The current ‘dash to slash’ consensus is deeply troubling. The mantra has been repeated so often now, by so many people, that all critical thought about the subject seems to have been set aside. Read more...
Colin Talbot
Colin Talbot is a professor at the University of Manchester Business School, adviser to the Treasury Committee and writes and comments widely on public management reform. He’s worked in over two dozen countries, and with numerous public sector organisations, as an adviser, consultant and researcher. He blogs on the Whitehall Village and Public Management at Whitehall Watch.
Clegg & the IFS: opportunity knocked, by Colin Talbot
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg claims in today’s Financial Times that the Coalition’s policies are ‘fair’ and we shouldn’t get hung up on ‘the numbers’. Nice try Nick, but no prize, I’m afraid. Read more...
26 August 2010 | Colin Talbot
It’s all Greek to George Osborne, by Colin Talbot
One of the most disingenuous refrains coming from the coalition is the attempt to compare the UK with Greece, and suggest that unless brutal action is taken we will see interest rates soar as ‘the markets’ lose confidence in the British government’s ability to pay its debts. Read more...
17 August 2010 | Colin Talbot
From M&S to BHS, by Colin Talbot
Sir Philip Green has long wanted to run Marks & Spencer. Now he has the consolation prize – he gets to follow in the footsteps of a real M&S boss, Sir Derek Rayner, by becoming a government efficiency adviser. Read more...
13 August 2010 | Colin Talbot
I predict a riot, by Colin Talbot
No, not the irritating Kaiser Chiefs song, a real riot. The revelations that up to 15,000 jobs, and 22% of the budget, are probably going to be slashed from the Ministry of Justice – which runs prisons in England and Wales – started that little ditty running around my head again. Read more...
12 August 2010 | Colin Talbot
Monster cuts and Alien reforms, by Colin Talbot
All pretence that the coalition government is merely trying to sort out the country’s public finances is long gone. It is a Liberal Conservative government, in the 19th century sense of wanting a small, liberal state with the minimum of compassion for the ‘deserving poor’ and as little socialised provision as possible. It is setting out to achieve what Margaret Thatcher tried and only half succeeded in – reversing much of the great liberal-social democratic reforms of the 20th century. Read more...
3 August 2010 | Colin Talbot
In denial over Labour’s failings, by Colin Talbot
Is it just me, or does the mood music from Labour’s potential leaders sound rather like ‘it weren’t me, guv’? Read more...
14 July 2010 | Colin Talbot
Lessons for Labour, by Colin Talbot
My advice to the Labour leadership contenders is to admit that the party will never win a General Election again. Read more...
30 June 2010 | Colin Talbot
The Budget: yes, it’s worse than we thought, by Colin Talbot
Spending on public services is set to reduce by 25% in real terms by 2014-15 (apart from Health and International Development). One quarter of all other public services could go – that is the equivalent of around a fifth of all public sector staff or well over a million jobs. Read more...
22 June 2010 | Colin Talbot
Two-armed economist at OBR, by Colin Talbot
It was US President Harry Truman who reportedly said that he was fed-up with economists who told him ‘on the one hand Mr President…’ , followed by ‘but on the other hand….’. Truman said he wanted a one-armed economist. Read more...
14 June 2010 | Colin Talbot
The generation game, by Colin Talbot
One of the new commandments is ‘thou shalt not accumulate public debts that have to paid off by future generations’. To which I answer, why not? Like most such axioms, any serious analysis soon shows that the commandment isn’t quite as absolute, or a useful guide to action, as it first appears. Read more...
11 June 2010 | Colin Talbot
The limits of choice, by Colin Talbot
The current debates about so-called ‘free’ schools remind me of an incident more than a decade ago that has been seared into my memory. Read more...
3 June 2010 | Colin Talbot
Fooled again? By Colin Talbot
I’ll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around me
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
And I’ll get on my knees and pray
We don’t get fooled again
Don’t get fooled again Read more...
14 May 2010 | Colin Talbot
They all lost, but we could all win, by Colin Talbot
Labour has clearly lost, but the Tories also clearly did not win either, however much they want to pretend otherwise. The verdict of the electors is that they do not want one-party rule anymore. The issue is not whether we have a smash and grab Tory government or a clinging on Labour one, but what coalition government will form? Read more...
7 May 2010 | Colin Talbot
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