Lib Dems ask teachers, nurses and street cleaners in Chelmsford: 'where is the waste?'

1.02.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Sun 30th Aug 2009

Chelmsford's army of hard-working teachers, care assistants, librarians, social workers and other public servants is being asked to say where they think taxpayers' money can be saved. The Liberal Democrats have launched a website where people who work with taxpayers' money can submit suggestions on how to cut waste in the public sector. Chelmsford Lib Dem Stephen Robinson has asked local people to get in touch.

Stephen said: "We all know public servants whose hard work and dedication is an inspiration. They know what works and what doesn't in their chosen field - not bureaucrats at the centre. I trust them to say where savings can be made safely without putting lives in danger.

"Public finances are in a mess and we need to fix these in a responsible way. So we are asking the experts - where is the waste? Thousands of pounds of our tax could be saved.

"The Conservatives just want to take an axe to public sector jobs and Labour seem more concerned about bailing out bankers."

Lib Dem Leader Nick Clegg MP pledged to 'Ask the People in the Know', with a new website: www.nickclegg.com/intheknow. He said:

"Hard-working nurses and teachers tell me how frustrated they are by the money which is being wasted on needless paperwork, administration and computer systems that don't work.

"David Cameron and Gordon Brown are having a sterile debate about the size of the total Whitehall budget. But they're asking the wrong question: we first need to find out if money is being spent on the right things.

"It can't be right that billions of pounds are being spent on NHS computer systems which don't work, yet basic help for people with serious mental health conditions is still lacking because of a shortage of money.