Politicians always say they want a bottom-up society, and can never quite deliver it. This may be because it would seldom work and isn’t often a good idea.
Posted by Richard D North under "Power To The People!" / The Initiative Blizzard on 18 November 2008. No comments.
There was a rather depressing discussion on the Today show. It followed publication of Liam Byrne’s mildly assertive ministerial memo setting out how he liked his private office to be run. As usual, the Man In Whitehall was portrayed as a sly tyrant. More »
Posted by Richard D North under "Power To The People!" / Messiah Politics / Presentation or policy? / The wisdom of crowds on 4 November 2008. No comments.
This is a wonderful moment to assess the Obama bid for the presidency, now when everything remains uncertain. Is he the latest in Messiah Politics? More »
Posted by Richard D North under "Power To The People!" on 19 September 2008. No comments.
Successive governments have insisted that they are “listening” in a new way. They seek - fairly enough - to address a modern anxiety that politicians “are out of touch”. But modern “public consultation” doesn’t make policy. It never did, and can’t now. More »
Posted by Richard D North under "Power To The People!" / Dare to be dull / Death of ideology / Presentation or policy? / The Archipelago State / The wisdom of crowds on 18 September 2008. No comments.
David Cameron has said that he would like to see a return to proper government, with a Prime Minister working with his Cabinet and Whitehall. But he has also been toying with the idea of the “post bureaucratic society”. Sounds nice, let’s hope he doesn’t mean it. More »
