We need better Government

I don’t mean this in a party political way. It’s about how we are governed, from Whitehall.

So many decisions are taken by so few people in central London – decisions affecting millions across Britain. In Parliament, we sometimes glimpse how and why decisions are made. But we’re rarely given the full picture.

Some decisions of course can only be taken by a few people, for the whole country. Decisions involving national security and key economic matters. Those Ministers then answer to Parliament.

Yet many decisions taken in Whitehall could just as easily be taken by politicians and public servants closer to their communities – by people who really know their patch. By people who can be quizzed by their local electorate.

A key problem of modern British politics, in my view, is the distance between the Government and the governed. While the TV can make you feel the Prime Minister and Cabinet are somehow accessible, the truth is they are remote.

And it’s not just that our system gives all power to this small group at the centre. Now the press and public are conditioned to look to the Government of the day for solutions.

Isn’t it time central Government tried to do a lot less - and then tried to do what’s left a lot better?