Draw up 40% cuts plans, George Osborne tells Whitehall departments

[LeftishBrit]

Each unprotected department has been asked to come up with savings plans of 25% and 40% of their budget...

The Treasury said "large savings" would be required of unprotected departments, which have been asked to model two scenarios: of 25% and 40% cuts to their budgets by 2020...

Mr Osborne has already unveiled £12bn of welfare savings plus £5bn of tax avoidance prevention measures - which together with the £20bn of departmental spending cuts make up the £37bn figure earmarked to get government finances back in the black.

All of which serves to explain why ministers and officials in all but protected departments and services - that is everything but health, schools, defence and overseas aid - are having panic attacks today....

(More at link. All bloody scary!)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-33610801

[villager]

1. Scotland may want to rethink that secession vote....

n/t

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. It's ridiculous but frightening too

A frequent comment has been that the '40%' is just to give them a chance to say 'OK, we'll be nice, we'll cut the 25% instead'. But 25% is still cutting things to the bone. It looks like ideology: both 'cut the state, any way they people you might be able to get to vote for you might allow', and 'we must say the deficit must be cut, at all times'. While, of course, rejecting the idea of any tax increases on the wealthy.

[pinto]

3. What's the public opinion on these measures? Has the UK had any rebound from the 2008 melt down?

Health and schools are protected if I read this correctly, right? If so, that's one bright point. Yet the cuts to other public safety net services seem pretty severe.

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. It would seem unpopular, but the Tories got re-elected anyway

From March:

Very few voters are happy with George Osborne's austerity plans, a poll has found, with over a quarter wanting a slowdown in the rate of cuts.

The survey, conducted by ComRes, found that barely a quarter (24%) of voters backed the current rate of spending cuts, with just 7% wanting deeper cuts, and 30% wanting a slower rate of cuts.

Almost a quarter of voters think public spending cuts should be halted or spending increased, regardless of the effect on the UK's deficit, the poll revealed.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/03/02/uk-cuts-poll_n_6781686.html

This is more, in specific cuts, than they said they'd do during the election (people pointed out huge cuts would have to come somewhere, but the Tories waved their hands and got away without being specific).

[pinto]

5. Play to the "cut taxes!" base, claim some vague plan to make up the difference.

I hate that approach to what is touted as responsible governance. Same stuff here, though not so severe, as far as I know.

The unanswered question remains in any instance - "Who pays?"

[shenmue]

6. Goodbye, U.K.

It was nice to know you.