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Simon Mayo

The decline of quality

 

The decision by The Observer to drop the Simon Caulkin column on management is probably the worst decision I have witnessed in more than 20 years in publishing. It raises serious worries about the quality and depth of debate in our media.

 

Second only to Vince Cable, he has been the most consistent and intelligent commentator on the contributory factors that lay behind the credit crisis. The Observer's appalling decision reveals two unfortunate prejudices at the heart of media and politics. Firstly, the assumption that issues of governance and management are minor or fringe issues; secondly that quality newspapers have to court celebrities and drop informed comment in order to stay viable.

 

Turning to the first matter, while economics correspondents like Robert Peston are feted and given prime slots, they are only ever reporting on the effects of economic decisions made by institutions and individuals. Simon Caulkin analysed the core underlying ideology that causes economic events. This is far more important for understanding how to prevent a repeat of the crisis that we are living through. The mechanistic modelling, treatment of people as resources, obsession with the short-term, and management by targets in the public sector are all symptoms of the sick ideology that has driven management culture, which Simon brilliantly dissected. This is not a left-right issue: the ideology appals many conservative Board members and school-masters, as well as the trade union activist.

 

Secondly, to what extent are we losing a quality press in this country? When I see the likes of Frank Skinner and David Mitchell given prime spots, I wonder: would The Observer of the 1940s have replaced George Orwell with Tommy Trinder? And how would that have helped, exactly?

 

I co-ordinated the signatures for a joint letter of protest to The Observer about the decision. Over a weekend, I received 60 vehement voices of support.

 

If anyone wishes to join the campaign for proper coverage of management, and to arrest the decline of formerly quality newspapers, please contact me on phil@whiteleywords.com

 

Philip Whiteley
Chair of the Human Capital Forum London

 

 

Volunteer MP

 

Since being a elected a councillor and a prospective MP, it has been my personal belief that through voluntary work like working as a teaching assistant, cleaning up graffi ti, going on the beat with the police and sweeping the streets, politicians can maintain their feet on the ground and understand the issues affecting ordinary working men and women in their ward or constituency. I have been doing this and I am not afraid of getting my hands dirty. There has been an obvious tragic loss in public trust in elected politicians, especially in light of poor judgment and greed from some of our politicians in all parties. I think a new generation of politicians must step forward. This is partly why I am standing. I have already published my councillor expenses on my website for some time and I have been critical of those politicians making frivolous claims. To partly help restore confi dence in elected politicians, I have already pledged that as an MP I will carry out voluntary non-political work in my constituency fi ve days a year. While I carry out this work I will donate my wages to charities who carry out work in my constituency. I think it is about time other politicians began to follow this example. I want the title of MP to mean something again. In my case I want it to mean man of principle.

 

Cllr James Alexander
Labour PPC for York Outer

 

Bring them to order Mr Speaker

 

I just despair at our Westminster politicians. With Speaker Bercow barely able to warm his new big green chair, the daggers were already drawn, with some unpleasant off and on the record briefing against him, a less than gracious welcome by Alan Duncan, Shadow Leader of the House, and a quite distasteful contribution from Nadine Dorries parading herself round the media outlets the day after Mr Bercow's election.

 

Others were highly critical, not only of the choice for Speaker but the process for getting him elected, the machinations and manoeuvrings. Please, get over yourselves and start looking outward. This was the ideal moment for the body politic to be eloquent, gracious and humble. Instead, many of you blew it with a display of bickering and backbiting that left me exasperated and I am someone who defends you people.

 

Gary Rae
Halifax, West Yorkshire

 

 

 

Correction

 

On page 28 of the Total Politics/KPMG survey: The Direction of Local Government and the Recession in TP July we wrote:

 

We also asked respondents to give us the biggest challenges to local government today.

 

For council leaders, their top five answers in consecutive order were: increasing efficiency (72 per cent), frontlineservices (56 per cent), children's services (48 per cent), recession (35 per cent) and financial independence (32 per cent). Compare that with chief executives who answered: increasing efficiency (58 per cent), recession (52 per cent), public perception (52 per cent), frontline services (50 per cent), financial independence (37 per cent).

 

It is interesting that efficiency is such a high priority for both while chief executives are more concerned about public perception than elected council leaders.

 

In fact, the correct answers to the survey question are: Council leaders believe the top challenges to local government today are: increasing efficiency (58 per cent), recession (52 per cent), public perception (52 per cent), frontline services (50 per cent), financial independence (37 per cent).

 

Chief executives answer in this order: increasing efficiency (72 per cent), frontline services (56 per cent), children's services (48 per cent), recession (35 per cent) and financial independence (32 per cent).

 

 

 

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