The government is spending £1.9 billion a year on Microsoft licences for the public sector. That is under a discount agreement…
In response to a written parliamentary question Cabinet Office minister Georgia Gould said:
“the Crown Commercial Service (CCS), an executive agency of the Cabinet Office, manages the Strategic Partnership Arrangement 2024 (SPA24) with Microsoft.
Approximately £1.9 billion has been spent on Microsoft software licences via third-party resellers in the financial year 2024/25. This spend is through SPA24 and its predecessor DTA-21. These agreements enable all eligible UK public sector organisations to access discounted pricing on a range of Microsoft products.”
£40 per voter. For that you could:
Quite the sum. The taxpayer may have a view on which should be prioritised…
UPDATE: A Cabinet Office spokesperson said:
“This spend covers the entire public sector, including the emergency services, schools and local councils—not just government.”
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.”