Philip Hammond, Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, has responded to the launch of "Smarter Government".
"The truth is real public service reform is not in Labour’s DNA", he said. "Waste and inefficiency remain endemic after twelve years of Labour government".
He questioned why this latest efficiency review should be taken any more seriously than previous ones, "when all it contains are re-heated announcements and attempts to copy Conservative policies".
In response, Hammond announced the launch of a Shadow Public Services Productivity Advisory Board consisting of six advisors (including four former Government efficiency advisors): Sir Peter Gershon, Bernard Gray,
Lord Peter Levene,
Dr Martin Read,
Colin Barrow CBE, and
Lucy Neville-Rolfe CMG.
The Board will offer private advice and challenge to the Shadow Chief
Secretary as he develops the Conservatives’ public sector productivity
agenda. The collective experience of the members of the Board will
ensure the Party has access to the lessons learnt from previous
approaches to improving productivity as it prepares its agenda for
public service reform.
"Labour have proved themselves incapable of listening to or acting on identified savings – we will not make that mistake", Hammond said.