Sun, 23 Mar 2025

Sun, 23 Mar 2025 Reeves confirms 15% cut to Civil Service running costs

Savings will be from back office and administrative roles rather than front-line services, chancellor tells the BBC.

* The UK government plans to cut its running costs by 15% by the end of the decade, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves announcing that savings will be made from administrative and back-office roles rather than front-line services.
* Around 10,000 jobs are expected to be lost in the process, although exact numbers have not been confirmed.
* The cuts come as part of a broader spending review, which is also set to see some government departments face reduced budgets.
* Chancellor Reeves has promised that the savings will be used to invest in priorities such as the NHS and other essential public services.
* Unions representing civil servants have expressed concerns about the impact of the cuts on public services, with Dave Penman from the FDA union warning that "cuts of this scale can't be delivered by cutting HR and comms teams".
* Chancellor Reeves has defended the plans, saying that advances in technology and artificial intelligence make it possible to achieve the 15% cut in running costs.
* The moves come ahead of Chancellor Reeves' Spring Statement on Wednesday, which is expected to announce further spending cuts for some government departments.
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