Classic cuts

Tonight’s edition of Panorama will be examining the way in which government spending might be cut after the next election. In anticipation of that, the BBC have made a three-minute extract from the programme in 1968 which looked at spending cuts in that year, reporting on prospects for abolishing prescription charges and the 20% increase in the cost of the Civil Service between 1964 and 1967 with the average civil servant costing £1537. It makes an interesting period piece, and I think that the episode to be shown at 8.30 tonight will make an interesting discussion around options for fiscal policy over the next few years.