Civil service to be told to slash more than 2bn a year from budget by 2030

The UK government is set to significantly reduce civil service budgets by 15% by 2030, leading to potential job losses and a concern over operational effectiveness. This budget cut, amounting to £2.2bn in annual savings, will mainly affect administrative functions rather than frontline services. Union leaders express concern that while moving away from strict headcount cuts is positive, the deep reductions will hinder governmental capacity to serve the public. Stakeholders are urged to consider which areas may be deprioritized as a result of these financial constraints.

FDA general secretary Dave Penman mentioned, 'Elected governments are free to decide the size of the civil service they want, but cuts of this scale and speed will inevitably have an impact.'

Mike Clancy of the Prospect union stated, 'A cheaper civil service is not the same as a better civil service.'

Penman also emphasized, 'Whilst we welcome the move away from crude headcount targets, the distinction between back office and frontline is an artificial one.'

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