David Cameron urges spending transparency
David Cameron has called on councils to publish complete details of their expenditure to herald a new era of transparency.
In his Local Government Association conference address, the Conservative leader endorsed the decision of Windsor & Maidenhead RBC to keep an online record of all expenditure in excess of £500.
He suggested councils would be expected to reveal more details of their expenditure than national government.
Mr Cameron said: “Publishing information about spending, including down to items of just £25,000 as we propose to do nationally, will be painful. Locally, I would like us to go further.”
He said Windsor & Maidenhead’s system will “lead to lots of tough questions”, adding: “It will give information to oppositions, not just administrations”.
The Tory leader said that greater transparency was vital to ensure councils “got more for less” in light of public spending cuts. He insisted transparency would not prove expensive.
“I believe we’re just beginning to tap the potential of the post-bureaucratic age. Along with you I want to bring in a new era of Google government.
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