Thanks for this Emma. Sturgeon has ensured the aex/gender issue wil get a lot more traction, I can't see an easy route out from under for Labour, hopefully someone clever will. The next election is I think the most important in my lifetime (and I'm old), Labour simply must win it or I fear for the future existence of public services. I have a feeling the Tories now enjoy fighting amongst themselves so much they just can't stop, a welcome switcheroo with Labour.
Dec 30, 2022·edited Dec 30, 2022Liked by Emma Burnell
Thanks for this great framing piece, Emma. It seems that a big theme running throughout much of what you describe is the need for public service reform. People can't get see their GP within a reasonable time. The immigration/processing system is both inhumane and ineffective. The insufficient childcare support from govt means that many people (mostly women) cannot join the workforce. Factor in the rise in interest rates and the context of the Trussonomics shambles, it means that politicians (mostly tories, but also some Labour) are very nervous about a big fiscal expansion plan when it comes to fixing public services.
Other than bashing civil servants, Sunak/the Tories are wary of going down the 'reform' route, and seem to prefer going for the 'the state can't do everything for you ' line. By adding a few more good ideas on state capacity reform to the universal childcare plan you mentioned, Labour have a good chance to put a wedge between themselves and the tories on this key challenge of delivering critical public services/infrastructure.
What that 'reform' is, and if it can be swept into a tightly knit sentence, is less clear. Ofc some areas will merely require more funding, some new technology, some new incentive structures. Probably impossible to have a pithy hook that ties this all together. However, given that the tories idea of reform is essentially giving managers smaller budgets and hoping that 'innovation just happens', even a moderate amount of thinking on this from Labour could make them look pretty serious when it comes to mending the key functions of the state.
Anyway, thanks a lot again. Always enjoying reading your stuff!
I completely agree. But first we will need to wrest back the meaning of 'reform'. For too long (under both Labour but rocket-boosted by the Tories) it has meant cuts. It has to mean changes that work for workforces and service users. It was the same with welfare. Everyone agrees that the system doesn't work. But as soon as we say 'reform' everyone starts to protect what exists for fear of worse. It's the small c conservatism that is the enemy of progress.
All very simple Starmer needs to discover his Gonads drop the righteous rabbit in headlights techno good guy look and let the dawgs off the leach. Follow Mick, stout Cortez and the Tyrone woman. The people are crying out for Leadership save them from the pit of Faragedom. There lies the narrow arete to salvation. Be a brave Alpinist, Equilibre, move fast and firmly to democracy again please Be brave and true Hasta la Victoria Siempre
Great piece. Let's hope somebody drops it into the inbox of a few of Starmer's coterie of advisors. That would certainly help in coming up with a credible policy on women.
He could begin by condemning the actions of people who block film screenings, assemble outside meetings to drown out speakers and balaclava wearing young men who scream abuse at women legally meeting to discuss their own concerns.
It will be a difficult path to tread but there are many sensible and knowledgeable women ready to advise Starmer on how to arrive at a credible approach that will both satisfy the majority of Labour voters and prevent the Tories taking advantage of their obvious silence on the issue at present.
Odd to have written a longish piece without mention of
- the rot in the British political system, in which the funding of politics and the FPTP system need to be addressed
- the future relationship with our immediate neighbours (without mentioning the B word), without which I doubt that it is possible to retrieve the economic situation.
Thanks for this Emma. Sturgeon has ensured the aex/gender issue wil get a lot more traction, I can't see an easy route out from under for Labour, hopefully someone clever will. The next election is I think the most important in my lifetime (and I'm old), Labour simply must win it or I fear for the future existence of public services. I have a feeling the Tories now enjoy fighting amongst themselves so much they just can't stop, a welcome switcheroo with Labour.
Thanks for this great framing piece, Emma. It seems that a big theme running throughout much of what you describe is the need for public service reform. People can't get see their GP within a reasonable time. The immigration/processing system is both inhumane and ineffective. The insufficient childcare support from govt means that many people (mostly women) cannot join the workforce. Factor in the rise in interest rates and the context of the Trussonomics shambles, it means that politicians (mostly tories, but also some Labour) are very nervous about a big fiscal expansion plan when it comes to fixing public services.
Other than bashing civil servants, Sunak/the Tories are wary of going down the 'reform' route, and seem to prefer going for the 'the state can't do everything for you ' line. By adding a few more good ideas on state capacity reform to the universal childcare plan you mentioned, Labour have a good chance to put a wedge between themselves and the tories on this key challenge of delivering critical public services/infrastructure.
What that 'reform' is, and if it can be swept into a tightly knit sentence, is less clear. Ofc some areas will merely require more funding, some new technology, some new incentive structures. Probably impossible to have a pithy hook that ties this all together. However, given that the tories idea of reform is essentially giving managers smaller budgets and hoping that 'innovation just happens', even a moderate amount of thinking on this from Labour could make them look pretty serious when it comes to mending the key functions of the state.
Anyway, thanks a lot again. Always enjoying reading your stuff!
I completely agree. But first we will need to wrest back the meaning of 'reform'. For too long (under both Labour but rocket-boosted by the Tories) it has meant cuts. It has to mean changes that work for workforces and service users. It was the same with welfare. Everyone agrees that the system doesn't work. But as soon as we say 'reform' everyone starts to protect what exists for fear of worse. It's the small c conservatism that is the enemy of progress.
All very simple Starmer needs to discover his Gonads drop the righteous rabbit in headlights techno good guy look and let the dawgs off the leach. Follow Mick, stout Cortez and the Tyrone woman. The people are crying out for Leadership save them from the pit of Faragedom. There lies the narrow arete to salvation. Be a brave Alpinist, Equilibre, move fast and firmly to democracy again please Be brave and true Hasta la Victoria Siempre
Great piece. Let's hope somebody drops it into the inbox of a few of Starmer's coterie of advisors. That would certainly help in coming up with a credible policy on women.
He could begin by condemning the actions of people who block film screenings, assemble outside meetings to drown out speakers and balaclava wearing young men who scream abuse at women legally meeting to discuss their own concerns.
It will be a difficult path to tread but there are many sensible and knowledgeable women ready to advise Starmer on how to arrive at a credible approach that will both satisfy the majority of Labour voters and prevent the Tories taking advantage of their obvious silence on the issue at present.
Thank you.
Odd to have written a longish piece without mention of
- the rot in the British political system, in which the funding of politics and the FPTP system need to be addressed
- the future relationship with our immediate neighbours (without mentioning the B word), without which I doubt that it is possible to retrieve the economic situation.