The Cat Litter Budget...

As I was putting the newspaper into my cat litter this weekend, the irony of the double-page budget special, with a George Osborne mug-shot starring back at me, wasn’t lost. Whilst many have said this is a fair budget, a budget for the long-term, a budget for recovery, I can’t help but think, it’s a budget that’s going to hurt... In what, for the publishing sector, has been a very tough 2 years, it suddenly looks set to be doubly difficult. Yet more traditional publishers will sadly go the way of Personnel Today, which after 21 years in circulation, fell on its sword to focus on the online addition. Who will be next? Any suggestions...

Despite the uncertainty the budget brings, we’re hoping that the new coalition continue to invest in ICT in the Public Sector - partly because we own a series of ICT titles in this sector - but mostly because I firmly believe that well planned and executed ICT investment, will act as the enabler for recovery and growth. Positive words from Kenneth Clarke, Justice Secretary, who in his drive to eliminate waste and reduce costs in the judicial system said this week he sees ‘great opportunities to harness technology more effectively’ – about bloody time!

There is, so much positive work happening in the sector, we’ve just launched a campaign on Public Technology called ICT for Recovery, where we’ll be looking to raise awareness of ICT champions, bodies and suppliers, who are championing technology as an enabler for recovery. It fits hand-in-hand with our E-Government awards, and although the journos will still ‘report-it-as-they-see-it, it gives us at least one area of the site that our Pub Sec ICT audience can be proud of...

www.publictechnology.net/recovery

If you’d like to find out how to get involved, do drop me a line....

Posted by Tom Dunkerley
Managing Director
Sift Media