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Reform would cut more than 68,000 civil service jobs
Reform UK would cut the number of civil servants by 68,500 if the party won the next election, Danny Kruger has said.
The East Wiltshire MP, who is leading efforts to get ready for government, said the plan would cut the salary bill by 17% and save the taxpayer £5.2 billion a year.
He told a press conference in Westminster: “That’s £4 billion in averted salary costs, which will be realised within two years, and £1 billion in averted pension contributions that will be realised in the years ahead.”
He said the first phase of plans to reform the government would also see the party invest an additional £400 million – for a total of £500 million – into a bonus pot to reward “high-performing” civil servants rather than giving them “over-generous” pension contributions.
Mr Kruger insisted the party’s plans would improve working in central government, and would be “radical” and “thorough”.
He said: “Someone once said that a hard rain is going to fall on Whitehall, and I do see the need for serious weather, but after the rain, after the storm, there will be sunshine – it’s going to be a better place to work.”
Asked how he expected to attract talent to the Civil Service by reducing pension contributions that form a key draw for many to apply, he said: “We value people who have a long career in the Civil Service. Obviously, their pension should reflect their service.
“Nevertheless, we don’t want an organisation in which the main reason to work there is that you can look forward to a good pension once you retire.
“We want people to work for the public interest, and we want the type of people who will be incentivised by the opportunity of performance-related pay, rather than a distant and over-generous pension.”
He said he expected the cost of Civil Service redundancies to pay for itself within two years under Reform UK plans, based on it costing around £60,000 to let someone go.
Mr Kruger told reporters his party would not be “judgmental”, after an endorsement from OnlyFans personality and adult content creator Bonnie Blue, real name Tia Billinger.
He told a press conference: “On Bonnie Blue I mean, listen, we’ll take votes wherever we can get them.
“We know we want all the support we can get, quite like Bonnie Blue.
“But we, you know, we’re not going to be fussy about that.
“But listen, I mean, you know I’m not going to be be judgmental about people who want to vote Reform.”
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