Not Another One Is Whitehall broken and how might it be repaired?
Oct 29, 2025
The podcast dives into the effectiveness of the civil service and questions if it's still fit for purpose. Discussions reveal concerns about the Office for Budget Responsibility and its influence on British policymaking. The hosts explore the implications of heavy reliance on forecasts for economic strategy. They also examine the quality of today's MPs, debating whether there's been a decline in standards and the reasons behind it. Plus, they consider the impact of HR and DEI cultures on government performance.
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OBR's Disproportionate Power
- The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) holds outsized influence over UK budget politics and can constrain democratic choice.
- Reliance on its productivity judgments risks making budgets reactive to contested forecasts rather than strategic economic planning.
Budget Cycle Fuels Yearlong Uncertainty
- The yearly budget cycle dominated by OBR forecasts creates prolonged uncertainty that businesses hate.
- That uncertainty splits the year into pre- and post-budget phases, distracting government from growth efforts.
Prioritize Growth Philosophy Over Forecasts
- Governments should avoid over‑mathematizing economics and fixating on forecasts from lagging data.
- Focus policy on a clear growth philosophy and long‑term objectives rather than short-term model outputs.