Colin Talbot

About Colin Talbot

Colin Talbot is professor of government and public administration at the University of Manchester Business School, and a former adviser to the Treasury select committee. He writes and comments widely on public management reform. Colin has worked with numerous national and international public sector organisations, as an adviser, consultant and researcher. He blogs at Whitehall Watch.

A ‘Do Little’ Budget

20 March 2013 | Colin Talbot

The chancellor was quick to pass the blame in his Budget speech. But many of the problems have been caused by his own actions and he offered little to improve the situation today Read more

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Targets, what targets?

28 January 2013 | Colin Talbot

The publication of objectives for permanent secretaries shows that the coalition is as obsessed with targets as its New Labour predecessor Read more

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A failing economy or a failing state?

7 January 2013 | Colin Talbot

Much attention has been focused on the poor performance of the UK economy, but should we be more worried about the potential collapse of a number of state and civil institutions? Read more

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Back to school on borrowing, George

10 December 2012 | Colin Talbot

The chancellor’s homespun theories about debt and borrowing might sound convincing. But actually they make no economic sense at all  Read more

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Osborne: man without a spending plan

6 December 2012 | Colin Talbot

Beyond the Treasury spin, the chancellor delivered an incoherent Autumn Statement that blamed everyone but himself for the mess the public finances are in Read more

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PCCs: muddled policy shambolically implemented

21 November 2012 | Colin Talbot

Police and crime commissioners are a rubbish idea that is going from bad to worse. It’s not just the disastrous elections and public antipathy, PCCs now have to come up with credible crime plans despite tricky power sharing arrangements and drastic budget cuts Read more

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SR2013: politics by other means

24 September 2012 | Colin Talbot

Danny Alexander has made clear that the next Spending Review will cover only two years, not three. It won’t be the first time political expediency has trumped economic planning Read more

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Oh, what a performance!

4 September 2012 | Colin Talbot

Targets, what targets? The proliferation of Departmental Business Plans shows that top-down government is alive and well under the coalition Read more

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Foreign students: not welcome here?

31 August 2012 | Colin Talbot

The decision to revoke London Metropolitan University’s visa licence is immoral and impractical. It is an over-reaction and will simply discourage overseas students from coming to the UK Read more

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Lies, damned lies and efficiency savings

9 August 2012 | Colin Talbot

There is no evidence to back up the government’s claim that it has exceeded targets for efficiency savings. The examples put forward are merely spending cuts that are likely to have a detrimental effect on the quality of public services Read more

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