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I have a half-baked theory about what is wrong with this Government's approach to difficult policy decisions. It is all linked with what I have called 'sloganeering populism' and @rolandmcs has called 'simplism'. Short thread. 1/9
I think it is uncontroversial to say that most policy making is difficult. It entails making hard choices, and balancing a range of interests. It is messy. It is not reducible to simple slogans. 2/
This Govt's approach doesn't seem to take this reality into account. Instead, it tries to distil issues in a straightforward way which people will understand (and it tests its messaging relentlessly in focus groups). This creates a strong campaigning message. 3/
It then appears to have little interest in the detail. It asks others to deliver a policy which meets its headline goals. And, it seems, it doesn't do much to check what those others are doing (if those others are not hand-picked, they soon will be). 4/
This leads it into error. Just three obvious examples.
First, the exams fiasco. The aim was to produce a fair outcome, and avoid grade inflation. But, as shown by @PaulbernalUK here, the individual dimension of fairness was ignored. 5/ https://twitter.com/PaulbernalUK/status/1294999104058261506
First, the exams fiasco. The aim was to produce a fair outcome, and avoid grade inflation. But, as shown by @PaulbernalUK here, the individual dimension of fairness was ignored. 5/ https://twitter.com/PaulbernalUK/status/1294999104058261506
Second, Brexit. The aim is to honour the will of the people, and take back control. Little thought seems to be given to the need to find ways to replicate the many benefits we had as members of the EU, and to countenance compromise. 6/
And third, coronavirus. This one is a little more interesting, because the Govt has seen that there are hard choices which need to be made. It has to be concerned both about health and about the economy. It oscillates between them. 7/
But... it hasn't found a way to combine the two, and so hasn't done what needs to be done to enable the economy to reopen in as safe a way as possible (see test and trace failures, shielding, and equivocation on masks/social distancing). 8/
When the policy-making process loses balance and nuance, it is prone to fail.
And, across the board, it is now failing. ENDS (not exactly cheerily...) 9/9
And, across the board, it is now failing. ENDS (not exactly cheerily...) 9/9
