"BIG BROTHER" BRITAIN COSTS EVERY FAMILY £2,500

19-05-2008

Every family in Britain is forced to fork out more than £2,500 a year for government quangos and state agencies according to the right-wing lobby group the Taxpayers Alliance. They claim that our bureaucracy is now “too large” and “impossible to manage”.

The TPA estimates that there are now 1,162 public bodies in the UK, employing 700,000 bureaucrats and costing the taxpayer £64 billion each year – or £2,550 per household.

When local councils and NHS Trusts are added in, they reckon the government employs more than five million people – adding up to £257 million.

While many of these workers carry out jobs no civilised society could sensibly do without eg doctors, nurses, court staff etc, there are questions marks against others.

Do we need the British Potato Council, for example, which employs 49 people, or the West Northants Development Corporation (34 staff, cost £15.4 million)?

Ben Farrugia, author of the report and Policy Analyst at the TaxPayers’ Alliance, thinks not.

He said: “Government in the UK is now so large, diverse and complex that it is impossible for anyone to manage effectively, let alone Ministers with no prior experience of management and little in-depth understanding of the work carried out by their departments.

"Government today tries to do too much, and consequently fails; the structure of government needs to change if we hope to see better value and significant improvements in our public services."

One of the TPA’s achievements lies in actually getting the list together in the first place as the government doesn’t keep a central list of the full range of organisations operating on its behalf.

They argue that poor management leads to duplication of resources, with no fewer than five bodies montoring our water supply for example.

And worst of all, the results of this overbearing state - whether judged by results in health, education or welfare - are unimpressive when compared to nations of similar wealth and standing.

To see the report in full, click here (pdf file)

IS GOVERNMENT TOO BIG IN BRITAIN? WHICH QUANGOS COULD WE DO WITHOUT? OR IS THIS THE NECESSARY PRICE WE PAY FOR A CIVILISED SOCIETY? LEAVE A COMMENT ON THE STIRRER FORUM.