Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Are the Tories trying to pack out the quango state?
One of the big arguments for the Welsh Assembly in 1997 was the way that the Conservatives had made up for their lack of representation in Wales at a Parliamentary level by setting up quangos to run our country and stuffed them with their own supporters.
Many of these quangos were subsequently abolished by the Welsh government, though in the case of the Wales Tourist Board and the Welsh Development Agency there are many who argue that they went too far.
Now the UK Tory Government has been accused of wanting to pack out English Quangos in the same way.
The Independent reports that the outgoing commissioner for public appointments has accused Ministers of increasingly pushing for Conservative sympathisers to be appointed to public bodies since the general election:
Sir David Normington, who oversees appointments and makes sure they are made on merit, told the Financial Times newspaper that David Cameron or other ministers intervened about once a month to ask why party donors, ex-MPs and others had not been shortlisted for key posts.
The commissioner, who has completed his term of office, said further Government plans to change the way appointments are made would also see “a return to the days of political and personal patronage”.
They may have a small majority but the Tories seem determined to cement their hold over government and all the bodies beholden to it.
Many of these quangos were subsequently abolished by the Welsh government, though in the case of the Wales Tourist Board and the Welsh Development Agency there are many who argue that they went too far.
Now the UK Tory Government has been accused of wanting to pack out English Quangos in the same way.
The Independent reports that the outgoing commissioner for public appointments has accused Ministers of increasingly pushing for Conservative sympathisers to be appointed to public bodies since the general election:
Sir David Normington, who oversees appointments and makes sure they are made on merit, told the Financial Times newspaper that David Cameron or other ministers intervened about once a month to ask why party donors, ex-MPs and others had not been shortlisted for key posts.
The commissioner, who has completed his term of office, said further Government plans to change the way appointments are made would also see “a return to the days of political and personal patronage”.
They may have a small majority but the Tories seem determined to cement their hold over government and all the bodies beholden to it.
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To me they seem to be attempting to become a one party state with deep capitalistic tendencies. Not dissimilar to their new found Communist friends in China. Stuffing organisations with their supporters is 'jobs for the boys' not best man for the job. Corruption seems to be endemic in China, are we possibly heading towards this scenario if quango's are stuffed with their supporters?
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