Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Employment lawLatest NewsEconomics, government & businessPublic sectorRedundancy

Government’s first priority to protect public sector jobs, says David Cameron

by Laura Chamberlain 17 Jan 2011
by Laura Chamberlain 17 Jan 2011

David Cameron said his first priority is to “protect frontline services and jobs”, as the Government takes “radical” action to deal with the budget deficit.

In a speech on public sector reforms, the Prime Minister today admitted that it would be unrealistic to hope to avoid job losses entirely but said that the Government had given itself the best chance of protecting jobs by taking “swift and radical action”.

This follows reports before Christmas that thousands of public sector jobs were under threat as councils gave the stautory 90 days’ notice for redundancies before budget cuts in March.

Cameron said: “No one believes that the budget deficit is the fault of public sector workers. Responsibility lies squarely with ministers in the last Government who allowed spending to run out of control.”

The proposals outlined by Cameron to modernise public services focus on giving more freedom to frontline workers and “injecting competition” into public services.

“There is a huge pent-up frustration among so many public sector workers who see how things could be different but can’t make it happen,” Cameron added. “Everything I have spoken about today will give [them] that power.”

He also defended the speed with which changes to the public sector are being implemented, adding that there is an urgent case for improving schools and healthcare.

However, plans for a top-down reorganisation of the NHS have been met with criticism from medical groups, unions and shadow health secretary John Healey, who say that the measures are unnecessary.

Healey said: “Strong criticism from NHS experts, professional bodies and patient groups show that those who know the health service best fear the Government will force competition, price wars and privatisation on the NHS at the expense of good patient care.

“The more NHS staff organisations see of the Tory-led Government’s plans, the harder they find it to say something in support.”

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

A health Bill will be published this week, which will outline plans for reform in the NHS including allowing GP consortiums to take over management of NHS primary care trusts, and an education bill will follow next week.

Take part in XpertHR’s confidential survey into the employment implications of the public sector cuts and receive a free copy of the report as soon as it is completed.

Laura Chamberlain

previous post
Maternity leave overhaul receives cautious welcome
next post
Health and safety not detrimental to business

You may also like

Company director wins £15k after being told to...

4 Jul 2025

Skills shortfall in construction threatens housing target

4 Jul 2025

MPs demand Home Office tightens visas to protect...

4 Jul 2025

It’s all about the Monet: how art transforms...

3 Jul 2025

Stop chasing quick fixes: return to the office...

3 Jul 2025

Asda hails major upgrade in employees’ benefits

3 Jul 2025

100% success for latest large-scale four-day week trial

3 Jul 2025

NHS 10-year Health Plan sets out vision for...

3 Jul 2025

Microsoft to cut 9,000 jobs globally as role...

3 Jul 2025

Decline in workplace deaths: falls from height remain...

3 Jul 2025

  • Empowering working parents and productivity during the summer holidays SPONSORED | Businesses play a...Read more
  • AI is here. Your workforce should be ready. SPONSORED | From content creation...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+