How to stop the civil service wreckers
I AM frustrated with promises made by our politicians which they have no chance of implementing because of the structure of the civil service.
I worked as a civil servant for seven years and was appalled by the bureaucracy and dishonesty, together with some staff’s contempt for the private sector and public purse.
From this, and from education and private-sector experience, I know that to get our economy growing it is essential to cut taxation and get the public sector delivering necessary services cost-effectively. This is not easy, and I don’t trust politicians’ promises that aren’t backed up with a reasonable explanation of how this can be done.
I AM frustrated with promises made by our politicians which they have no chance of implementing because of the structure of the civil service.
I worked as a civil servant for seven years and was appalled by the bureaucracy and dishonesty, together with some staff’s contempt for the private sector and public purse.
From this, and from education and private-sector experience, I know that to get our economy growing it is essential to cut taxation and get the public sector delivering necessary services cost-effectively. This is not easy, and I don’t trust politicians’ promises that aren’t backed up with a reasonable explanation of how this can be done.
7 comments:
Maaany years ago I temped at a government office and there were, as you would expect, individual levels of performance. One who had really cracked the system was Harry. Whatever his actual duties were, Harry spent the working week organising the department chess tournament.
I heard someone in the media expressing the view that 'no one had an idea how to restore growth in the British economy'. I beg to differ. A certain Donald told a certain Kier exactly what to do to begin. This would work, but requires the exercise of logic, which Donald has and Kier does not.
If an organisation exists for 70 years or so without significant challenge then the careerists will take over, concerned only for their careers, not the purpose of the organisation. Similarly the 'workers' will establish 'Spanish Practices' which suit them to the detriment of their efficiency and willingness to work.
I suggest that - despite many able people - the Civil Service has been taken over by the careerists and Spanish Practices and as a consequence any change is resisted by sullen indifference.
See also the National Health Service.
Jannie - I bet many government offices have a Harry or two. I came across one who just seemed to attend meetings. Nobody knew what else he did, he just seemed to attend various meetings.
Tammly - this is the frustrating aspect of it all. Yes Donald has demonstrated just what is required but the Blob won't accept it. Liz Truss has a pretty good idea of what is needed, so the Blob and compliant Tories ousted her.
DJ - yes, any incentives which originally stimulated the organisation seem to evolve into the maintenance of a careerist and 'custom and practice' culture. The incentives themselves have become degraded and inward-looking.
It's not obvious what a solution would look like without far better oversight than we have now. Political parties won't provide that.
Pournelle's Iron Law (duckduck it) applies of course, as does Parkinson's ditto.
Also that fellow who said that the best way to explain the behaviour of a bureaucracy is to assume that it has been taken over by a cabal of its enemies.
None of this will change while bureaucracy has such a grip on every detail of our lives. Blob delenda est!
Peter - Pournelle's Iron Law, the failures of bureaucracy and political measures to contain the problem ought to be the issues on which we vote. Anything but that is the standard of political debate we are stuck with.
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