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While Govt has been manifestly incompetent, only talking abt pandemic incompetence downplays the political choices the Govt’s made: eg to outsource. And it risks reinforcing the worldview behind outsourcing that says competent service delivery is all we can expect as citizens. /1
Of course it’s true that the govt should deliver on promises and should roll-out services well. But making this the ultimate priority (‘deliverology’) invites claims about other bodies doing ‘delivery’ better & sidelines view of govt as owner, coordinator, and value-creator. /2
In the context of what’s happened in last yr in UK, too much talk of competence can lead to view that the pandemic response has just been error-strewn or careless, as opposed to the product of catastrophic choices made by Tory politicians with their eyes wide open to effects. /3
Am obviously not first person to make this point, but I think it’s worth making again, especially as Govt chooses again not to support renters, not to boost sick pay, not to give a greater uplift to UC;+as it continues, for example, a stamp duty holiday for property investors. /4
Just thinking about govt as one service deliverer (amongst many) doesn’t just diminish our ambition for govt. It also limits our horizons as citizens, denying any possibility that we might deserve a greater range of free basic services (like broadband to take one example). /5
Govt’s more than just a delivery device for a set of services we can never expand. And the Opposition plays a crucial role in creating expectations for what government - not just this government - can and should do. /6
(Or if 'creating expectations' is a bit strong, Government can build, support and cement expectations about what we all deserve.) /7
