Raynsford’s Right
I have always had a soft spot for Old Etonians, and Nick Raynsford is no exception. In this month’s Policy Review (an obscure magazine I occasionally write for) he sets out a coruscating critique of New Labour’s failings. It’s the usual stuff, but sounds better coming from a former Labour minister. There’s Labour’s “fixation on tomorrow’s headlines”; “rushed and over-centralised decision-making”; hasty reshuffles to distract from bad news; interference from No.10; “the imposition of frequently changing targets, obligations and priorities”; “the culture of continuous activity and micro-management from the centre”.
New Labour has finally got to the point all Governments get to - ex-Ministers with nothing to lose telling it like it is.