Spirit of Sir Humphrey stalks Whitehall

A wonderful 1980 episode of Yes Minister (brilliantly updated at the Gielgud Theatre) has Jim Hacker demanding an economy drive.

He proposes a time and motion study - only for Sir Humphrey to inform him that one was tried and identified a need for an extra 500 staff.

He ends up slimming his own Bureaucratic Watchdog, which allows members of the public to call in with ideas for cuts (just like George Osborne's waste hotline).

Hacker even tries giving up his official car, just like David Cameron has instructed today's ministers. Either Cameron and Osborne have been watching Yes, Minister DVDs for ideas, or Sir Humphrey is alive and well.

For months we have been told to expect a Bonfire of the Quangos, savings millions for the taxpayer and resulting in massive job losses.

The fact that 192 out of 901 are actually going means real savings and is no laughing matter for the tens of thousands of officials whose jobs are on the line.

But there are no figures being given for savings or job losses. Where quangos go, their functions are mostly being transferred to a Whitehall department, meaning some jobs will simply move to a different taxpayer-funded payroll. Most quangos are to be reformed rather than scrapped, details to follow. Not so much a bonfire as a roman candle.

David Cameron, funnily enough, even cited the Yes, Minister episode in a speech in 2008. "The government 'efficiency drive' is one of the oldest tricks in the book," he said. "Ministers are summoned, officials instructed, the media prepared for sweeping savings in the running costs of government. And then, a few months down the line, the sheepish-looking ministers and officials come back and say 'well actually, it wasn't quite as straightforward as we'd hoped, Prime Minister.'"

To that, one can only reply... Yes, Prime Minister.