The media lapped up Pat McFadden’s announcement that the Cabinet Office would freeze all departmental and agency credit cards: “Crackdown on government cards to cut ‘wasteful’ spending.” Turns out – no such thing…
After Cabinet Office spending managed to increase after the ‘freeze’ new figures show that spending for Defra and its agencies has done the same:
The vast majority of that is covered by the Environment Agency – which also managed to spend £8,144 on work from home equipment in April alone. Can’t stop the gravy train…
Defra says: “We are cracking down on wasteful spending to ensure taxpayer money is spent on delivering for the public.”
Speaking at his speech on how to achieve “progressive capitalism” Wes Streeting fired a dig and Andy Burnham:
“Bond markets are not bond villains and fiscal rules matter.”