We’re planning solutions not spending commitments, says the “Cutsfinder General”

Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury Chris Leslie is the man behind Labour’s “Zero-Based Review” of government spending. That’s a hugely influential role. Every government department, the big dreams of every Shadow Cabinet Minister and every government programme is in his hands (and, perhaps, his sights). Some of his colleagues even call him the “Cutsfinder General”, as his task largely revolves around finding government fat that can be trimmed. That’s not something that all Labour figures relish, but Leslie is getting his teeth into the job.

In a speech the Institute for Chartered Accountants for England and Wales, will set out how the next Labour Government with a focus on “long-termism”, balancing the books and getting the deficit down. The top line of the speech is that Labour will return to multi-year rather than single year spending reviews, yet something which jumps out from the speech is Leslie’s focus on ensuring Labour’s policy review process funded policies not spending commitments – a crucial distinction with just a few weeks to go until that pivotal week in Milton Keynes. Leslie will say:

“Labour will get the current budget into surplus and national debt falling as soon as possible in the next Parliament. All my Shadow Cabinet colleagues know that the settlements we will need to make following the general election will be the toughest faced by an incoming Labour government for a generation.

“Labour’s Policy Review process will culminate at our National Policy Forum in July. Ed Balls, Jon Cruddas and I have been clear that our conclusions and agenda will be radical but suited to our times. So it will not be about spending commitments, but solutions that are funded, achievable and which can be delivered in office.”

Leslie will also reiterate that Labour can’t overturn every coalition cut, a position that is likely to leave him unpopular with some in the party. He’s anticipating it though, as he’ll outline tomorrow. Likeable Leslie the Cutsfinder General is preparing himself for unpopularity – but if the policy review still develops significant plans to improve the lives of the British people, that needn’t be the case…