Transparency: the government’s self-protection aid

Cynic

"They will have to write public letters explaining why plans have fallen behind (in the same way the Governor of the Bank of England has to write to the Chancellor if he mises the inflation target).’" Because Mervyn writing to the Chancellor is so effective at keeping the lid on inflation, isn't it?

yank

Wait... you mean they'll be forced to account to David Cameron... Ol' Landslide Dave ?

THAT'S the sergeant at arms for this sorority?

He couldn't even get rid of a minister who ignored his directives, and hired his unstudied playtoy as paid for by the public weal, and now HE'S claimed to be the hammer here?

Don't wait. You all better just hand the keys over to the frog military right now.

anne allan

"have to account to Oliver Letwin....."
Wow, that should scare the pants off them..

Fergus Pickering

Listen, yank, ole feller, he's OUR PM not yours. I know you measure our politicians according to how far they get up Uncle Sam's bottom in supporting your brave boys (incidentally are you saying the are braver than other people's brave boys and that there aren't about the same admixture of cowardly boys among them, like oh that Calley feller and those politicians, some in very high offices of state, who hid themselves in the National Guard?). Uncle Sam is not saving our sorry asses, he is working, like the frog-eating surrender monkeys, for his own advantage, like everyone else. And isn't it just possible that Cameron was quite happy to see Liam Fox sound off about what he had to keep quiet about? Anyway, I prefer our boss man to yours. Of course, you might say, you could have Sarah Palin and then you could really show us. Meanwhile, you are a visitor and might keep a civil tongue in your head. I spent some time in the States and managed to shut up about George Bush. Out of courtesy, don't you know.

London Calling

Think of a number, make up some ludicrous policies, no consultations, hammer it out… and run for cover very slowly: the government’s self-protection aid…

Hastings…housing waiting list in the region 36,000, extra funding of 3 million to Hastings council for community projects for local social support networks to be cut by the end of this year…Bed and Breakfast accommodation pre booked for the London exiles: the Communities have no protection aid…

No compromise…because its fair in fairy
land…not Engerland.

London Calling

PS

Microscopic – Macroscopic and : The consequences of Transparency without consultation.

China, Germany and South Africa criticise US stimulus

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said the US policy was "clueless" and would create "extra problems for the world".
"If the domestic policy is optimal policy for the United States alone, but at the same time it is not an optimal policy for the world, it may bring a lot of negative impact to the world," said Mr Zhou.

"There is a spill over."

China's Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai said the Federal Reserve had the right to take steps without consulting other countries beforehand, but added: "They owe us some explanation."
Germany's finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said on German television that "with all due respect, US policy is clueless."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11697483

Naomi Muse

There are a couple of things that the coalition can bring in to its controls.

One which Canada did and was most effective was to set annual government targets for reductions of the deficit and of the debt.

The other is straight from business - a letter of disclosure covering where assets and, more to the point, liabilities are, how much they are and the overall position. In a business takeover these are an essential part of negotiating the deal. The deal here is that the government will be able to do what it projects is necessary. From what Margaret Hodge said yesterday, the targets for saving put forward by the previous government fell well short of what was actually achieved. The implication was that the public servants did not have the will to achieve the reductions and dragged their feet. That cannot be allowed to happen this time.

Tarka the Rotter

Now Yank, surely you don't believe all those scurrilous tales about our Foreign Secretary and his toyb...I mean, personal assistant do you? Why, shame on you...

Tarka the Rotter

of course David Cameron is committed to transparency...you could see right through his election promises

TrevorsDen

What are you rabitting on about 'london calling'
Hysteria. There are 18500 flats available within 5 miles of central london at £400pw or less; and 7500 houses.

No need for B&B.

30,000 on a waiting list in Hastings? Its population is 86,000. So nearly half are on a housing waiting list?

Lifes tough - labour left no money

StrongholdBarricades

The greater issue is surely the permancy of the reforms that are being introduced.

If after another election, the new incoming party with a majority seeks to remove these "transparency", what is to stop them?

libertarian

@London Calling

Stop making up numbers and fibbing. You obviously haven't been to Hastings for a while

http://www.hastings.gov.uk/housing_advice/choice_based_lettings.aspx

toni

ThR.."of course David Cameron is committed to transparency"...
which explains why the Baroness hasn't been fronting the news accusing Cameron of knowing that Coulson was questioned *again* on Thursday, and not divulging it immediately to the public.

Fatbloke on tour

DB

When will the bi-curious Dave the Rave become fully tansparent regarding his little job creation scheme on the self publicity front?

When will we get to know the full cost?
I take they will be joing the CS pension schems and be due redundancy when Dave gets the chop?

Paddy

I can't believe all the Labour wastrels on here this morning trying to change the fact that:

PHILL WOOLAS has been "dropped from a great height" by the "caring sharing" Labour party.

It's so obvious.

The same style of writing - the same punctuation - the same message and the same stupid names - Fatman, London Calling, StronholdBarricades, Tarka the Rotter, toni, cynic and Yank.

Go and crawl back under your stone.

toni

@Paddy. And do you have a problem with the 'Labour Party dropping Woolas from a great height'? It's all over the news and blogs, so very transparent.
Now tell me how transparent this week was; the entente cordiale, the vanity photographer and Coulson being questioned again?
Where's Warsi when the public want transparency? Well surprise! accusing Miliband of not making a public announcement within 4 hours about Woolas.
It is about transparency, or as some might forgiven for thinking, brass necked hypocrisy.

yank

Paddy,

I can see now that politics over there is sorta the same as politics here: You can choose your Left... or you can choose your other Left. And the 2 Lefts spend their days sniping at each other, arguing over small differences, barely discerned with anything other than electron microscopy.

But now that that's all started to get smashed over here this past week... we need to organize a land invasion over there. To hell with Iraq and Afghanistan, it's time we came over and liberated YOU lot.

Just need to lease a couple landing craft... and pick a calm stretch of beach... first target will be whatever stone castle the BBC lords are holed up in... then Tory HQ... that'll be gettin' it in the neck but good.

The locals will all rally 'round... it'll be like Napoleon riding up from his chateau.

Nobody likes these wet bastards. Nobody. Not even the people who voted for 'em. Same as here.

And the higher the profile they take, and the more they scurry about, the closer they bring themselves to the next election, and that won't go any better than the last one did for them, I suspect.

Keep talkin', Dave. You're a force multiplier.

Tarka the Rotter

Labour wastrel eh?

Hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah

NOTHING could be further from the truth, Paddy...

hah hah hah hah hah hah

Paddy

Toni: Yes I do have a problem with the Labour Party dropping Phil Woolas from a great height.

They shouldn't have picked him up in the first place. He's a lying creep.

Transparency 'my arse'.

Don't get me started.

Miliband junior coming on TV to say Labour must not lie as if he didn't know.

Taking the electorate for fools again.

Pathetic.

It's too late for the 'shocked' Ms Harman and co. to be transparent - they have been rumbled again. We know what disgusting thugs they are. It's too late for them to change.

That's all they have done for the past 13 years.

What does this say about Miliband giving him a job in his cabinet with this hanging over him.

The money Labour wasted on 'contemplation Suites' - 'Parisian sofas' costing thousands of pounds.

Peter Mandelson, Alastair Campbell - Gordon Brown with his image consultant costing £55.000.

Don't criticise the coalition for spending money.

They are amateurs compared 'to the caring sharing' labour party.

Now go and crawl back under your stone with the Fatman.

I will give you another lesson about the New Generation TRANSPARENT labour party tomorrow.

yank

You know what I find so unsettling about this post, Mr. Blackburn? It is its focus on the trivial.

It is to say that the day to day functioning of government is to be shined up and shown off to the stupes.

That's what it's come to... media as reality TV.

No longer should we expect simple process to be executed simply... it's now an event, and we all are to sit breathless to see whether the wood can be scratched to light the campfire, and which tribe can do it faster.

Just light the goddamn fire, pogues. Here, let me show you... or maybe we should have one of the 8 year old kids in the gallery show you.

Labor passed and executed budgets, and at target levels little different than those Dave's crew supported. Wake us when anything significant changes here.

I hope there's something more meaty in your future commentary, because this is thin gruel you're serving.