The crude public sector good private sector bad which dominates much opposition party thinking is no reflection of the reality of life. Some years ago I wrote about how we could better characterise and assess public services. I proposed assessing each with three main questions: Are they competitive or monopolies? Are they owned and...
In an age of digital investment, artificial intelligence, smart phone activity and other leaps forward in productivity from technology, you would expect the UK public services to have had a good 25 years achieving more from its workforce thanks to investment and modernisation. Instead the Office of National Statistics reports that public sector productivity...
I reproduce below the comments from the Conservative Group on the Council. They are right to highlight deteriorating services alongside waste of money and high charges. Wokingham Borough Council’s Conservative Group has hit out at proposals from the Liberal Democrat administration to scrap some public bins and reduce collection on others. Describing the decision...
I reproduce below and article I wrote for the Telegraph recently: More money for the public sector must be something for something. If we work smarter and produce more then we can be paid more. Growing the country’s income per head is central to creating the greater prosperity and the wider opportunities...
Many in the public sector understandably want a rise to offset the cost of living squeeze. The government is alarmed by current levels of spending and borrowing. It offers the below inflation rises the Independent Pay Review Boards propose, based as these are on private sector comparators. Most in the private sector are settling...
Labour lost office in 1979,when it lost control of the public sector. Its own trade Union friends and supporters created a winter of discontent, with rubbish piled in the streets and the dead going unburied. The party had unleashed a rapid inflation it could not control. Workers were fed up with pay controls and...
There is discussion of a new law to limit the right to strike in key public services, just as armed service personnel agree not to strike when they join up. If the government thinks such a law would be helpful they should have used some of the underused Parliamentary time this November and December...
I am always disappointed though not surprised by the very different approaches taken by Private sector company Chief Executives and public sector ones when being interviewed about their organisations. The company CEO s go on to explain how well their business is doing. They explain their passion to serve their customers better, to keep...
There is renewed interest in productivity. The way to higher pay and better services is to work smarter. Applying new technology and more machine and digital power can help employees achieve more. Improving ways of working to make them easier with more right first time can save money and improve service. As improvements...
The role of Chief Secretary needs strengthening as the Treasury’s second Cabinet Minister. Working for and under the general direction of the Chancellor the Chief Secretary needs to probe and challenge the bids for additional funds and the way in which existing budgets are being spent. He or she should be the voice to...