Latest news with #bureaucracy
Daily Mail
21 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Quangos tasked with deciding farmers' futures allowing staff to work from other side of the world
They are the bureaucrats charged with protecting Britain's natural environment and those who toil away on it. Yet while hard-pressed farmers face an uncertain time thanks to Labour's inheritance tax plans, staff at three rural-focused quangos have been logging in to work from the other side of the world. An investigation by the Daily Mail has discovered taxpayer-funded staff at Natural England, NatureScot and the Rural Payments Agency have worked from Asia, North America and even Australia. Bosses at the three bodies – which employ about 6,000 staff and receive hundreds of millions of pounds of Government cash a year – have allowed employees to work abroad more than 300 times in the last three years, according to figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. Staff were allowed to spend at least 1,174 days working abroad, although the total figure is expected to be much higher given NatureScot refused to provide the full information. Natural England, which added £100million to the bill for HS2, building a bat tunnel because the creatures are protected, was involved in 150 approvals, totalling nearly 1,000 days. This included 20 separate foreign stints each lasting at least ten days – the equivalent to two working weeks – with one staff member logging in for 15 days from Egypt. One employee at the York-based organisation was allowed to work from Australia for seven days, while Natural England also allowed eight staff to spend at least ten days working from Slovenia. Another was permitted to spend ten days in France, Belgium and Germany and someone spent nine days in Japan. The largest period of working away for a member of Natural England staff was a 28-day stint in Ireland. That was a drop in the ocean compared with the time a member of staff with the Rural Payments Agency, the body repeatedly castigated for the failure to pay farmers the subsidies they were owed on time. The body has a number of UK regional offices. Its data showed a geospatial services team member, who is listed as a senior executive officer, spent from August 5 last year to January 3 this year in Germany, accounting for 66 working days. Another spent 14 days in Sweden. NatureScot, based in Inverness, would only reveal there were 137 approvals granted in the last three years. This included nine trips to the US, two to Canada and India, and a stint in Chile. Alex Burghart, shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said: 'One wonders how much work will get done on the beach.' A Tory spokesman said: 'Those making peoples' lives a misery should at least live with the consequences rather than swan off to far-flung corners of the globe.' A Natural England spokesman said: 'As the Government's adviser on the natural environment, we provide practical advice, grounded in science, on how best to protect and restore our natural world. 'On occasion, staff are required to work abroad for business reasons, including attending international conferences such as COP16.' An RPA spokesman said: 'Staff are required to travel overseas for official government business – helping the RPA in its role to deliver a range of services to farming and rural businesses.' This year, the Mail revealed a senior executive at crisis-hit Windsor council was working from Kyrgyzstan.
Al Jazeera
a day ago
- Business
- Al Jazeera
‘Not really leaving': Trump bids goodbye to Elon Musk at White House event
United States President Donald Trump has bid goodbye to Elon Musk at a White House event marking the billionaire's departure from his role in government. Speaking from the Oval Office on Friday, Trump showered Musk with praise for his work as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an initiative to reduce federal bureaucracy and spending. ' I just want to say that Elon has worked tirelessly helping lead the most sweeping and consequential government reform programme in generations,' Trump said. He credited Musk with delivering 'a colossal change in the old ways of doing business in Washington' and called Musk's service 'without comparison in modern history'. Still, the president also assured reporters that DOGE would continue its work even after Musk is gone. 'With Elon's guidance, [DOGE is] helping to detect fraud, slash waste and modernise broken and outdated systems,' Trump said. The joint appearance comes as the two men seek to downplay reports of a growing rift, particularly after Musk criticised Trump's signature budget bill on CBS News. It also coincides with the publication of a New York Times report alleging that Musk has struggled with increasing drug use and personal turmoil behind the scenes. Musk declined to comment on the Times report during his Oval Office appearance. He also avoided remarking on speculation that his departure was connected to tumbling sales at his car company, Tesla. Instead, he pointed out that, as a special government employee, he cannot work in the Trump administration for a period exceeding 130 days without facing stricter disclosure and ethics requirements. He also focused on promoting his work with DOGE and criticising those on the political left who would impede Trump's agenda. 'This is not the end of DOGE, but really at the beginning,' Musk said, clad in a black T-shirt emblazoned with the phrase 'The Dogefather', written in the style of the gangster film The Godfather. 'The DOGE team will only grow stronger over time.' Trump, meanwhile, emphasised that his relationship with the billionaire – a prominent backer of his 2024 re-election campaign – would continue. 'Elon's really not leaving. He's going to be back and forth, I think,' Trump said. Despite White House claims about its efficacy, the extent of DOGE's cost-savings has remained foggy. As of Friday, the panel claimed it had achieved an estimated $175bn in savings, made up of 'asset sales, contract/lease cancellations and renegotiations, fraud and improper payment deletion, grant cancellations, interest savings, programmatic changes, regulatory savings, and workforce reductions'. But DOGE's transparency and methodology have been repeatedly questioned. The only accounting made available to the public adds up to less than half of the claimed figure. An analysis published on Friday by the news agency Reuters also suggests the actual sum is much lower. Using US Treasury summaries, Reuters found that only $19bn in federal spending had been cut, though it noted that some savings may require more time to be reflected in the Treasury Department's data. Regardless, all of those figures fall far short of the goal of $2 trillion saved that Musk initially set out to achieve. When asked about the discrepancy on Friday, Musk maintained that $1 trillion in savings remained a long-term goal. 'I'm confident that over time, we'll see a trillion dollars of savings, a reduction – a trillion dollars of waste and fraud reduction,' he said. But critics have questioned if DOGE will continue with the same verve following Musk's departure. Musk and DOGE have long been lightning rods for public criticism, as they implemented sweeping changes to the federal government. Since Trump started his second term as president in January, organisations like the US Agency for International Development (USAID) have seen their funding cut and their staffing slashed. As a result, employees, contractors, labour groups and state officials have sued to block DOGE's efforts, with varying levels of success. Behind the scenes, there have also been reports that Musk clashed with members of Trump's cabinet, who may seek relief from cuts to their departments after Musk's exit. Musk's foray into government has caused blowback for his companies as well, with protests at Tesla dealerships spreading across the country. Profits plunged 71 percent at Tesla in the first three months of the year, with shareholders calling for Musk to return to work. When asked by a reporter if Musk's time in government was 'worth it', he was circumspect. He explained that he felt DOGE had become seen as a 'boogeyman', blamed for any effort to overhaul the federal government. But he reaffirmed his commitment to being a 'friend and adviser to the president' and said the experience was worthwhile. 'I think it was. I think [it] was an important thing,' he added. 'I think it was a necessary thing, and I think it will have a good effect in the future.'
BBC News
a day ago
- Business
- BBC News
Trump and Musk to speak from Oval Office as tech giant ends time at White House
Update: Date: 18:40 BST Title: What is the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge)? Content: Despite its full name, Doge is not an official government department, which can only be established by an act of Congress. Instead, it's an advisory body which was created by an executive order signed by US President Donald Trump. Part of Doge's mission, according to the order, relates to IT upgrades aimed at boosting efficiency. It must finish its work by July 2026. Many Doge staff appear to be young people with tech backgrounds and limited or no government experience. Musk said Doge's mission was to end the "tyranny of the bureaucracy", save taxpayers' money and reduce US national debt, which stands at $36tn (£28.9tn). The organisation's activities have included shuttering government agencies, defunding programmes and mass layoffs. Update: Date: 18:32 BST Title: Musk is 'terrific', Trump says Content: Reacting to Elon Musk's departure, US President Donald Trump called the billionaire "terrific" in a social media post on Thursday. This will be his last day, but not really, because he will, always, be with us, helping all the way. Elon is terrific! See you tomorrow at the White House." President Donald Trump Update: Date: 18:24 BST Title: It's Musk's last day - what has he achieved at the White House? Content: Bernd Debusmann JrReporting from the White House Elon Musk's time in the Trump administration is coming to an end after a tempestuous 129 days in which the world's richest person took an axe to government spending - stirring ample controversy along the way. While Musk's time in government lasted little more than four months, his work with Doge upended the federal government and had an impact not just in the halls of power in Washington - but around the world. In addition to taking a chainsaw to federal spending - and cutting some 260,000 jobs from the federal workforce - some observers have credited Musk with helping nudge the White House even further towards an "America First" world view and bringing misinformation into the Oval Office. His presence at the White House also revealed deep fissures in Trump's cabinet, and blurred the already complicated line between politics and business in the "Trump 2.0" administration. Update: Date: 18:12 BST Title: Remember, Doge savings stand at less than a tenth of the original goal Content: Gary O'DonoghueChief North America correspondent It looked as though Elon Musk's departure from government would be with more of a whimper than a bang. But the insertion late last night of this valedictory news conference looks like a testament to some residual presidential affection. Key will be the figures that will no doubt get bandied around by Musk and Trump about how much money exactly has been saved. Remember the initial goal during the campaign was two trillion dollars - almost a third of discretional federal spending. That soon became one trillion at the start of the administration - and according to Doge itself, the actual current savings stand at $175bn - less than a tenth of the original goal. Musk may also face some uncomfortable questions about his personal life and his use of prescription drugs such as Ketamine. And how will both men handle their clear disagreements over the "big, beautiful" bill - which the president vaunts and which Musk believes will add trillions to spending. Update: Date: 18:03 BST Title: White House waits for Musk's farewell Content: Bernd Debusmann JrReporting from the White House Good afternoon from the sunny White House - which has become a hub of activity ahead of Elon Musk's meeting with Donald Trump at the Oval Office. Musk's presence here is one that has long been a focus for the White House press corps. That's reflected in the amount of people trickling in at the moment, on a day in which this is really the only public event expected here. The meeting is expected to be cordial, with both men praising the work of Doge and Musk's role over the last few months. Trump has repeatedly defended Musk's role at the White House, and several months ago I had the opportunity to ask Trump about him myself on a day in which I was a member of the pool. In response to my question about Musk's future, Trump called him "brilliant" and said that he would "like to keep him for a long time". That, however, came long before Musk said that he was "disappointed" in Trump's "big, beautiful" bill - the first public sign of disagreement between the two men. Today might also see Musk questioned about reports that he was heavily using drugs during the Trump campaign, external. Earlier, the White House Chief of Staff, Stephen Miller, was asked about that as well. "The drugs that we're concerned about are the drugs running across the southern border," Miller responded. Update: Date: 18:02 BST Title: Musk announced his departure from Doge on Wednesday Content: Elon Musk announced his 'scheduled time as a special government employee' was coming to an end on his social media platform X on Wednesday. He thanked President Donald Trump for the 'opportunity to reduce wasteful spending' and announced that the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) would continue in his absence. "The Doge mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government," the South African-born billionaire wrote. Update: Date: 18:01 BST Title: It's time for Musk to leave the White House. Not before one last swan song Content: Rachel FlynnReporting from Washington DC Tech tycoon and, until the end of the day, special government employee Elon Musk is set to speak in the Oval Office shortly, on what he says is his last day in the role. Musk's designated role allowed him to work a federal job for 130 days each year, which he began 130 days ago on Trump's inauguration. He promised to slash government spending and "waste" - we'll be analysing whether he did so successfully. His departure from the White House comes a day after he said he was "disappointed" with Trump's budget bill, which proposes multi-trillion dollar tax breaks and a boost to defence spending. Those 130 days have been full of twists, turns, and headlines - which we'll be delving into throughout our coverage. Stay with us as we look ahead to a news conference with Trump and Musk at 13:30 local time (18:30 BST) and analysis from our correspondents along the way.
E&E News
2 days ago
- Business
- E&E News
New DOGE leaders: Trump and his Cabinet bosses
Elon Musk's government-cutting work will carry on through President Donald Trump, his Cabinet secretaries and Department of Government Efficiency appointees, the White House said Thursday. After Musk announced Thursday that his time leading the DOGE operation as a special government employee had come to an end, White House officials are stressing that the broader DOGE mission to enact deep cuts to the federal bureaucracy isn't ending. 'The DOGE leaders are each and every member of the president's Cabinet and the president himself, who is wholeheartedly committed to cutting waste, fraud and abuse from our government,' White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told reporters Thursday when asked about DOGE's future after Musk's departure. Advertisement Trump's Cabinet will continue the DOGE mission in their respective agencies, Leavitt said.
ArabGT
2 days ago
- Business
- ArabGT
Elon Musk Parts Ways with Trump
Elon Musk has officially concluded his involvement with the Trump administration, wrapping up a turbulent chapter in which he played a central role in drastically downsizing the U.S. federal workforce. Announcing his departure via his platform X, the billionaire entrepreneur expressed gratitude to former President Donald Trump for entrusting him with leadership of the Department of Government Efficiency—commonly referred to as Doge. The initiative aimed to slash government waste and reduce bureaucratic overhead. Numerous media outlets reported that Musk's exit process started on Wednesday evening, officially concluding his stint as a 'special government employee.' While his departure was expected, it came shortly after he openly criticized Trump's most recent budget plan. 'My scheduled service term as a Special Government Employee has concluded,' Musk posted. 'I'm thankful to President @realDonaldTrump for the chance to help eliminate unnecessary spending. The mission of @DOGE will only grow stronger as it becomes ingrained in our federal systems.' Under federal law, Musk's temporary designation allowed him to serve up to 130 days per year. That timeline aligned with the end of May, based on Trump's January 20 inauguration. However, his exit came just a day after voicing disappointment in Trump's budget plan—which includes sweeping tax cuts and expanded defense funding. In an interview with CBS, Musk warned the proposal would inflate the national deficit and undercut the objectives of Doge. 'A bill can be big or it can be beautiful,' Musk remarked. 'But I'm not sure it can be both.' Initially, Musk had set an ambitious goal to cut $2 trillion from federal spending, later revising that figure down to $150 billion. According to reports, around 260,000 government employees either lost their jobs or accepted severance packages due to Doge's cost-cutting measures. The program even triggered legal pushback, with courts ordering the reinstatement of some workers—among them personnel from sensitive sectors like the nuclear program. Musk began stepping back from his government duties in late April, citing mounting backlash and disruptions to his business ventures. 'Doge was turning into a scapegoat,' he told The Washington Post ahead of a SpaceX launch in Texas. 'Anything that went wrong was pinned on us, even when we had no involvement.' His government tenure coincided with turbulent times for Tesla. The automaker posted a 13% drop in sales for the first quarter of the year—the sharpest decline in its history. While Tesla's stock has recovered slightly, it remains 10% lower than before. The company has also withheld growth forecasts, citing shifting political climates as a potential threat to demand. On a recent earnings call, Musk assured investors that he would significantly reduce his time spent on Doge and refocus on Tesla operations. Meanwhile, opposition to Musk's political involvement has intensified, with activists staging demonstrations, vandalizing Tesla vehicles, and even damaging charging stations. In response, Attorney General Pam Bondi declared such acts would be prosecuted as domestic terrorism. Despite the backlash, Musk reaffirmed his long-term leadership at Tesla during an economic forum in Qatar. He also revealed plans to scale back his political contributions after spending nearly $300 million supporting Trump and other Republican candidates in the previous year.
