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Labour's mismanagement of big state projects has cost £22bn

Working with Taxpayers' Alliance research this morning's Independent on Sunday has published the extent to which the Labour government has mismanaged public spending projects. The costs total £22bn or £330 for every person in Britain.

Listed below are five of the worst examples of Labour wastefulness:

Project: NHS national IT programme
  • Budget £2.3bn
  • Current cost £12.6bn
  • Percentage overspent 450%
  • Established in October 2002, under Alan Milburn, scheme to link 30,000 GPs in England to nearly 300 hospitals has been derided for huge costs and technical problems.
Project: 2012 Olympics
  • Budget £2.4bn
  • Current cost £9.3bn
  • Percentage overspent 289%
  • The euphoria that greeted the decision to award London the 2012 Games has largely given way to concerns over spiralling costs.
Project: Astute Class submarine
  • Budget £2.5bn
  • Current cost £3.8bn
  • Percentage overspent 48%
  • The order for three of next-generation nuclear fleet submarines for the Royal Navy was announced in 1997 and subsequently increased to four. Only one has yet arrived.
Project: Pensions Transformation programme for DWP
  • Budget £429m
  • Current cost £598m
  • Percentage overspent 39%
  • An NAO report subsequently criticised the delays and overspend.
Project: A46 Improvement
  • Budget £157m
  • Current cost £220m
  • Percentage overspent 40.1%

More examples and commentary in the Independent on Sunday.

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