Reforms and rats

It was widely noted among the government watchers that as Gordon Brown faced the cameras this morning to announce yet another wave of public sector reforms, so his advisors were quietly switching ships.

The Times reports that Sir Peter Gershon (as in Gershon Review) and Bernard Gray are to join the Conservatives’ Public Services Productivity Advisory Board. They will be accompanied by Lord Levene, the chairman of Lloyds and Dr Martin Read who beside being the chair of Logica is also leader of the Treasury's operation efficiency review. Also on the team is Lucy Neville-Rolfe of Tesco who has served on government advisory groups.

Brown’s reforms include cuts to quangos, new ministerial approval for public sector fat cats over £150,000, plans to slim down the Civil Service and a promise to put performance data about public services on the internet. The package also includes £3 billion of new efficiency savings which he stated had been identified since the budget, on top of the £9 billion already announced. Around £1.3 billion will come from streamlining the Civil Service.

There is no indication as such from the advisors that they disagree with the planned reforms. It just seems that they think it will be Cameron and not Brown who will be putting them or something very similar into effect.