Building state capacity for economic growth
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The Government has woken up to the urgent need for radical reform of the British state. The Prime Minister has promised to “rewire the state”, to deliver the seismic shifts expected by the public and to put Britain back on course for growth and prosperity.
The starting gun for deep reform has been fired, starting with clamping down on unaccountable public bodies, reducing the regulatory cost burden, automating public services, and building an agile state with an “active government”.
We must build on these important steps by going further.
True mission-driven government demands nothing short of a State which can respond with speed and competence to the challenges we face. Building state capacity is vital to supporting a growing economy and stewarding it through a rapidly changing world.
This paper, published in partnership between Re:State (formerly Reform) and the Labour Growth Group, sets out nine key steps to take back control of the government machine.
- Make every pound count
- End the culture of groupthink
- Support ministers to lead
- Hire the best and the brightest
- End the merry-go-round of poor performance
- Scale up technology and automation
- Be a better buyer
- Rationalise the public body landscape
- Hold the permanent civil service accountable