Poor ... inefficient ... over-hyped ... real risk to the integrity of the control ... immature ... poor quality ... unreliable ... completely fails ... not joined up ... comical ... erroneous ... laughable ... these are just some of the words of praise heaped on the electronic face recognition gates used for passport control at Heathrow Airport, and on the eBorders scheme in general, in Nicola Stanbridge's eulogy broadcast on BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning.
Hat tip: JGM
Wednesday 23 November 2011
Technology securing the border
Poor ... inefficient ... over-hyped ... real risk to the integrity of the control ... immature ... poor quality ... unreliable ... completely fails ... not joined up ... comical ... erroneous ... laughable ... these are just some of the words of praise heaped on the electronic face recognition gates used for passport control at Heathrow Airport, and on the eBorders scheme in general, in Nicola Stanbridge's eulogy broadcast on BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning.
Hat tip: JGM
Hat tip: JGM
Sunday 20 November 2011
Your Money And How They Spend It – BBC2 9pm 23 & 30 November
Could be worth a watch.
The programme is made by Nick Robinson, Political Editor at the BBC, who trailed it in the Telegraph.
Will Mr Robinson observe polite convention and pretend that politicians are responsible? He might. He says:
Or will Mr Robinson spread the blame a little wider and recommend more openness?
The programme is made by Nick Robinson, Political Editor at the BBC, who trailed it in the Telegraph.
Will Mr Robinson observe polite convention and pretend that politicians are responsible? He might. He says:
Does he really believe that FiReControl, the disastrous project he alludes to, was all John Prescott's fault and nothing to do with officials?
Keeping old hospitals open is popular ... So too is building expensive new developments in the regions. Take fire control centres, which it was promised would use the latest technology to track emergency vehicles by satellite to keep us all safer in the event not just of fire, but floods and terrorist attacks. Just one problem: the technology didn’t work. Eight centres are open but empty. Just one will be costing not far short of £100,000 a month for the next 24 years.
Or will Mr Robinson spread the blame a little wider and recommend more openness?
We can all hope, though, that once this crisis is over we will have learnt to have a more honest, more open, more realistic debate about your money and how they spend it.
Your Money And How They Spend It – BBC2 9pm 23 & 30 November
Could be worth a watch.
The programme is made by Nick Robinson, Political Editor at the BBC, who trailed it in the Telegraph.
Will Mr Robinson observe polite convention and pretend that politicians are responsible? He might. He says:
Or will Mr Robinson spread the blame a little wider and recommend more openness?
The programme is made by Nick Robinson, Political Editor at the BBC, who trailed it in the Telegraph.
Will Mr Robinson observe polite convention and pretend that politicians are responsible? He might. He says:
Does he really believe that FiReControl, the disastrous project he alludes to, was all John Prescott's fault and nothing to do with officials?
Keeping old hospitals open is popular ... So too is building expensive new developments in the regions. Take fire control centres, which it was promised would use the latest technology to track emergency vehicles by satellite to keep us all safer in the event not just of fire, but floods and terrorist attacks. Just one problem: the technology didn’t work. Eight centres are open but empty. Just one will be costing not far short of £100,000 a month for the next 24 years.
Or will Mr Robinson spread the blame a little wider and recommend more openness?
We can all hope, though, that once this crisis is over we will have learnt to have a more honest, more open, more realistic debate about your money and how they spend it.
WrinklesInTheMatrix: Boris Johnson 1
Telegraph, 21 October 2011:
Guardian, 16 November 2011:
Boris Johnson rebuked over use of dodgy statistics
Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, has been rebuked by the head of Britain’s statistics watchdog for repeatedly using questionable figures to overstate his claims of cutting reoffending rates.
Sir Michael Scholar, the chairman of the UK Statistics Authority, which scrutinises all official figures, singled out some of Mr Johnson’s comments to the Home Affairs Select Committee last month ...
Now here's a wrinkle – three of them, actually:
Boris Johnson says UK Statistics Authority chair is 'Labour stooge'
Boris Johnson has accused the chair of the UK Statistics Authority of being a "Labour stooge".
The London mayor's attack came after he was put on the rack over misleading statistics he had given to a Commons committee to highlight the success of an initiative to cut crime ...
- Statistics are pre-party political, they don't "know" about Labour and Conservative
- If doctors used statistics the way politicians do, we'd all be dead
- Sir Michael was Private Secretary to Margaret Thatcher 1981-83
... having good statistics is like having clean water and clean air. It’s the fundamental material that we depend on for an honest political debate.
WrinklesInTheMatrix: Boris Johnson 1
Telegraph, 21 October 2011:
Guardian, 16 November 2011:
Boris Johnson rebuked over use of dodgy statistics
Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, has been rebuked by the head of Britain’s statistics watchdog for repeatedly using questionable figures to overstate his claims of cutting reoffending rates.
Sir Michael Scholar, the chairman of the UK Statistics Authority, which scrutinises all official figures, singled out some of Mr Johnson’s comments to the Home Affairs Select Committee last month ...
Now here's a wrinkle – three of them, actually:
Boris Johnson says UK Statistics Authority chair is 'Labour stooge'
Boris Johnson has accused the chair of the UK Statistics Authority of being a "Labour stooge".
The London mayor's attack came after he was put on the rack over misleading statistics he had given to a Commons committee to highlight the success of an initiative to cut crime ...
- Statistics are pre-party political, they don't "know" about Labour and Conservative
- If doctors used statistics the way politicians do, we'd all be dead
- Sir Michael was Private Secretary to Margaret Thatcher 1981-83
... having good statistics is like having clean water and clean air. It’s the fundamental material that we depend on for an honest political debate.
Friday 18 November 2011
BBC Radio Scotland – Sassenach border incursion
Tomorrow morning's Newsweek Scotland, 19 November 2011 8 a.m., presented by Derek Bateman, includes a discussion of border control, with background briefing by someone. Mr Bateman's good-humoured parting shot was that by the time someone's contributions have been edited, they'll all imply the opposite of what was said.
Three long talks with BBC producers in a week. One programme to show for it.
We'll see.
Or hear.
----------
On Derek Bateman's blog:
Three long talks with BBC producers in a week. One programme to show for it.
We'll see.
Or hear.
----------
On Derek Bateman's blog:
On iPlayer, starting at 47'18", available for the next week or so.
I suggest you turn the volume down when I speak to David Moss
BBC Radio Scotland – Sassenach border incursion
Tomorrow morning's Newsweek Scotland, 19 November 2011 8 a.m., presented by Derek Bateman, includes a discussion of border control, with background briefing by someone. Mr Bateman's good-humoured parting shot was that by the time someone's contributions have been edited, they'll all imply the opposite of what was said.
Three long talks with BBC producers in a week. One programme to show for it.
We'll see.
Or hear.
----------
On Derek Bateman's blog:
Three long talks with BBC producers in a week. One programme to show for it.
We'll see.
Or hear.
----------
On Derek Bateman's blog:
On iPlayer, starting at 47'18", available for the next week or so.
I suggest you turn the volume down when I speak to David Moss
Whitehall – SNAFU
Sir Richard Mottram will be famous in some people's minds as the Permanent Secretary at the Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when 9/11, Stephen Byers, Jo "It's now a very good day to get out anything we want to bury. Councillors' expenses?" Moore and Martin Sixsmith all happened at the same time, leading Sir Richard to deliver himself of his numinous SitRep:
Sir Richard published an article in Public Servant magazine on 16 November 2011, Whitehall shake-up – not all good news, in which he lists the perennial Whitehall problems:
He does not confront the fact that the present arrangement, with Sir Gus in charge of everything, has not worked well. It hasn't. Whitehall are not spending £710 billion of public money – this year alone – wisely. Some change is in order. Not necessarily this particular change.
He makes no reference to Bob Kerslake. His article may have been written before the announcement of Sir Bob's appointment.
He does take time out to have what could be interpreted as a bit of a swipe at Jeremy Heywood:
----------
Updated 16.7.14
971 days later:
When Sir Gus O'Donnell retires at the end of the year, the three jobs he combined will be split between three successors – Jeremy Heywood, Ian Watmore and Bob Kerslake. That is a Whitehall shake-up.
We're all fucked. I'm fucked. You're fucked. The whole department is fucked. It's the biggest cock-up ever. We're all completely fucked.
Sir Richard published an article in Public Servant magazine on 16 November 2011, Whitehall shake-up – not all good news, in which he lists the perennial Whitehall problems:
- how to improve the efficiency of the civil service and the wider public service
- how the Cabinet Office can take charge of that improvement in efficiency
- how the centre (i.e. the Cabinet Office? Number 10? Not clear) can keep control of its satrapies, the various departments of state
- how the head of the home civil service can have any influence on the Prime Minister if he is not also Cabinet Secretary and permanent secretary at the Cabinet Office
- how to ensure cabinet government as opposed to Blair-style sofa government
- how to provide effective career planning/talent management for senior civil servants
- how to provide leadership for the civil service
He does not confront the fact that the present arrangement, with Sir Gus in charge of everything, has not worked well. It hasn't. Whitehall are not spending £710 billion of public money – this year alone – wisely. Some change is in order. Not necessarily this particular change.
He makes no reference to Bob Kerslake. His article may have been written before the announcement of Sir Bob's appointment.
He does take time out to have what could be interpreted as a bit of a swipe at Jeremy Heywood:
And, arguably, a swipe at Ian Watmore, who is not a career civil servant, rather a businessman-turned-civil servant:
So is this unalloyed good news? For me there are two big reservations. Jeremy Heywood has outstanding personal qualities and skills and unrivalled experience at the centre. Indeed that is precisely where he has always worked, principally in private office roles at every level. So what became of the emphasis on seeking more effective policy implementation by ensuring policy people and delivery people had wider experience?
What Sir Richard is trying to tell us is that we're still all in a bit of a pickle.
It is also said that, had the reorganisation included a full-time head of the civil service, ministers would have wanted the post to be filled by a businessman – so, for the civil service, be careful what you wish for.
----------
Updated 16.7.14
971 days later:
With the removal of Sir Bob Kerslake, the reform of the Civil Service has gathered pace [or possibly slowed down]
The announcement of the brutal restructuring at the very top of Whitehall has brought great sympathy for the able and well-liked Sir Bob, but also relief that Sir Jeremy Heywood is to combine his current job as Cabinet Secretary with being head of the Civil Service. The experiment of splitting the two jobs and of downgrading the latter by making it part time has failed – as many warned it would.
Whitehall – SNAFU
Sir Richard Mottram will be famous in some people's minds as the Permanent Secretary at the Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when 9/11, Stephen Byers, Jo "It's now a very good day to get out anything we want to bury. Councillors' expenses?" Moore and Martin Sixsmith all happened at the same time, leading Sir Richard to deliver himself of his numinous SitRep:
We're all fucked. I'm fucked. You're fucked. The whole department is fucked. It's the biggest cock-up ever. We're all completely fucked.