Civil servant expenses under the spotlight
It started with the MPs expenses scandal, moved on to the BBC and now we are seeing civil servant expenses picked apart in the press. Civil servants tend to remain in the shadows when a new government takes charge although they have a very important role to play in the everyday running of the UK government. However, the figures being suggested in the UK press are astronomical with one article suggesting that the whole political system in the UK, including MPs and civil servants, costs the UK taxpayer around £500 million year.
While it would be foolish to suggest that running the UK government and public services is simple, does it really take £500 million worth of investment on an annual basis to arrive at what we have today?
The problem is, and it will no doubt be highlighted over the next few weeks, that the vast majority of UK consumers and UK taxpayers have no idea what goes on behind the scenes. Civil servants have for years been shrouded in mystery and secrecy with civil servants unable to reveal any of the inner workings of the government due to the official secrets act. The current run on civil servant expenses started with a group of Welsh civil servants and will no doubt move on to other areas over the weeks and months to come.
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