Rapid Responses
Contract failure
[Re: Lessons from the government’s rail franchise fiasco, yesterday]
The ownership of the rail system is not the issue at stake. The problem is the unserious attitude that many civil servants take when managing government contracts. There has been a consistent failure to realise that there is a more to business and than following the latest jargon put out by that year’s minister. As a contractor, I’ve personally experienced this incompetence. There’s no reason why a public enterprise can’t be run professionally. But it requires a complete rethink of the current administrative system, which pretends to be impartial and independent, but which really just crawls to whichever minister is in charge.
Carl Bennett
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Miliband’s speech
[Re: Miliband’s speech: Powerful rhetoric but muddled thinking, Wednesday]
Ed Miliband’s speech was terrible. He’s been disingenuous on the 50p tax rate. And the fact that he’s still talking about universal banking shows that the Labour party neither understands nor has learnt from the banking crisis – a crisis that happened exclusively on its own watch. Miliband continues to blame the banks for Britain’s problems. But he fails to acknowledge that it was his party’s legislation that made so much of the financial crisis both possible and likely. Unfortunately, the Conservatives offer little alternative. Britain is now stuck between David Cameron and Miliband, with little chance to thrive.
Ike Nwobodo
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TOP TWEETS
You can’t be a One Nation Labour party if you put the interests of your paymasters above those of taxpayers.
@ftcouncillor
Whatever your view of Heathrow or Boris Island, you have to admit that these decisions are made far too late.
@UK_Drew
The Commonwealth overtook the Eurozone in GDP terms three months ago. The IMF expects it to grow at 7.3 per cent per annum.
@DanHannanMEP
Imagine a Tory party with Michael Gove as leader. He could use some the energy he’s put into education to reinvigourate Britain.
@PeterBingle