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The Economist — World — British state — Politics — Economy — Public Services

The machinery, structure and output of the British state need reform

The British state's machinery, structure, and output require reform, particularly its civil service, productivity, and public services. Radical rethinking is needed for the NHS, incarceration rates, and enterprise. Greater public scrutiny is required to ensure the necessary reforms take place.

1 min read
  • The machinery of government in Britain needs reform, particularly its civil service, which suffers from a lack of expertise and internal churn.
  • British productivity has grown at less than half its pre-financial-crisis rate since 2010, and fiscal power is too concentrated on Whitehall.
  • The condition of public services in Britain is not producing better results, despite a post-war high of 37.7% of GDP in tax revenue, with falling life expectancy and staffing difficulties in children’s social care.
  • Radical rethinking is required to encourage enterprise, reduce incarceration rates, and shift to a model less focused on hospital care for the NHS.
  • Reforming the British state is possible, as it has been done before, but it requires more radical reforms and greater public scrutiny.
The machinery, structure and output of the British state need reform
From productivity to the public services, the case for change is clear | Leaders
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