In order to free up billions for tax cuts, UK's Prime Minister Boris Johnson has ordered ministers to slash one-fifth of civil service jobs as per a report published in the Daily Mail.

Asking his top team to redouble their efforts to ease the financial pressure on struggling families, Johnson said "cost of living" is currently too high.

The British newspaper quoted Johnson as saying "Every pound the Government pre-empts from the taxpayer is money they can spend on their own priorities, on their own lives."

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-uk-local-elections-conservatives-stare-at-defeat-476427/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

It explained that Johnson gave his ministers a period of 30 days to cut 91,000 jobs and save 3.5 billion pounds ($4.27 billion) a year.

Highlighting the need for more officials to get back into the workplace, Johnson told the newspaper that "We need to get back into the habit of getting into the office, getting into the workplace."

"There will be lots of people who disagree with me, but I believe people are more productive, more energetic, more full of ideas, when they are surrounded by other people."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/boris-johnson-6-steps-the-west-must-take-to-help-ukraine-right-now-459725">Also read |&nbsp;Boris Johnson: 6 steps the West must take to help Ukraine right now</a>

After the Daily Mail published the report, the Scottish leader of the FDA trade union, Dave Penman tweeted "Unless they’ve got a serious plan, it's either another headline-grabbing stunt or a reckless slash-and-burn to public services without a thought or care about the consequences."

The order comes as Johnson's Conservative Party suffered heavy losses in the local election in which it lost over 50 seats.

Labour Party's leader Keir Starmer had accused Johnson's government of a cover up after it refused to release security advice issued about the controversial 2020 appointment of a Russian-born newspaper baron to parliament.

However, Johnson defended his decision of granting a peerage to Evgeny Lebedev and cited "the need to protect national security" for withholding the advice it received.&nbsp;

The embattled leader has been facing mounting pressure to resign from the opposition party after it was revealed that Johnson held booze parties during a tier III lockdown in London.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

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In order to free up billions for tax cuts, UK's Prime Minister Boris Johnson has ordered ministers to slash one-fifth of civil service jobs as per a report published in the Daily Mail.

In order to free up billions for tax cuts, UK's Prime Minister Boris Johnson has ordered ministers to slash one-fifth of civil service jobs as per a report published in the Daily Mail. Asking his top team to redouble their efforts to ease the financial pressure on struggling families, Johnson said "cost of living" is currently too high. The British newspaper quoted Johnson as saying "Every pound the Government pre-empts from the taxpayer is money they can spend on their own priorities, on their own lives." It explained that Johnson gave his ministers a period of 30 days to cut 91,000 jobs and save 3.5 billion pounds ($4.27 billion) a year. Highlighting the need for more officials to get back into the workplace, Johnson told the newspaper that "We need to get back into the habit of getting into the office, getting into the workplace." "There will be lots of people who disagree with me, but I believe people are more productive, more energetic, more full of ideas, when they are surrounded by other people." Also read | Boris Johnson: 6 steps the West must take to help Ukraine right now After the Daily Mail published the report, the Scottish leader of the FDA trade union, Dave Penman tweeted "Unless they’ve got a serious plan, it's either another headline-grabbing stunt or a reckless slash-and-burn to public services without a thought or care about the consequences." The order comes as Johnson's Conservative Party suffered heavy losses in the local election in which it lost over 50 seats. Labour Party's leader Keir Starmer had accused Johnson's government of a cover up after it refused to release security advice issued about the controversial 2020 appointment of a Russian-born newspaper baron to parliament. However, Johnson defended his decision of granting a peerage to Evgeny Lebedev and cited "the need to protect national security" for withholding the advice it received. The embattled leader has been facing mounting pressure to resign from the opposition party after it was revealed that Johnson held booze parties during a tier III lockdown in London. (With inputs from agencies) Watch WION's live TV here:

Free up billions for tax cuts: Johnson orders to slash one-fifth of civil service jobs

Prime Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/consumers-up-borrowing-at-slowest-rates-in-uk-bank-of-england-271888">Boris Johnson's</a> chief adviser is calling for "weirdos and misfits" to apply for jobs in Downing Street, as part of a shake-up of how Britain's government does business.

Dominic Cummings outlined what he said was the need to diversify the skills and backgrounds of policymakers and advisers, in a nearly 3,000-word post on his blog on Thursday.

The special adviser, who headed the referendum campaign for Britain to leave the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/syria-regime-must-halt-escalation-of-violence-european-union-270860">European Union</a>, said the government wanted to hire "an unusual set of people with different skills and backgrounds".

They included data scientists, software developers, economists, policy experts, project managers, communications experts, as well as "weirdos and misfits with odd skills".

He said the need to change was because of "profound problems at the core of how the British state makes decisions", such as not having civil servants with dedicated, long-term expertise.

It was also because Brexit required large policy and decision-making structure changes, he added.

Johnson, who won a comfortable majority in a general election last month, has reportedly promised "seismic changes" to the civil service.

Cummings believes it needs to have fewer arts graduates educated, like him, at private schools and "Oxbridge" &nbsp;the leading universities of Oxford and Cambridge.

Instead, he wants "super-talented weirdos" and "some true wild cards, artists, people who never went to university and fought their way out of an appalling hell hole".

"If you want to figure out what characters around Putin might do, or how international criminal gangs might exploit holes in our border security, you don't want more Oxbridge English graduates who chat about Lacan at dinner parties with TV producers and spread fake news about fake news," he wrote.

One of the new recruits encouraged to apply would become his assistant, said Cummings.

The head of the FDA civil service union, Dave Penman, told BBC radio that "merit, not patronage" was key to recruitment and was essential in order for ministers to receive impartial advice.

"It would be ironic if, in an attempt to bring in radical new thinking, Cummings was to surround himself with like-minded individuals -- recruited for what they believe, not what they can do -- and less able to provide the robust advice a minister may need, rather than simply the advice they want."

He also said current government pay rates could put off world-class experts from joining.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson's chief adviser is calling for "weirdos and misfits" to apply for jobs in Downing Street, as part of a shake-up of how Britain's government does business.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson's chief adviser is calling for "weirdos and misfits" to apply for jobs in Downing Street, as part of a shake-up of how Britain's government does business. Dominic Cummings outlined what he said was the need to diversify the skills and backgrounds of policymakers and advisers, in a nearly 3,000-word post on his blog on Thursday. The special adviser, who headed the referendum campaign for Britain to leave the European Union, said the government wanted to hire "an unusual set of people with different skills and backgrounds". They included data scientists, software developers, economists, policy experts, project managers, communications experts, as well as "weirdos and misfits with odd skills". He said the need to change was because of "profound problems at the core of how the British state makes decisions", such as not having civil servants with dedicated, long-term expertise. It was also because Brexit required large policy and decision-making structure changes, he added. Johnson, who won a comfortable majority in a general election last month, has reportedly promised "seismic changes" to the civil service. Cummings believes it needs to have fewer arts graduates educated, like him, at private schools and "Oxbridge" the leading universities of Oxford and Cambridge. Instead, he wants "super-talented weirdos" and "some true wild cards, artists, people who never went to university and fought their way out of an appalling hell hole". "If you want to figure out what characters around Putin might do, or how international criminal gangs might exploit holes in our border security, you don't want more Oxbridge English graduates who chat about Lacan at dinner parties with TV producers and spread fake news about fake news," he wrote. One of the new recruits encouraged to apply would become his assistant, said Cummings. The head of the FDA civil service union, Dave Penman, told BBC radio that "merit, not patronage" was key to recruitment and was essential in order for ministers to receive impartial advice. "It would be ironic if, in an attempt to bring in radical new thinking, Cummings was to surround himself with like-minded individuals -- recruited for what they believe, not what they can do -- and less able to provide the robust advice a minister may need, rather than simply the advice they want." He also said current government pay rates could put off world-class experts from joining.

From economists to experts to 'weirdos and misfits': Britain wants you!

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Free up billions for tax cuts: Johnson orders to slash one-fifth of civil service jobs

From economists to experts to 'weirdos and misfits': Britain wants you!