The modifications apparently involve a revised color scheme and a repositioned dot in the website’s logo.
The UK government is facing criticism for a website redesign that reportedly cost £532,000 (over $700,000) for what appear to be minimal graphic adjustments.
M&C Saatchi, a global advertising firm, carried out the work, which included changing the website’s header from black to blue. The logo was also slightly altered, with the dot in ‘gov.uk’ being moved upward and colored turquoise.
The cost of these seemingly insignificant adjustments has drawn sharp criticism from various groups, who accuse the government of mismanaging taxpayer funds and failing to adhere to its stated policy of increasing savings.
Zia Yusuf, leader of Reform UK’s newly established efficiency body, described the makeover as a “joke.”
“The disregard for taxpayer money remains astonishing. Spending over £500,000 to modify a logo on a government website is a joke at the expense of the taxpayer,” he stated, adding that the questionable work on the website “is precisely the kind of thing we have been uncovering in county halls daily.”
However, the government has defended the changes, claiming they were part of a larger effort to “refresh the brand” of various institutions’ websites. It also seemed to place blame on its predecessors, stating that the lucrative contract was approved before the Labour Party took power.
“The previous government committed to this, with two of the three contracts signed and delivered by July 2024,” a government spokesperson told British media.
“The new government then chose to transform the rebranding and research into user-friendly digital products, including our upcoming gov.uk App, gov.uk Chat, and more,” he added, without elaborating.
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