Reeves appointed David Goldstone as the new Chair of the Office of Value for Money to “help us realise the benefits from every pound of public spending”. Ironically, Goldstone will work once per week at a daily rate of £950 – more than the Prime Minister. No need to know the value for money when the taxpayer is paying for it…
Goldstone won’t even be allowed to weigh in on HS2 discussions due to conflicts of interest; he’s the Treasury’s nominee member for the HS2 Board. A scheme renowned as one of the state’s most spectacular flops in delivering bang for the taxpayer’s buck. You couldn’t make it up…
Hat-tip: Elliot Keck
Speaking to Sky News off the back of Rachel Reeves’ Air Passenger Duty hike, Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary said:
“Labour is dependent on those Red Wall seats, and yet every move she makes poisons economic growth and damages the UK’s recovery… it’s the Chancellor who stumbles from policy misstep to policy misstep… I think her policy decisions are incredibly stupid.”