It is mission critical that Labour repairs the contract between citizen and state | Andrew Rawnsley

Proving that government can be a force for good is essential if Sir Keir Starmer is to see off the populist right
Listening to Sir Keir Starmer’s recent lament that the “flabby” state is failing Britain was to experience deja vu all over again. More than a quarter of a century has passed since another Labour prime minister, one Tony Blair, vented his frustration with the public sector by complaining that trying to reform government had left him with “scars on my back”. In similar vein, David Cameron’s lot used to excuse their struggles to get stuff done by blaming resistance from the amorphous administrative “Blob”. Dominic Cummings told Boris Johnson that the solution was to pack Number 10 with “weirdos”, “misfits” and “wild cards” – a self-description if ever there was one – while purging the senior civil service. He was still working his way through his “shit list” of mandarins when he got the boot himself. You will not recall the Johnson administration as an able and stable outfit dedicated to serving the needs of the public. The grim chaos of that period is a warning to the current government that braggadocio, stunts and wheezes will not make the state smarter.
Most prime ministers become exasperated with the bureaucracy under them at some point. It has taken eight months for Sir Keir to conclude that a “weak”, “overstretched” and “unfocused” state is failing to properly perform its “core purposes”. He’s not wrong. The contract between government and citizenry is in a bad way. “The public has lost faith in the state to deliver,” says one cabinet minister who worries about this a lot. “People find themselves paying more in tax, but do they feel the benefit in the public realm? They don’t.”
Continue reading...Topics
-
Labour MP Mike Amesbury to stand down over assault conviction
Resignation will trigger first by-election of Sir Keir Starmer’s governmentFinancial Times - Mar. 10 -
Keir Starmer plans to reshape the Britain's ‘flabby’ state. But don’t compare him to Elon Musk
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer has won praise for his efforts to marshal international support for Ukraine as President Donald Trump’s economic and foreign policies roil the worldABC News - 5d -
Charities and MPs warn Starmer over benefits changes
Sir Keir Starmer has faced concerns from Labour backbenchers who have expressed anger at proposals.BBC News - 1d -
UK helped Ukraine and US reach ceasefire deal, government sources say
Sir Keir Starmer led European efforts to mend Trump-Zelensky relationship, UK government sources tell the BBC.BBC News - 6d -
Chris Mason: Starmer echoes Liz Truss on reform of government
Sir Keir's argument overlaps with the former PM's - that the proliferation of arm's length bodies slow down change.BBC News - 5d -
UK financial regulators in retreat as prime minister piles on pressure
City cheers Sir Keir Starmer’s crackdown on red tape but there are questions over how much it can boost growthFinancial Times - 6d -
Keir Starmer’s poll ratings leap after Trump withdraws support for Ukraine
Around 30% of voters say they prefer Labour for dealing with ‘allies against threats to the UK’ in boost to party leader. Keir Starmer’s approval ratings have shot up since Donald Trump returned to ...The Guardian - Mar. 8 -
Keir Starmer scraps NHS England to put health service ‘into democratic control’
Health secretary says end of ‘biggest quango in world’ is final nail in coffin of Andrew Lansley’s 2012 reorganisation. . Keir Starmer has brought the health service back under the control of ...The Guardian - 5d -
Keir Starmer defends planned welfare cuts to anxious Labour MPs
Prime minister wants to reform disability benefit payments to help fund greater spending on defenceFinancial Times - Mar. 10
More from The Guardian
-
Trump and Putin agree temporary halt on energy infrastructure strikes as Zelenskyy welcomes proposal – live
Trump hails ‘productive’ call with Russian president as Putin issues long list of conditions; Ukraine’s president reacts to Trump-Putin call. Speaking for the Greens, who are expected to back the ...The Guardian - 22m -
Trump waging ‘sickening’ psychological war, deported Venezuelan’s lawyer says
One detained man’s lawyer says he is gay artist who had fled persecution in his home country, not a gang member. A lawyer for one of the Venezuelan immigrants sent from the US to a notorious mega ...The Guardian - 1h -
Netanyahu warns Israel’s renewed Gaza offensive ‘is only the beginning’
Israeli PM says attacks will continue until Hamas is destroyed and hostages freed, as airstrikes kill hundreds. Middle East crisis – live updates The wave of deadly airstrikes that shattered ...The Guardian - 1h -
Nasa astronauts heading back to Earth on SpaceX Dragon capsule after being ‘stranded’ on ISS for months
Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore embark on 17-hour return following Starliner capsule failure that turned a days-long mission into one lasting nine months. Two Nasa astronauts “stranded” onboard the ...The Guardian - 15h -
Canada’s Liberals on course for political resurrection amid trade war, polls show
Mark Carney-led ruling party projected to form majority months after political wipeout seemed inevitable. In January, Canadian pollsters and political pundits struggled to find fresh ways to ...The Guardian - 3h
More in World
-
Trump and Putin agree temporary halt on energy infrastructure strikes as Zelenskyy welcomes proposal – live
Trump hails ‘productive’ call with Russian president as Putin issues long list of conditions; Ukraine’s president reacts to Trump-Putin call. Speaking for the Greens, who are expected to back the ...The Guardian - 22m -
Real Madrid 2-0 Arsenal: Women’s Champions League quarter-final, first leg – as it happened
Linda Caicedo and Athenea del Castillo get the better of Arsenal to win first leg. 2 min : Both teams are just finding their feet in the early stages of this one but a ball is popped through for ...The Guardian - 24m -
South Africa Will Not Remove Antarctic Team After a Reported Assault
A researcher at a South African base in Antarctica has been accused of physical assault and sexual harassment. South Africa said it had no immediate plans to remove the accused or any colleagues.The New York Times - 39m -
Trump’s Focus on Ukrainian Nuclear Plant Is Partly Linked to Minerals Deal, Officials Say
The U.S. is seeking access to Ukrainian minerals, which require extensive energy to process. The Zaporizhzhia power plant in southern Ukraine, which Russia controls, could help with that, Kyiv says.The New York Times - 39m -
France and Algeria feud over expulsion policy as tensions flare between the two countries
Yahoo News - 40m