Thursday, Jun 17, 2010
Cuts announced
Reuters: Government cancels or suspends £11.5 billion in projects
"The Treasury minister said on Thursday that government projects worth 11.5 billion pounds would be cancelled or suspended, accusing the previous Labour government of taking irresponsible spending decisions".
Posted by alan @ 03:28 PM (1068 views) Add Comment
17 Comments
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1. Terry Knight said...
So, just remind me, what is it the Liberals actually stand for...?
2. drewster said...
Full list of projects cancelled:
Stonehenge Visitor Centre: £25m
Local Authority Leader Boards: £16m
Sheffield Forgemasters International Limited: £80m
Rollout of the Future Jobs Fund: £290m
Six month offer recruitment subsidies: £30m
Extension of Young Person's Guarantee to 2011/12: £450m
Two year Jobseeker's Guarantee: £515m
Active Challenge Routes - Walk England: £2m
County Sports Partnerships: £6m
North Tees and Hartlepool Hospital: £450m
Local Authority Business Growth Initiative: £50m
Outukumpu (steel company): £13m
List of projects suspended
Libraries Modernisation Programme: £12m
Sheffield Retail Quarter: £12m
Kent Thameside Strategic Transport Programme: £23m
University Enterprise Capital Fund: £25m
Newton Scholarships: £25m
Health Research Support Initiative: £73m
Leeds Holt Park Well-being Centre: £50m
Birmingham Magistrates Court: £94m
Successor Deterrent Extension to Concept Phase Long Lead Items: £66m (will be reviewed as part of a broader report into the future of Trident submarines)
Search and Rescue Helicopters: £7bn (will be reviewed as a matter of urgency)
A14 Road: £1.1bn
Some of these could be funded by other sources. Want free swimming? Ask your local council to pay for it (and accept the rise in council tax). The new Stonehenge visitor centre could surely be funded from the £6.90 entry fee (seriously, why so much to see a bunch of rocks? My local cinema is cheaper than that!) The Birmingham Magistrates Court revamp could pay for itself if the government scrapped a lot of useless laws & complex technicalities. Fewer trials would mean more money spare for buildings maintenance.
As for the rest... well how did the country manage before we had them?
3. uncle tom said...
The suspension of the A14 project is causing much dismay in these parts, although the proposed works north of Cambridge are much less urgent than those on the stretch linking the M11 with the A1.
Mind you, I'm still amazed that a proper interchange was never built where the A14 meets the M1 and M6. With greater unemployment in that area, I would give that project priority over the improvements to the Cambridge northern bypass.
4. Yoss said...
£12 Billion saved in a few weeks! Should be very good for GBP as wasteful projects are drowned in the "Totally Wasteful" bucket where they belonged all along!
On the bright side, at least it's not families bought off with overpaid tax credits that were, AKA the previous election being made to carry the can this time.
Although post 22nd budget, I fully expect "Working family tax credits" to be put in the firing line.
Now all we need is to see a few quangos dumped...Oh Farewell FSA, thanks for all the expensive protection against err nothing!
5. Stu531 said...
The M1/M6/A14 is awful, given that it's almost the centrepiece junction in the midlands. Kinda typical British 'make do and mend' type of approach to everything.
Not really fair on people of Sheffield. Perhaps they could transfer those workers into working in the city of London. Probably do a better job than the bankers.
6. down wave said...
Nepotism for sure, I am more than happy that these cuts are being executed.
The BIG QUESTION is how many back-handers and bribes were politicians and local councilors
receiving from the directors/companies of these contracts?
Lets hope that the media investigate and expose and that some justice is brought on for the ta payers.................
7. down wave said...
Sorry should read: Lets hope that the media investigate and expose and that some justice is brought on for the TAX payers.................
8. dbc reed said...
So ordinary people go to work and pay their taxes but can't have free swimming for kids and old people. Instead the money goes to feather-bedding the Tories' friends in the City (who make such hard decisions blah,blah,blah..and get rescued when they make clownish errors.) Smells like Class Warfare.
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10. tyrellcorporation said...
Brilliant stuff, may the cuts be savage across the board and I pray this is just the start of a new era of responsible spending. It's well documented that Labour embarked on a final assault of the public purse in the final few weeks/months before May 6th. Mandy in particular wrote millions in IOUs to companies and organisations in Labour marginals to bribe their way back into power. It didn't work and those in receipt of this largesse shouldn't have believed these gifts were for real.
@DBC 'Smells like Class Warfare.' Well you've had 13 years of class warfare your way DBC so it's time for the pendulum to swing and the boot to go onto the other foot. I for one can't bluddy wait.
11. dbc reed said...
@Tyrrell corporation
Letting kids (who have no money) and old people (who don't have much) go for a free swim was class warfare is it? You might actually save money on health spending by letting people keep fit.Neither is there any sense even in business terms in not improving the A 14 and not supporting Forgemasters.Beware what you wish for.
12. Rental John said...
My 4 peeny worth on this subject.
It is always a good idea to cut the fat in lean times, and a review of what is essential and what is non-essential or someones wish list...but the new Con-LibDem government have not been in office long enough to carry out a fully and detailed review. This looks to me like someone going down a list with a pencil - ruling things out....then wait to see who shouts the loudest to get their funding back. Some of the cancellations, and suspended projects will be knocking the supports out from under contacts and other work - get ready for a flood of unemployed, with associated mortgage defaults....etc.
This all smacks of knee jerk policy - as a smoke screen to real issues such as the poorly regulated banks.......
13. alan_540 said...
@Tyrellcorporation,
Couldn't agrre more mate.
Now that we've got rid of the one eyed slackjawed profligate lunatic, it's time for the ordinary working man to benefit from his hard work and for the workshy benefit layabouts to be royally rogered.
14. iguana said...
Alan
Not convinced that Sheffield Steelworkers are workshy or benefit layabouts, I suggest that you go there and tell them. I hope the local hospital has not had its funding cut for your sake.
educate sysiphus
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