Promises of cutting Civil Service costs are a political ritual, but they rarely lead to real savings. A radical, honest approach is needed to modernise the public sector and ensure it offers value for money.

End the Perks and Unfair Benefits: Public sector pay must be set by comparing the entire compensation package—including pensions, holidays, and sick pay—with the private sector. Special perks for MPs and civil servants that are unavailable to the public should be abolished and at a minimum taxed as benefits in kind, like the rest of the population.

Modernise Pensions and Retirement: The current public sector pension system is unsustainable. Final salary and inflation-linked schemes should be closed to new entrants, mirroring the private sector. The retirement age for all government employees should be raised to align with the state pension age, ending the costly practice of early exits.

A Leaner, More Focused Workforce: The overall number of civil servants must be reduced. This includes scrapping non-essential roles, such as those focused on diversity and inclusion, to ensure resources are focused on front-line public services.

Watch this Channel 4 News report for more on the current Chancellor's plans to cut civil service jobs.