Budget announcements, 18 March 2015 (merged topic)

[whole diary]

[Rhydgaled]

My personal view is that it seems to me the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) seem to run rings around whoever is in power. Too few politicians understand, or want to understand,  the finer points of public transport to keep the DfT in check.

An interesting point. Furthermore, how are ministerial posts allocated amogst MPs^▸ (Member of Parliament, or Mile Post (a method of measuring the railway in miles and chains from a starting point - usually London), depending on context)? Sometimes, do they give the job to somebody they like/don't like rather than somebody who really wants the job? Maybe we should have a second election a few weeks after a general one to democratically elect ministers who have to put their name down to stand for that post...

[PhilWakely]

........... Maybe we should have a second election a few weeks after a general one to democratically elect ministers who have to put their name down to stand for that post....

An interesting idea! Some ministers in the past appear to have been set up to fail in office.  Also, another reason this would be good is that some ministers appear to have forgotten the main reason they were elected in the first place. To quote from the sitting MP^▸ (Member of Parliament, or Mile Post (a method of measuring the railway in miles and chains from a starting point - usually London), depending on context) from my neighbouring constituency (East Devon - Hugo Swire)... "As a government minister, I am unable to represent the interests of my constituents directly". 

[didcotdean]

Until 1919 anyone appointed as a Minister to an office considered to be 'an office of profit under the Crown' had to seek re-election within 9 months, and this included 'any commissioner of transports' under the 'Succession to the Crown Act 1707'.

This was limited and later abolished altogether as the turnouts in such elections were low, and the tradition had become that these were usually unopposed by the main parties anyway unless it was a marginal (Winston Churchill lost in a by-election in such a seat in 1908 after becoming  President of the Board of Trade). The original reason was so that Ministers showed their independence from the Crown's patronage.

[ChrisB]

Mine too, with the codicil that the politocos aren't interested in learning, either.

[TonyK]

Agreed, but also a governing class (all parties that have been in power) who think they can play at managing complex enterprises with no experience of the real world.  

Paying ^68,000 to ^140,000 pa isn't going to get you someone who can run an organisation as big as UK^▸ (United Kingdom) PLC's railways. Given that the transport minister is also responsible for ordering new roads and ports, as well as avoiding making a decision on Heathrow's runways, he/she is doing the job on the cheap.

[TaplowGreen]

Agreed, but also a governing class (all parties that have been in power) who think they can play at managing complex enterprises with no experience of the real world.  

Paying ^68,000 to ^140,000 pa isn't going to get you someone who can[/run] an organisation as big as UK^▸ (United Kingdom) PLC's railways. Given that the transport minister is also responsible for ordering new roads and ports, as well as avoiding making a decision on Heathrow's runways, he/she is doing the job on the cheap.

Very few people who have spent their entire career in politics/the public sector/quasi public sector have much concept of what goes on the real world, however don't necessarily equate size of salary with ability - a Secretary of State has a bigger network of support and expertise than most Private companies, it really depends on his political agenda and the slice of cake he is permitted from the Treasury.........historically Transport has come some way down the pecking order, it's not a "sexy" subject like Health or Education.

[ellendune]

a Secretary of State has a bigger network of support and expertise than most Private companies, it really depends on his political agenda and the slice of cake he is permitted from the Treasury.........historically Transport has come some way down the pecking order, it's not a "sexy" subject like Health or Education.

Ah yes that network of support....

My personal view is that it seems to me the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) seem to run rings around whoever is in power. Too few politicians understand, or want to understand,  the finer points of public transport to keep the DfT in check.

That brings us back to where we started. 

[TonyK]

I know who is really ruining running the country. I am a civil servant after all.

I heard Parick McLoughlin on the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) news this morning. He strikes me as a man who knows his subject, and he has plenty to announce (or reannounce) next week.