Maude put squeeze on suppliers, says Watmore

Cabinet office minister Francis Maude put pressure on suppliers who resisted initial efficiency negotiations, according to a senior civil servant. Ian Watmore, the chief operating officer of the Cabinet Office's Efficiency and Reform Group (ERG), addressed the House of Commons Public Administration Committee on the issue on 28 …

[Anonymous Coward]

What hypocrites

Is this the same type of squeeze that they objected to Serco putting on its suppliers?

As for the "we're joined up" nonesense. I'll believe that when the Govt contracts for Outsourcing services with a single supplier for the whole of Govt. Lets at least be honest here, Govt is not a single customer but lots and they all want their own "special" set of services and requirements hence the reason why things are priced differently be customer, much like the real world when you think about it.

I reckon Francis Maude threatened to not give the suppliers any more work like they did to Andersons after the DeLorean fiasco.

[Anonymous Coward]

Inconsistencies?

The trouble is: inconsistencies.

These are usually indicative of some naive aspiration cloudy reality.

For instance:

we will set the budget

local decisions will be made by local people

Then - pause for a moment - a press release or some feedback arrives saying "Ooo by 'eck Minister. Local choices makes for local pricing just lookee eer!"

Ah: Centralised purchasing!

So a tactic tends to outdo a strategy when conceived by clouded minds?