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Johnson Tells Ministers to Cut Waste by Earlier Tory Governments

Johnson Tells Ministers to Cut Waste by Earlier Tory Governments

(Bloomberg) -- U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged his senior ministers to “root out any waste” in every project being undertaken by their departments, as he sought to deliver on commitments made before his election victory last month.

Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Sajid Javid told a meeting of cabinet on Tuesday that the budget planned for March 11 is an opportunity to take “tough decisions,” the premier’s spokesman, James Slack, told reporters.

“They said ministers need to root out any waste, particularly anything that is not aligned with the government’s priorities, and demonstrate value for money of every pound of taxpayers’ money that we spend,” Slack said. “All secretaries of state were encouraged to go through their departmental spending and projects and ensure that there is no waste and that if there is waste, it is rooted out.”

The goal is one shared by most incoming governments: eliminate projects set in motion by previous administrations that don’t chime with the direction being pursued. The difference this time is that the previous government included both Johnson and Javid as senior ministers and their Conservative Party has been in power for almost a decade.

Slack suggested some projects set up as far back as 2010, when fellow Tory David Cameron became prime minister, will be examined and may face the chop.

To contact the reporter on this story: Alex Morales in London at amorales2@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Tim Ross at tross54@bloomberg.net, Thomas Penny, Stuart Biggs

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