Revealed : Starmer’s cuts and our pensioners’ plight, versus the ballooning size of the public sector

Brexit Britain’s bloated public sector breaks records, as pensioners poised to suffer Labour’s cuts

Montage © Facts4EU.Org 2024

Public sector headcount rises by ½ million in 6 years – where’s the improvement in public services?

In today’s report the Facts4EU.Org think-tank analyses and summarises the continued rise in the numbers of those being paid from the public purse. The latest data from the Office of National Statistics was released on Tuesday (10 Sept 2024) and came out on the same day as mostly Labour MPs voted for Starmer’s decision to withdraw the winter fuel allowance from c. 10 million pensioners.

Our report highlights the disturbing increases in the numbers being employed by the State: in central government, in the NHS, and in the Civil Service. The increase in public sector headcount totals 545,000 in the 6 years from just before the COVID crisis.

With almost six million people (5,940,000) now being employed in the public sector as a whole, and this number burgeoning by more than 100,000 each year, we provide a breakdown. And with 10 million pensioners about to lose their winter fuel allowance due to Starmer’s cuts, we ask questions on behalf of the British public.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary

The Public Sector : 2019 – 2024

Increase in net headcount

June 2019 : 5,395,000 June 2024 : 5,940,000 Increase : 545,000 (+10.1%)

[Source : Office for National Statistics, 10 Sept 2024.]

Unfortunate timing for Sir Keir Starmer

On the same day (mostly Labour) MPs voted to cut winter fuel payments from around 10 million pensioners, the Office for National Statistics released its latest data for the size of the public sector. This shows that the headcount for those paid out of the public purse rose yet again in the last 12 months by 116,000.

This brings the total increase over the past five years to 545,000 extra people (+10.1%) being employed in the public sector. The overall headcount is now just shy of six million.

In the next section we break down these huge numbers and show how many people work for the various parts of the public sector in the UK.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary

The public sector by activity – how many are working where?

1. Increase in headcount by sector : Jun 2019 – Jun 2024

[Source : Office for National Statistics, 10 Sept 2024.]

2. Sectors with highest percentage change in headcount

[Source : Office for National Statistics, 10 Sept 2024.]

Western Europe’s largest employer – the NHS - just keeps getting larger

For years the NHS has been Western Europe’s largest employer. The latest data shows this dominance is set to continue, as 1/3 million more staff have been added to the NHS headcount over the last six years.

The NHS has had by far the largest percentage increase in headcount (19.6%) out of all public sector employees apart from the Civil Service, about which we will provide details in a separate report.

If times are tough and “tough decisions have to be made”, why are more and more people being employed in the public sector?

Sir Keir Starmer talks about the economic situation his government inherited, and his Chancellor talks about a “£22bn black hole” in the national accounts, (as if she hadn’t been receiving HM Treasury’s figures for years), but the cut to millions of elderly people’s winter fuel allowances was not something these pensioners expected.

Pensioners tend to do one thing which most younger people never do. They keep a household budget. The reason is simple. They know their income is not likely to increase in any significant way. They can’t hope for a promotion and a higher salary; they must live within their means. This makes any new and unexpected cut to their income very serious.

Observations

In 1989 during Margaret Thatcher’s third term of office, she introduced the Community Charge which rapidly became known as ‘the Poll Tax’. As many readers will recall this made her very unpopular and partially led to her fall from power in 1990.

Rather earlier in his tenure of No.10 Downing Street, is Sir Keir Starmer suffering his ‘Poll Tax moment’ from which he may never fully recover?

Facts4EU.Org is non-partisan when it comes to matters not related to the UK’s sovereignty, independence, democracy and freedoms, and its relations with the EU and the rest of the world, so we will simply reflect that it is surprising the new Labour Prime Minister would choose to appear to attack the elderly over a matter which represents such a small fraction of the Government’s total annual expenditure.

Facts4EU.Org is currently working with GB News on certain topics and yesterday our Chairman was interviewed live on the channel. This story seems set to run for some time to come and we will be providing further information, as well as looking at comparisons with the EU.

NOTICE : Facts4EU has now scaled back to publishing 5 days-a-week

For over eight years we have worked seven days-a-week. As far as we are aware we are the only organisation of our type to have done this. We are grateful to those of our readers who have made donations but sadly the level of our funding is now such that we must make it stretch for as long as we can. This means team members taking other paid work and reducing our output to five days-a-week.

Please, please help us to carry on our vital work in defence of independence, sovereignty, democracy and freedom by donating today. Thank you.

[ Sources: Office for National Statistics ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org, Fri 13 Sept 2024

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Reader Comments 12

1. terence patrick hewett , Friday, September 13, 2024, 08:56:

Better services is not the object. The objects are, increasing the client base of the Labour Party and increasing the power of the public sector unions. Let the taxpayer pick up the tab.

2. Northern Muppet , Friday, September 13, 2024, 10:05:

The shocking part of this is that this increase occurred under the fake tories.
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The party that always claimed to be a champion of the 'small state' tried to steal liebour's clothes and failed just as miserably.
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To be fair, there will be work that needs to be done that USED to be done by a bureaucrat in Brussells, but the fact remains that the government (ANY government) is utterly useless at actually doing ANYTHING! They need to butt out and let people live their own lives.
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I predict that liebour will make the headcount even more grossly bloated

3. Have You wondered. , Friday, September 13, 2024, 10:17:

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Do you really think the successive Govt's. really care about the electorate?
Look back in time:
.
MRSA
Grenfall
Cannot look after our forces who come back scarred and injured
Hilsborough
Waspies
Maternity failures
NHS failure
Multiple Met Police issues
Nuclear tests on forces personnel
Thalidomide
Post Office
Hemophiliacs
Groom ing gangs
Covid
Windrush
Bathing in sewerage
.
Add your own to the list.
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And all the time obfuscation, delays, hidden or destroyed documents.
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And the Govt. want surveillance on the electorate !
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Do you really think the successive Govt's. really care about the electorate?
.

4. Have You Wondered. , Friday, September 13, 2024, 10:23:

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How many of you wrote to your MP re: the WFA? All talk and no do?
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My letter to my MP ( a newbie)
Well - I can only imagine that the Govt. whips must have been hard at work to convince you, with an obvious sympathetic nature evidenced by your travels to underprivileged nations, to vote with the motion.
Which supports my assertion that 'whips' are probably the largest threat to democracy.
As I corresponded recently, this decision is in distinct contrast to the £850billion hidden in UK offshore accounts and possibly illegal and un-taxed, a subject that has received no viable attention.
Yet this Labour government has chosen to pick off the low hanging fruit who have no say in the matter - beholden to a govt. acting outside of its manifesto?
Is this a prelude to means testing the state pension?
.

5. Have You Wondered. , Friday, September 13, 2024, 10:34:

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Here is my impact assessment that Starmer could not be bothered with.
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Starmer crucifying the most productive in society!
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The fact that more will be using their pension 'working time' as carers to others, each other and childminding for their offspring so that they can both work to keep their heads above water.
In effect - it's taking 3 people to earn one living wage and in some cases still eligible for UB!
Pensioners and carers are probably the most cost productive in the nation!!
Hats off to all pensioners and carers.
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There is an estimated 26 million basic rate taxpayers and about 4.8 million in the upper brackets
The govt. expect this measure to save £2billion therefor the govt. are crucifying 26 million pensioners for the sake of £96 million.
Is this a sample test - the thin end of the wedge - expect worse to come.
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£460 (if you're on the top rate!) less the £300 WFA which is already being taken = £160, and as I, like many others, also have a small private pension, this £160 will be taxed. So 20% will be taken leaving £128, or £2.46/week! Hardly keeping up with increasing energy prices or inflation
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Interesting to note that an immigrant who wishes to come to the UK has to have a minimum circa £26,200 income on which to live, about double the state pension rate of £11,1492 - if you are on top rate or 3 times if you're on the lower level of pension
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One might also argue that if when reaching retirement you realise that you cannot exist on the state pension and decide to sell your house to move to a less costly area to realise the equity – you are driving up house prices in the less affluent area you move to?
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It's more cost effective to pay a low pension to all and top up to subsistence level rather than pay a higher pension to all including those who had the good fortune to take a private pension as well. Therefor, overall the private pensions in effect subsidises the state pension. How do you feel about that?
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6. LuxuryBalloon , Friday, September 13, 2024, 12:02:

I am surprised the pensioner in the UK is entitled to quite some state benefits (state pension, winter fuel allowance, council tax reduction, TV licence concessions, public transport concessions) and I am surprised that several of these state benefits are not means tested. Some pensioners seem to advocate a ‘small government’ … except when it comes to pensioners.

7. Gazzablack , Friday, September 13, 2024, 14:05:

6, LB
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Of course you're surprised, I would expect nothing less of you.

8. KB , Friday, September 13, 2024, 16:00:

LB (5): TV licence is means tested as is council tax reduction.
The public transport entitlement is a postcode lottery, ranging from people getting free access to the very considerable transport in London at age 60, to getting an off-peak bus pass at state retirement age to get the only bus every second Tuesday.

9. Gazzablack , Friday, September 13, 2024, 16:46:

On dear, sparkless will be apoplectic.
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His favourite gutter press rag is reporting that the UK is a better steward of it's marine protected areas, than the EU ever was.
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They report that more than 80% of EU marine protected areas are innefective, a study shows

10. NH , Friday, September 13, 2024, 17:25:

6. LB, "several of these state benefits"
You seem to be confused about what's a benefit and what's a cost !
The people receiving full state pension have had to contribute 35 years of full National Insurance contributions. This is automatically means tested because if they receive additional income their pension will be taxed. A situation made worse by the Government freezing tax bands at a time of high inflation. Council tax is a payment for local services not a benefit. People receiving the 50% "reduction" are actually paying 50% more than the average person. The only people receiving winter fuel allowances are the people who have never contributed anything, these are obviously the people that are treasured in Starmer's Britain.
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If you believe the OBR they have stated today that the UK is heading for economic collapse unless it cuts public spending, introduces a broader tax base, reforms welfare spending and ends low income immigration. They have stated each low income immigrant will have cost the UK £500,000 each by the time they are 80. Obviously the ones that don't work at all will cost substantially more.

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