Fascinating discussion
29.01.2026 10:50
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Fascinating discussion
Good piece from Bruno
And I'd also add that many on the right fall guilty to loving the private sector in ideological terms, but having the most public sector mindset imagineable when it comes to how the state should function (huge risk-aversion, penny-pinching, productivity growth comes from cuts)
Thanks Ross- agreed. They seem to take cues exclusively from bad private sector practice, eg PE firms that acquire ailing companies, "restructure" (usually losing human capital & institutional memory), asset-strip & cut capital spend leaving a hollowed out firm unable to generate productivity growth
New Substack out:
The Right has all but won the argument on the state. The public sector is seen as slow and inefficient. So long as it is, anti-state populism will remain a force
To own the future, Labour must change the story on the public sector. Here's how:
open.substack.com/pub/brunoden...
Thanks to the team at @instituteforgovernment.org.uk for hosting
Today, Darren Jones set out his – and his boss’ – stall: they are neither insurgents nor institutionalists, but “modernisers”
The state is “broken” and tweaking and patching up will not do, says Jones.
But the solution is not to tear it all down, but to build a “new, digital state of the future”
That’s the substance. Now the politics.
In the first post for my new Substack, I argued that Labour is divided into two camps: insurgents and institutionalists.
Institutionalists stress reform and due process. Insurgents think pace should trump process.
brunodent.substack.com/p/insurgents...
Jones also called for us to be “less British” about working around poor performance.
New senior civil service hiring criteria will put a higher premium on private sector experience and a track record of delivery & innovation. Bonuses will also be higher & more targeted at exceptional performers.
The return of NSG signals govt is serious about the importance of learning, talent pipelines & building state capacity.
NSG will be paid for in savings from the previously outsourced L&D contract, which will not be renewed – as I argued for in my report ‘Hollowed-Out Government’ for the Fabians
We also think secondments should be two-way – giving civil servants exposure to different cultures and ways of working, and hands-on delivery experience in the private sector and civil society.
As FGF set out in Mission Critical 02, using secondments to ramp up cross-sectoral interchange is needed.
If the aim is to open up the civil service, secondments offer a clear route to bringing in specialist expertise and vital external challenge.
www.futuregovernanceforum.co.uk/resource/mis...
Jones also signalled a renewed focus on bringing in & building up expertise
> Bringing in expertise by expanding the No.10 Innovation Fellowship that deploys innovators across WH to assist on priority work
> Building up expertise internally by re-establishing the National School of Government (NSG)
But none of this changes the need for system-wide reform.
At FGF, we’re clear that this cannot be a substitute for wider civil service reform.
To succeed, these task forces need:
> Engagement from the very top, with the PM signalling that this work matters
> Buy in across govt & beyond
> Multidisciplinary teams ft. outsiders & officials with a track record of delivery
> A culture of testing on the ground, learning and failing forward
That’s because setting up something new in Whitehall is far easier than trying to change something old.
There are also significant advantages to starting small: you can set a new culture on day one, and the team has far more freedom to innovate and be agile.
As a way of organising activity and driving delivery, ‘government by task force’ has a strong track record.
Most of the big delivery successes in recent years - Rough Sleepers Unit, Vaccines Task Force, etc - have been achieved by setting up something new outside existing Whitehall structures.
This mirrors the portfolio approach to delivering Labour’s 5 missions (remember them?) advocated by fmr Starmer aide aide Peter Hyman in opposition, and now on his Substack ⬇️
The language may be different, but the principle is the same.
peterhyman21.substack.com/p/how-to-get...
As frustration builds about the pace of change, Jones announced that govt will set up new task forces to bulldoze obstacles to delivery.
Teams will be small. They'll operate outside Whitehall hiring & procurement rules. They'll have direct access to ministers and huge permission to get things done.
The civil service should govern in peacetime like it does in crisis, says Darren Jones.
New Vaccines Taskforce-style units. More flexibility. More risk-taking. Fewer forms. Less talking, more doing.
He promised results within this Parliament.
But will it work? 🧵
Will the govt continue the political settlement of the last 4+ decades, or build a new one?
New report by @philtinline.bsky.social dissects how power works in Britain & why today's model is broken.
His conclusion: only by changing where power lies can we kickstart delivery & restore public trust.
Really good. A highlight:
Attlee and Thatcher each built a new political consensus – but it meant confronting entrenched ideas and concentrations of power. Today is another such moment.
🔊 Hear @philtinline.bsky.social discuss his latest report for FGF alongside Michael Gove on today's Start the Week w/ @tds153.bsky.social ⬇️
OUT NOW: Power Failure: A new theory of power
New report by @philtinline.bsky.social argues we need a new ‘theory of power’ to understand where power lies & how it should be redistributed – so govt can get things done and restore trust.
Full report ⬇️
www.futuregovernanceforum.co.uk/resource/pow...
A consensus is emerging across politics on what is wrong with government.
But how to fix it is dividing the Labour Party into two camps: insurgents and institutionalists.
🚀 I’ve launched Statecraft, a new Substack, to explore this debate. First post below ⬇️
substack.com/home/post/p-...
Come and join our team as:
🟢 Researcher - who'll conduct research & analysis in support of projects and workstreams at FGF
🟢 Communications Coordinator - who'll devise & deliver communication campaigns to raise the profile, reputation and reach of FGF
www.futuregovernanceforum.co.uk/vacancies/
Much has been written about the inner workings of Keir Starmer’s No.10 in recent months.
@futuregovforum.bsky.social's newest report looks behind the iconic black door, exploring the dynamics preventing the PM from really kicking the system into gear, and setting out what needs to change.
“Reforming the state is not a luxury to be set aside amid new crises; it is how to respond to those crises and renew the nation."
Speaking at Ruskin College, Oxford, Director @yeowell.bsky.social urges the PM to "double down" on his missions agenda.
www.futuregovernanceforum.co.uk/news/starmer...
📣OUT NOW – Impactful Devolution 02: Local govt for the digital era
Last week the PM set out plans for digital change across Whitehall.
Our new report with @publicdigital.bsky.social sets out how digital can drive reform in local govt. Read it here ⬇️
www.futuregovernanceforum.co.uk/resource/imp...
One day to go! 🚨
Secure your place 👇
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-can-we...
🚨 New starter pack alert 🚨
Some of the leading thinkers, practitioners and organisations shaping how government works – and how it could work better, all in one place.
Take a look, follow and share around!
go.bsky.app/E3DgZbX
