The Conservative party’s plan to cut “deep and fast” on public spending in the next financial year has been given the green light by the new Tory-Liberal Democrat coalition government

David Cameron, who begins his first day as Prime Minister this morning after Gordon Brown’s departure yesterday, has negotiated efficiencies on IT, recruitment, and property in order to save £6bn in the next financial year.

Among the Tories’ policies is a freeze on public sector recruitment through avoiding filling posts that are left vacant, in a bid to save £1bn-2bn. This would free up the government to sell off buildings.

The savings were set out in April by Tory public spending adviser Sir Peter Gershon, who also said cutting spending on major IT projects could save £2bn-4bn. Details are expected to be fleshed out in an emergency budget, which it has been reported could take place in 50 days.

In March, the author of the Operational Efficiency Programme Dr Martin Read advised the Tories to vacate 10% of central government office space within their first year of government.

Read said central government used 30% more office space per head than dictated by best practice.

He said: “This inefficiency needs to be addressed much more urgently. Property assets should be managed separately and user departments charged for the space they use. This would focus minds on the efficient use of resources.

“We should require 10% of office space to be vacated within a year, consolidating staff into fewer buildings, reducing running costs and freeing buildings for sale.”

The agreement to save £6bn represents a reversal for Nick Clegg, who accused the Conservatives and Labour of trying to save on “paperclips and pot plants in Whitehall” with their cuts plans.

• Property to feature in Tories’ £6bn savings plan
• Tories bid to outdo Labour property savings
• Cameron: Departments should pay property vehicles market rent
• £4.3bn property savings available, Telereal tells government
• Cut property waste urgently, says Tory advisor