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Newspaper asks readers: ‘What would you cut?’

A regional daily newspaper is asking its readers which items of wasteful public spending they would cut as the Chancellor prepares to reveal where the government’s axe will fall.

The Belfast Telegraph is calling on its readers to help it expose where taxpayers’ money is not being well spent.

It launched its ‘War on Waste’ campaign ahead of the government’s spending review, which is due to be unveiled by Chancellor George Osborne in a Commons statement today.

The paper has started the campaign to ensure public organisations spend every pound of taxpayers’ money well and will report on examples of waste highlighted by readers.

Editor Mike Gilson said: “The cutbacks are highly likely to affect everybody in some way. We need to keep pushing the case for adequate funding for Northern Ireland, while at the same time making sure that savings are made in the right places.

“That is why we have launched War on Waste. We all know of anecdotal evidence of wasteful and inefficient practices.

“We are not interested in lambasting public bodies. It is very much in the interests of employees themselves to stamp out waste.”

The Telegraph is inviting public sector employees, as well as those in the private sector, to blow the whistle on wasteful practices with an online form, which can be anonymous.

Chancellor George Osborne is due to announce later today where the government will make major public sector cuts to tackle the deficit under the Comprehensive Spending Review.

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  • October 20, 2010 at 10:37 am
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    How about cutting down on subs and making them work in central hubs, or making reporters sub their own work? That seems to be the answer to everything in the newspaper industry these days.

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  • October 20, 2010 at 12:28 pm
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    How about cutting the big fat salaries of newspaper group executives?

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  • October 20, 2010 at 4:28 pm
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    Mr Gilson would be doing his readers a much bigger favour if he highlighted the £120 billion in unpaid taxes & how that money could be used to raise personal allowances to £12,500 each and give everyone German pensions

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