Boris Johnson has ordered ministers to come up with plans to cut more than 90,000 civil service jobs in order to free up billions of pounds for tax cuts.
During an away-day with cabinet ministers in Stoke-on-Trent, the prime minister asked them to report back within a month on how they can reduce the size of their departmental workforces to 2016 levels.
That would imply a reduction of about a fifth in the 475,000-strong workforce. Details of the plan would be set out in due course, the government said. It would be expected to save about £3.5bn a year.
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The announcement was described as “either another headline-grabbing stunt or a reckless slash-and-burn to public services” by the head of the civil servants’ union, warning that the Passport Office or Department of Health and Social Care might suffer.
It comes as Mr Johnson faces pressure to do more to address the cost of living crisis, which has seen inflation soar…
