RADICAL CHANGE IS NEEDED IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE SECTOR 2009 - 2014

For decades now, Government and the Public Services Sector seem to have forgotten that their prime role is to make life better for the citizens of the United Kingdom.

Few people would deny that they have made the lives of ordinary citizens far worse over the last 10 years.

In Britain Today, we live in a society of escalating unaffordable costs in the Public Sector - A devastating thirst in Central and Local Government for more money, better gold plated pensions, job security, vociferous Trade Unions against change, Consultants being paid £ millions, surveys that prove the need for higher salaries with the argument that otherwise the Public Sector will not recruit good people, hierachical organisational structures and general resistance to radical change.

Where will it all end ? Who will make some radical changes – for the benefit of the citizens of the United Kingdom as a whole ?

As a good citizen, I feel that it is my responsibility to at least make some contribution to the debate about the future of controlling and lowering expenditure in the Public Sector. The radical ideas listed below are just a few suggestions.

ELIMINATE FULL TIME CHAIRMEN & CHIEF EXECUTIVES

It is time to make attitudinal changes towards the organisational structures in the Civil Service and Local Government. It is doubtful that external Management Consultants would recommend the drastic action of eliminating the role of full time Chairman and Chief Executive. They have their fees to protect. In any case our Business Schools still live in a non radical, traditional mind set when it comes to the role of the Chairman and the Chief Executive. It is crazy that the taxpayer has to pay salaries up to £200,000 per annum and more for Chairmen and Chief Executives plus the costs of gold plated pensions.

So, eliminate all full time positions of Chairman & Chief Executive in both the Central Government Civil Service and the Local Government Authorities and Agencies. Change Management attitudes and structures so that the Senior Management and Executive Directors do the jobs that they are paid to do – Manage, Work as a Team and Control activities and budgets as a Cohesive Executive Team – with a Rotating Chairman with a casting vote. We do not need full time Chairmen and Chief Executives.

ELIMINATE MOST OF THE QUANGO ORGANISATIONS

We live in an over- regulated society and an over-quagoed society. We must get rid of most of the Quango organisations – perhaps 90% - there may be some who are worthwhile. What exactly would we lose in real hard cash terms if most of the Quagos disappeared ?

ELIMINATE BUSINESS LINK ORGANISATIONS

There is plenty of help for Small and Medium sized businesses without paying £Millions to the Business Link Organisations throughout the country with their structure of overpaid Chief Executives and Executive Infrastructure. Small and Medium sized Businesses can receive advice from the Internet, other Government Departments and the Private Sector.

ELIMINATE WASTEFUL EXPENDITURE

It would seem that it is the Conservative Party that has the right approach to eliminating waste in the Public Sector. It is appauling to read of the £Millions wasted on IT Projects, massively inflated pricing by the Drug Companies who seem to get away with the excuse – we need the money for research and investment –true in many respects but an hopelessly inadeqaute excuse in many respects.

There is a fear syndrome within Government Circles that makes them impotent to eliminating waste in the Holy Grails of Healthcare and Education to name 2 examples because the Public will not like to see cuts in Public Expenditure in Healthcare or Education – We might lose votes. We must be ruthless to eliminate waste but whatever Party is in power, they must have the courage to act and explain to the Public and the Media the rationale for taking such actions. They must do the right things for the people and not for the goodwill of the Party.

FREEDOM TO PERFORM IN A PROFESSIONAL MANNER

We, In Britain Today have a stark choice – Do we let the Government tell us what to do or Do we tell the Government what to do ? It is a monumental question that needs an answer from each of the political parties. It is my belief that the answer should be Let the people free and Trust the people – We tell the Government what to do.

The consequences will be great – Teachers can get on with their job with the reduced interference of the Government. The Head Teachers should monitor performance, the School,Governors should check results, the Parents should and will complain to the school if they are dissatisfied. Professionals will make mistakes from time to time but the Government will make mistakes all the time. Reduce Government interference and reporting with burdensome and unecesary paperwork. This applies to the Police, Healthcare and other professional groups.

A radical overhaul of communications between Government and the professions is needed with the remit – Give more power and freedom to the practitioners and not to the Government officials.

PARLIAMENTARY DEMOCRACY OR PARLIAMENTARY DICTATORSHIP

We need a new attitude to the role and function of Parliament.

Here are some suggestions –

The role of the Member of Parliament should be a full time job. It is not right that with the salaries and expenses of MPs so high, they should be allowed to have lucrative second jobs such as Solicitors, Accountants and Company Dircetors. You are either a Representative of the People or you have a career elsewhere. This does not mean that Parliament should comprise of only the Professional Politician – candidates who have little practical knowledge of the real world of business, the legal profession, accountancy, education and so on. Parliament needs people who are streetwise and who have years of practical experience to offer. However,once elected as an MP. they should devote most of their working time to Parliamentary and Constituency affairs.

The role of the Whip as a servant of Party Dictatorship or Cabinet Dictationship should be changed. Free voting in the Parliamentary debates should be encouraged on most occasions. The MP needs to be free to reflect the wishes of his constituents and his own judgement and beliefs rather than to be a slave to Party Dictatorship.

Yes – proportional voting / representation should be introduced throughout the United Kingdom. It is crazy that in a so called Democrocy a party with say 20% of the national vote could end up with about 20 MPs. What kind of democracy is that ?

The role of Parliamentary Committees should be widened and they should have stronger powers to scrutinise in depth Public Departments and key sectors such as Banking, Utilities and Defense. They should co-opt specialists to help them examine and question Senior Management. Does the ordinary MP have all the expertise knowledge to scrutinise responses – would they have understood what was happening in Banking Sector during the Credit Crunch fiasco for example ? If they did have the knowledge, how did they let the Financial Sevices Agency fail to recognise what was happening ?

50 years ago, a typical examination question for University Degrees in Political Science was – Should there be a reform of the House of Lords ? Is it not amazing that all these years later our politicians are still talking about whether there should be a reform of the House of Lords ? I am convinced that the British people would vote Yes to an elected Upper Chamber but what say do they have in this matter ? None. A reform of the House of Lords is well overdue and in the future – perhaps as early as 2015. only elected by the people Members should sit in the Upper House.

Britain can be better served by a House of Commons and an Upper House of fewer numbers – say, 330 MPs and 200 Upper House Members.

A Referendum should be used on issues such as – Reform of the House of Lords and Membership of the European Union

REGULATION OF MONETARY INSTITUTIONS AND FISCAL ACCOUNTABILITY

The recent Banking crisis and the fiasco of MPs expenses claims must have convinced our leaders – or has it ? - that we need tighter controls of our banking sector and financial institutions and scrutiny of public expenditure at all levels. Clear lines of responsibilty must be established so that accountability becomes an asset and not some foggy role that will enable officials and MPs to claim – It was not my responsibilty. The Financial Sevices Agency has proved itself to be totally irresponsible and the Bank of England needs to be more active in the scutiny of the the Banks and Financial Institutions.

THE ROLE OF THE COMMON CITIZEN

If we want Britain to have a better tomorrow, we all have a role to play.

The Media needs to be less sensational and more factual, our MPs need to provide more regular feedback to their constituents – the MP for High Wycombe Paul Goodman is a good example of a MP who tries very hard to give the people of High Wycombe well presented feedback on what he is doing in the House on their behalf.

We need more MPs like Paul Goodman. It is sad that Paul Goodman has expressed his wish not to seek re-election at the next General election – he will be missed – he is a very good man and an excellent MP.

We need an awakening of civil and national involvement in Politics – Participation and not Pacification. However, it it so difficult for ordinary members of the public to become MPs because of the selection process of the Political Parties. David Cameron’s recent innovation of reopening the Candidates List is good but does not go far enough. In future, candidates should be chosen by the people of a constituency and not by the local party activists. The notion of Primary Elections is one which I support. It will give more transparency in the selection process and enable the ordinary citizen to make a judgement as to the suitability of a candidate.

AND SO – IS ANYONE LISTENING ?

In Britain Today, there is a yearning for better times. Most citizens are fed up with the Labour Government and they want a change which will improve their lifestyles but they are sceptical about the ability of Politicians in general to deliver the radical and creative change for the better.

I believe that the Conservatives under the leadership of David Cameron can deliver and want to deliver but, can they make the radical changes that are needed ? That is the big question. We need a really radical overhaul of expenditure in the Public sector and Parliament and not a tinkering at the edgewith many here. But – is anyone listening ?