The civil service needs a new Code Opinion Wherever the fault lies following the departure of Sir Olly Robbins from government, it’s clear that this is another blow to the already damaged relationship between ministers and civil servants, says Joe Hill The things organisations say they value can differ a lot from the things they actually value. Enron – a company which went [...]
London doesn’t need an ambassador Mayor – it needs a chief executive Opinion The capital punches below its weight because it can’t govern itself. Slash the number of boroughs, reform the London Assembly and give the Mayor revenue-raising powers to unleash London, says Joe Hill To be the Mayor of London is to be the leader of a global capital city. It is a different job to the [...]
All I want for Christmas is economic growth Opinion Keir Starmer has quietly abandoned his “five missions”, now he should dispense with all policies that are standing in the way of growth, starting with the Employment Rights Bill, says Joe Hill As we ring out 2025 and ring in 2026, it’s good to reflect on what we’re leaving behind as well as looking to [...]
If the Chancellor wants to save money she should look in her own backyard November 12, 2025 Bureaucratic, process-obsessed and costly to take part in, public procurement exercises are often set up to fail before they even begin, says Joe Hill The Chancellor’s Budget this month is as high as the stakes can be for the government. It’s the defining test of how they balance competing goals to boost growth, spend on [...]
New business secretary should put deregulation top of his agenda September 10, 2025 Peter Kyle becomes the tenth business secretary in as many years – he should go where his predecessors didn’t and genuinely cut red tape, says Joe Hill As Westminster calms down from a heady weekend of reshuffle-watching, new ministers will be getting to grips with their new briefs. It’s not an enviable task – when [...]
Soho isn’t just for residents, so why do they get all the say? August 13, 2025 Soho could be a pedestrianised wonderland, but Nimbyism plus a council structure that disincentivises business is punishing all Londoners.
What do civil servants really think about the state? July 11, 2025 Civil servants feel stifled by cumbersome processes, weak talent progression and ineffective procurement, according to a new survey that casts doubt on the government’s ability to deliver on the transformative “missions” it’s promised, says Joe Hill The Government took office a year ago pledging to change the country with five big “missions”. This approach was [...]
Spending Review is a chance to escape managed decline – will Reeves take it? June 11, 2025 Instead of repeating the same lines we’ve heard at every Spending Review since the financial crash, Rachel Reeves should challenge fundamental assumptions about the role of the state, says Joe Hill Today the Chancellor will announce her first full Spending Review – allocating government budgets over the next three years. It’s a defining moment for [...]
Building on the green belt won’t solve London’s housing crisis May 13, 2025 The Mayor’s plan to release green belt land for development is a good start, but if we really want to fix London’s housing crisis we need to build more and higher in the centre, says Joe Hill London’s success isn’t inevitable. It’s based on people wanting to live and work here, and there being enough [...]
Westminster’s Everythingism problem: Why trying to solve everything all at once has ruined politics April 10, 2025 The belief that every policy can be used to deliver every other policy is rife in Westminster, and it's costing us real progress, writes Joe Hill.
