Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) calls on all political parties to put public sector reform and growth at the heart of their manifestos. The next government must reduce the burden on the fragile state of public services to bring Britain back on track.
Rob Whiteman, CIPFA CEO, said:
“With six weeks to voting, whoever forms the next UK Government will face a long and challenging list of priorities putting unprecedented constraints on the public purse.
The current situation of the public state is unsustainable. This election gives the next government a golden opportunity to reform and get rid of previous 'sticking plaster' approaches to funding the UK’s most critical sector. It is also an opportunity to define what we want our public services to do and how we want to find them for the long-term, in response to these short-term challenges.”
CIPFA calls on all parties to set out a clear and bold vision on how they will support the public sector, including:
- Avoid ‘crisis-cash-repeat' - How they plan to reform local government finances to avoid the 'crisis-cash-repeat', short-termist model of funding and bring in sustainable financial planning.
- Clear up backlogs - How will the next government deal with the heavy burden on existing services by clearing up backlogs in hospitals, courts and a broad range of other services.
- Address devolution and flexibility in the system - CIPFA wants political parties to create a plan to grasp the opportunities of devolution to empower regions and strengthen communities to allow for regional decision making, planning and coordination.
- Tackle the charging system for social care - In its current form, adult social care system is unfair, unpredictable and complex. The next government must address this with a proper settlement to meet the scale of need and demand.
This general election, we want answers - a clear, bold vision that creates an environment of accountability, transparency and growth.
Notes to editor
If you have any further queries, please visit the CIPFA press office.