Truss will ‘trim the fat’ from spending, says Tory Chairman

Liz Truss says she should have ‘laid the ground better’

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Jake Berry said ministers had agreed that departments will have to make savings to help balance the books.

He added: “What we’ve heard from the Government is that there is going to be a drive to trim fat in terms of Government expenditure. Everyone will accept there are efficiencies that can be found.”

Earlier the Prime Minister twice refused to rule out cuts to budgets to help get borrowing under control again.

She said: “What I’m going to do is make sure we get value for money for the taxpayer. But I’m very, very committed to making sure we’ve got excellent frontline public services.”

She said Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng would set out more detail in his medium-term fiscal plan on November 23.

Ministers have been ordered to see how savings can be made – despite soaring inflation eating away at their cash. And it comes weeks after Ms Truss said she did not want to make big spending cuts.

The Treasury letters have fuelled expectations of an austerity package of public service restraint, with Paul Johnson of the Institute for Fiscal Studies predicting a five-year freeze on spending.

Mr Berry added: “Every household understands the reason this Government is going for growth is because when you are struggling with your household budget, you need to grow your household budget, people’s pay packets.

“You need to manage your [own] expenditure and I don’t think it’s unreasonable for the Government to say the public sector should look at its expenses in the same way.”

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