Treasury orders DEFRA to find ‘radical options’ for slashing budget

According to a letter signed by prime minister Boris Johnson and the chancellor, obtained by Sky News and the Sun, cabinet ministers have been told to find “radical options" to meet the savings and identify at least 10 projects in each department that could be scrapped.

The letter, published yesterday, states: “We have been elected with a clear fiscal mandate to keep control of day-to-day spending. This means there will need to be savings made across government to free up money to invest in our priorities.”