As I set out in Failed State (chapter 6) Cummings was only repeating (more graphically) what every other government had discovered since Wilson onwards. So it's hardly surprising this lot are saying the same. - ThreadSky

samfr.bsky.social • 203 days ago

As I set out in Failed State (chapter 6) Cummings was only repeating (more graphically) what every other government had discovered since Wilson onwards.

So it's hardly surprising this lot are saying the same.

Reposted from Henry Zeffman

One of the most striking themes in Keir Starmer’s speech today — his frustration with Whitehall

For weeks I’ve been asking Labour people what they make of their time in government and one sentiment comes up again and again:

“Dominic Cummings was right”

www.bbc.com/news/article...

Comments

stephenkb.bsky.social•203 days ago

But look, did any of those other governments decide to fix the problem by first fleeing the city in a panic and then opening up a turf war with their boss' new young wife? Did *you* ever try that kind of out-of-the-box thinking at the DfE, Sam? Huh?

smithmichaelw.bsky.social•202 days ago

A few jobs ago I was on a call with a company who were trying to be an insurgent in an established industry - they hired everyone who they could who all seemed to have been passed over from promotion in that industry - they had a lot of ideas and wanted to do them all at once - very Cummings

feelingantsy.bsky.social•202 days ago

Of course Cummings who said “confident public school bluffers, external” - rather than people with real policy expertise - reign supreme.”

Wanted to recruit mavericks rather than experts 🤷‍♂️

samfr.bsky.social•203 days ago

This sentence is a word for word lift from chapter one, page two of "Failed State" - would be nice if they could actually mention the book y'know for the sales.

joxley.jmoxley.co.uk•203 days ago

Also love the implication they didn't get past the introduction

samfr.bsky.social•203 days ago

Hey they got to chapter one....

samfr.bsky.social•203 days ago

Of course as I explain in those chapters, despite all govts discovering the same thing, none of them actually do anything about it because it's always considered less important than the next reset or bit of firefighting.

stebartle.bsky.social•202 days ago

You should send free copies of Failed State to everyone in the cabinet.

paulluksza.bsky.social•203 days ago

My only problem with the book is that my father “borrowed” it before I had finished! Hopefully can borrow back at Christmas. (The third or so I did read was brilliant and enlightening)

wirralrobin.bsky.social•203 days ago

📌

toteraltermann.bsky.social•203 days ago

It's also just very hard

telson.bsky.social•203 days ago

There's always something more urgent than rejigging the apparatus of government.

nlitchfield.bsky.social•203 days ago

Surely quite a big part of it is that successful politicians are generally great communicators and/or big picture ideas people, but they aren't great managers or administrators. No-one comes into politics wanting to streamline say planning admin. And then they only stay in dept for 2 years.

jwestjourno.bsky.social•203 days ago

Also, just as an editor here, it’s grim to see them write this as if they’d spoken to “a government advisor” rather than quoting from a (very good) book written by a (former) government advisor.

venetiacaine.bsky.social•203 days ago

Brilliant book, one best of all those saying how awful everything is. Opened my eyes to such a lot.

lerrup.bsky.social•203 days ago

It strikes me as a reasonably logistically straightforward thing to do to takeover a government building as the temporary PMs office and sort out the detail later.

I guess the problem is that the temporary will become permanent and the country will be run from Slough House instead

souptomatosoup.uk•202 days ago

The problem is, like Cummings and every other government, the fundamental issue is idealistic politicians, and exbusiness people have failed to understand that their ideas much encounter reality.

They blame the civil service rather than admit their own failures to lead, and understand.

tadaaa.bsky.social•202 days ago

Blaming immigrants is so last year

souptomatosoup.uk•202 days ago

Oh, they will do that too

james-downes.bsky.social•202 days ago

It's the inevitable tension when, "obvious solutions" hit "it's a bit more complicated than that"

Both are right and wrong to the same extent

souptomatosoup.uk•202 days ago

Yes to the first bit, not so much to the second.

The “obvious solutions”, are rarely right, and never as simple as expected.

maggiedownie.bsky.social•201 days ago

📌

smithmichaelw.bsky.social•203 days ago

Fair point but Cummings did seem to want to fix it by becoming a bond villain in a lair with him fixing everything with his band of merry nutters.

archietecht.element2.net•201 days ago

'Governance' is the problem, not people. It's stultifying and results in more work being done (& more credit being given) towards not doing something than doing something. An inbuilt bias to inaction. Absolutely not saying there doesn't need to be accountability, but that's where the problem lies.

marimots.bsky.social•202 days ago

Being right about one thing doesn't make you a genius, but in Cummings case, he fulfils the evil part.

outofthewild.bsky.social•203 days ago

Anyone who has spent time on a rural parish council can tell you who runs the show...
Let alone the big one....

stevieinselby.bsky.social•203 days ago

Has no-one in this government watched Yes Minister? 🤔

suew.bsky.social•203 days ago

They need to. Should be compulsory viewing in my view. They would definitely learn stuff from it.

officialstehee.bsky.social•203 days ago

Is it heresy to suggest that Politicians tell lies and those lies cannot be translated into actual deliverables? Think Growth & Brexit (but not both) or Local Policing without 600+ local Police Stations. I am sick to the back teeth of pandering to these itinerant liars. You can only deliver truth.

souptomatosoup.uk•202 days ago

This is the crux of the issue, politicians hate when the civil servants have to explain the reality of the political ideas and promises.

officialstehee.bsky.social•202 days ago

You know that, I know that but on this very day scores of Journalists and Political Pundits have never fucking heard of it. Funny that.

souptomatosoup.uk•202 days ago

Because its easier to complain that your billion ton ship has momentum and is slow to change direction, than admit your promise to instantly stop and reverse was unrealistic.

souptomatosoup.uk•202 days ago

especially when you remember most of hte public have never steered a boat like that, so will believe its as simple as their car if you tell them it is.

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