Boris Johnson refused to rule out a sale to the Passport Office after threatening to “privatize the ass” of the organization, as he focused on huge delays, putting the holidays at risk.
The prime minister also briefed other quangos to improve their performance at a cabinet meeting to discuss the cost of living crisis – at which ministers were told there would be no additional costs.
Mr Johnson is said to be “horrified” that the Passport Office has repeatedly violated a new 10-week application processing target called “absolute chaos” by lawmakers.
And in an interview with TalkTV, he flatly refused to rule out privatization, saying he wanted any system to provide a “cheaper, faster” service.
“I don’t care if an institution is in the private or public sector,” he said. “I just want to provide value and good service.
“And I think that all of us as civil servants – I as the leader of the whole public service in this country – have to admit that we have gone through a very difficult period, we have supported the business with huge amounts of taxpayers’ money, but now we face more difficult economic times.
“I will not rule anything out. It’s about providing value for money and reducing costs. If you go on vacation with your family, getting new passports can cost hundreds of pounds. You deserve to have a cheaper and faster service.
There has been an unprecedented jump in demand since the removal of Covid’s restrictions, as 5 million people delayed the renewal of their passports during the pandemic.
Brexit is also a factor, as Britons now have at least three months left in their passports to travel to the EU, which puts more strain on the system.
A senior government official said Mr Johnson had used the phrase “privatize the ass” at a cabinet meeting as a threat if the backlog could not be cleared.
Thousands of holidaymakers have no choice but to pay £ 150 to expedite their passport applications in time for summer vacation.
It is believed that this makes it a problem with the cost of living, the prime minister said, as people have to spend money on first-class service to get their passports on time.
The Drivers’ and Licensing Authority (DVLA) also faces a huge backlog of application delays, potentially preventing professional drivers from returning to work.
The prime minister also promised to tighten control over what he called “post-Covid mañana culture” in some public bodies.
The comment is close to calling some government officials lazy. The phrase is defined as meaning “anytime between tomorrow and never”.
This comes after Jacob Rees-Mogg was sharply criticized for leaving “nasty” notes on white offices in Whitehall in an apparent attack on government officials working from home.
In an interview with TalkTV, Mr Johnson confirmed that he had used the phrase.
And he said: “I think we have a common problem in our approach to public services, and perhaps more broadly, that we’re all used to working from home – calling Zoom, thinking we can do business this way. And I think it’s great for a lot of people … especially for women with kids, parents who have kids. “But I have to ask myself, when I’m the keeper of the public wallet and I look at how much we take and how much we spend, I have to ask myself if it’s actually as productive as all this.
“When I see institutions that don’t deliver things like passports or driver’s licenses in a fast way – and those things are quite expensive, £ 150 to get a new passport – we want action.
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