARENCY

8th September 2009

Media attention from today’s speech by David Cameron is already focusing on his promise to trim some of the perks of being an MP – with an end to subsidised Commons bars and cuts in ministerial salaries.

While such proposals may be a politically savvy answer to the expenses crisis of the summer, perhaps the most consequential parts of the speech were Cameron’s reassertion of three priorities for the next Conservative government:

Spending cuts
Cameron argued that “unlike any previous politicians in opposition, including the Conservatives in the 1970s, we have taken the bold step of telling the British people very clearly: with a Conservative Government public spending will be cut. Not reduced in growth, not frozen - but cut.” If they are to achieve this, the Conservatives must look for savings with a fine toothcomb – and not all will be as politically easy as curbing perks for politicians.

Decentralisation
Decentralisation, Cameron argued, would be a part of this. Such an approach “will massively cut the costs of state bureaucracy … a pound spent closer is a pound spent wiser”. He cited as a model Conservative controlled Hammersmith and Fulham Council, saying that although it is one of the top performing councils, it managed to cut council tax by three percent in a year.

Giving more control to local government - “the most efficient part of the public sector” – will allow for cuts in overall spending.

Transparency
Cameron argued that “perhaps the biggest chance will come through transparency”:

“With a Conservative Government, every item of government spending over £25,000 will be published. Online. In full. No ifs, no buts.

“And if we win the next election, we're going to publish online all public sector salaries over £150,000 too.”

'Google-able' government means journalists, campaigners, bloggers and anyone else with an internet connection will be in a position to scrutinise all the details of public spending.

“I want the public to be crawling over the government's books, with their scrutiny acting as a straitjacket on spending.

“It's true that revolutionary is a word over-used in politics, but there is no other way to describe the change that transparency will bring.”