The Conservative Party have released an election document which details efficiency savings in an effort to limit damage to their campaign from Labour and Liberal claims that such efficiencies could not be met without harming front line services.
The paper “Hop to Victory” has been written in consultation with Sir Peter Gershon and Dr Martin Read, both of whom previously advised Gordon Brown during Labours own efficiency drive. The key point of the paper is the identification of the significant clothing allowances paid to civil servants which ensures that anyone who works outside for over 1 hour per week is given £50 a year to purchase a sturdy pair of sensible brown brogues.
“There are over half a million civil servants, of which half can claim this allowance equating to a total shoe allowance of £12m a year,” Dr Read has explained “but increasing the shoe allowance one hundred fold and then removing one leg from each civil servant would translate to an efficiency saving of £12bn, probably.”
The Labour party has poured scorn on the idea saying that the overheads surrounding the removal of every second civil servant leg would be immensely costly and the planning to ensure that an even number of left and right legs being removed would prove unworkable.
The main unions of the civil service, PCS have released a comment saying that “if such plans were introduced we very much doubt that our members would stand for it.”
(that's a rubbish title isn't it?... any suggestions welcome...)
