Speaking at the ASSIST conference in Scotland Lord Digby Jones called for a fundamental change in the way that public services are delivered so that even more doctors, nurses and teachers could be recruited and real and long lasting cuts in expenditure could be achieved.
“What is needed”, said Digby, “is for the back office to become more productive, more efficient, with fewer people but with the emphasis on working more cleverly than more hours. It calls for political courage and tough leadership; it is not the answer to ask the back office to sort the problem since Turkeys do not vote for Christmas.”