As The National, the newspaper I wrote for in Scotland, has reported this week:
ANDY Burnham has appointed a controversial firm involved in Donald Trump's "Gaza riviera" proposal to draft up his 10-year plan.
The Prime Minister has reportedly called in Boston Consulting Group (BCG) to help draw up the plan, The Times reports.
It comes after it emerged that the document may not be as ambitious as first thought.
The 10-year-plan may not be published in December, as has been briefed previously, but could slip until the new year.
According to Whitehall sources, their involvement will be limited.
The real question, however, is why Andy Burnham needs to ask a consulting firm what he thinks.
If he did not have a plan for what he wanted to achieve as Prime Minister before he took on that role, he was, by definition, unsuited for it.
And, as a matter of fact, if he has not got an inner compass of his own priorities that he can recall and recount to anyone at any moment, then he lacks the essential tool that anyone in a position of authority in an organisation needs to be able to direct its activities, which is the whole task that the Prime Minister is required to undertake.
This revelation is, then, in itself quite shocking.
More shocking is that he has asked for assistance from the Boston Consulting Group, which is archly neoliberal, a major proponent of the wealth divisions that underpin that philosophy, and has also been associated with Trump's post-conflict plans for Gaza. As disastrous PR choices go, this one is up there in the stratosphere.
Shocked by this, I have decided to write my own ten-year plan for what I think a UK government should be doing at present. This will be coming out as a video series, starting soon. If Burnham does not know why he needs such a plan, or what should be in it, someone needs to tell him. It might as well be me.
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Why a 10 year plan anyway? The chances of him being in office in 10 years are minuscule.
A two year plan, and soon a 1 year plan, would be more appropriate.
I disagree.
Without a 10 year plan, you will never rule for 10 years.
‘It’s Gotta Be You,
It’s Gotta be You………….’
Yes it has.
I came across the BCG practices during my MBA. I found their matrix to be repulsive – typically Neo-liberal over simplification and as Steve Keen pointed out about Neo-libs – static – totally un-dynamic.
What does the BCG know about public services? Other than helping Burnham divest of things?
I mean, its not about divesting now – it’s about investing surely?
Thank you
The point is that burnt-ham is a manager with no imagination.
The Boston Insulting mob have been hired to provide management advice & a plan for “steady as she goes”
Sunak: bankster, Starmer – cipher, burnt-ham – manager will the next one be thief? (bankster, cipher, manager – thief?).
The Marr-Chomsky interview comes to mind & ………..”your would not be in that chair if you thought differently”………the Wezzi village will destroy those that deign to be different.
Burnt-ham ain’t & could not be if his life depended on it.
I see no hope for the UK – perhaps break-up will produce a change?
Book for ya – “Everything was forever until it was no more” Yurchak – think of it as a companion volume to “Late Soviet Britain”.
Much to agree with
At this stage, a ten year plan should be very easy for any gov to publish. He is bound to be challenged on it anyway for lack of detail, however much or little is in it. All we would like to see is a destination – the promised land, a concept familiar to all politicians. He’s already claimed to want rid of neoliberalism. Does he even know there is a feasible alternative?
Looks like he might be doing a ‘Columbus’, not knowing where he was going, where he got to, and where he’d been. Although, in fairness, history was very kind to that explorer.
Burnham’s ‘plan’ will not reach fruition until I’m in my late eighties, so I’ll probably never know how it all turns out. In the meantime, I look forward to Richard’s plan on this platform – at least we know the destination.
I am working on a plan…it is already in draft
Worth noting that Bambi’s adviser James Purnell was formerly with Boston Consulting Group. The gloss on our unelected PM is fading fast, he is not a man with meaningful plans.
I forgot that.
Sorry, but WTF is Tinkerman doing?
…and, of course, the Boston Consulting Group has close ties with Tony Blair…
Of course….
Whatever else you think of a plan at least it gives you something to measure any proposal against or better still something to start with when drawing one up
I had a dog who, if I left my food out unguarded, would make every indication that he wasn’t going to eat it. He wouldn’t look at it and would have the most innocent face, all the while inching towards it, before inevitably scoffing it down. It was in his nature. Burnham reminds me of my dog. He’s giving every indication he wants change, but his little snout is inching closer and closer to that forbidden neoliberal dinner plate, because he’s just so hungry and doesn’t know any better. I like my dog much more than I like Burnham though.
Why is anyone surprised? Why are you surprised Richard? From the moment Josh Simons of the corrupt Labour Together faction gave Burnham his seat, it was clear that he Burnham was just another front for the faction – which is funded by Israeli, private healthcare, fossil fuel etc etc interests.<p>
So far Burnham has been very good at pretending the ugly stuff – more drilling, allowing Israel to close UK mission in Jerusalem without response etc. is down to his ministers – Mahmood, etc etc – while still remaining cuddly himself.<p>
His Downing street operation says it all – he is surrounded by City lobbyists , and Jonathan Powell flew out to surrender to the Israelis after Miliband’s futile gesture pretending to sanction the illegal settlers.<p>
Until there is a campaign to get money out of politics as El Syed did in Michigan , things will get worse. If Richard’s plan doesn’t include that it will be meaningless.
Much to agree with
I feel such a fool. I mistakenly hoped Burnham would be different but no – clearly window dressing for whatever is really going on.
And the deplorable, vile Kemi Badenochs latest ‘Amputess run marathons so don’t need any social security’ is cruelty beyond.
Thank god this blog exists as am feeling more and more alienated by the utter barbarity that comes out of their mouths and those the repeat it without challenge.
I am just confirming whether it is a video or blog required in response to Badenoch – it may be both.