The Conservatives have denied claims up to 40000 public sector jobs could be lost as part of planned spending cuts. Sir Peter Gershon, Efficiency Adviser to the Tories, has said up to 2 billion pounds could be saved on recruitment. Experts told the Financial Times this implied 40000 potential job losses in a year. The Tories said the saving was based on a hiring freeze not job cuts. Labour and the Lib Dems said the Tories' plans were not credible as the election tax battle intensified. Under plans for a fair pay review, the salaries of public sector senior managers will be linked to the lowest paid workers in their organisation and capped at a multiple of 20 times those at the bottom of the pay scale.