Just a ramble on the appointment of our new Prime Minister.
Before 1997 we had something known as 'The Cabinet' comprising the PM and the Secretaries of State for Health, Defence, Edjamacation etc. Each SofS would build a team of specialists from within their respective department and propose policy to the cabinet. There would then be a debate to check consistency across departments, and, of course, compliance with the relevant party's political commitments.
Since '97, the debate has been non-existent. Bliar surrounded himself with independent advisers - usually from big business. That in itself isn't a biggy, but all-too-often these 'advisers' would suggest the privatisation of public agencies, put them to tender at ridiculous prices, then buy them. More to the point, the only opinions allowed in cabinet were those of Bliar himself.
As well as resulting in some whacky 'looked good on paper' plans, the plans changed every few years. 60% of people's time was spent unravelling last year's plans, 30% developing ways of working in 'the new way', and 10% of their time doing the day job. Defence, Education, Treasury, Housing - all were victim of a culture of never-ending u-turns.
Golden Brown seems to have reinstated the model of a Cabinet of discussion. Ministers of State are starting to visit the people who work in their area of specialism and ask them/us what they/we think. Our new Health Secretary is now developing a group of the most successful doctors, nurses and specialist healthcare managers to propose a way forward. Already he has (for the 1st time in 10 years) put forward the view to Cabinet that the NHS has said for years. Can we please finish making the current systems work before you change them?
Could we actually move towards policy based on reality instead of political idealism or the theories of 22 year old bright young things?
I fUcking hope so.