The master of spin and the public's right to hear it
Nobody has spun a story better than Alistair Campbell. He was one of the big players behind new Labour and one of the big reasons they have won three elections. He is portrayed as a heartless and ruthless character and will use every trick…
Policy Announcements, Monday 30 April
Government Tony Blair has admitted his NHS reforms have been "really tough" for staff but said waiting list cuts, new hospitals and more staff were a sign of success. He said he did not think there would be a reversal of the "essential…
Sort this out before it's too late
"-Private security staff who operate prison vans will decide from today whether young adults awaiting trial in London are mentally strong enough to survive in the toughest prisons-." I had to read that sentence a few times before I realised…
Review of the Papers, Monday 30 April
Government Tony Blair will mark his decade in office this week with "big regrets" at his inability to move more quickly to reform Britain's public services, one of his closest cabinet allies has claimed. As the prime minister puts the…
A step in the right direction?
It is rumoured that Gordon Brown will give the NHS independence from political control in his first 100 days in power. No doubt he is hoping that this will be right up there with his decision to give the Bank of England independence in 199…
Another day, another regret
More bitter experience. More unfinished business. LP has pointed out The Guardian article in which Lord Falconer declares that Tony Blair has "big regrets" about not tackling the culture of public-service provision earlier. "I don't think…
The Project, Phase 2
Forget the legacy and the lecture circuit. Tony Blair has no intention of retiring from the front-line, nor even of being a good back-seat driver. He is preparing for the next phase of his political career, not for life after politics. How…
The good, the bad, and the not so ugly
JG has been highlighting the MTAS fiasco. Besides the fine illustration it provides of this Government's incompetence and refusal to take responsibility for their mistakes, it also sheds an interesting sidelight on another bad Labour policy…
Review of the Papers, Friday 27 April
Government http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/04/27/nhips27.xml The number of people working in the NHS fell by more than 17,000 between 2005 and 2006, according to figures released yesterday. The Information Centre…
More taxation through the back door
After reports yesterday about the Government issuing warnings to keep quiet about the their plans for fees on rubbish collections (on top of council tax), there are more reports today of "behind the scenes" policy making that would not go…
MTAS has collapsed, don't let it happen with ID cards
Congratulations to Dr Crippen for his massive success in getting the deficient NHS recruitment IT system shut down. Whilst it is too late for all those people who have had their personal details disclosed and for the tax payers who have had…
HIPS: A nice little earner (not for us though)
The Home Improvement Pack (HIP) disaster is slowly coming to the boil. The Law Society believes that Home inspectors could make up to £250 million a year on producing packs that never get used! If a property has been on the market for…