10 principles for better government

Article

This paper sets out a vision for a state that is less dependent on the market-based assumptions that have dominated policymaking over the last 35 years and which puts people at the heart of its thinking.

In this thought-provoking personal essay, Community Links co-founder David Robinson identifies 10 principles to underpin a citizen-centred model of 'whole system' reform of public services.

  1. Build readiness
  2. Prevent the preventable
  3. Prioritise relationships
  4. Combine functions
  5. Co-produce services
  6. Co-locate the public estate
  7. Cultivate the willing
  8. Reduce inequalities
  9. Commit to common
  10. Tell the story of our lives

Together, Robinson argues, these principles would equate to reclaiming some part of the 'old normal' - our common humanity, mutual trust and a willing kindness. By this view, piecemeal, programmatic reform - layering specific initiatives and isolated
pilots over a failing system - means more waiting for trouble, more belated reaction and - ultimately and inevitably - more failure.

A 'better government', on the other hand, would understand the scale of the challenge to our services and the importance of bold, whole-system reform. It would structure its narrative around shared values and align its vision with 'the deep-set rhythms of our daily lives', making readiness - not the more negative resilience - its primary goal. This better government would prevent the preventable and champion relationships as the organising principle at the heart of all Britain's public services.

Related items

  1. The Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, River Thames and Westminster Bridge

    Taxing choices: Taking the public’s temperature ahead of the budget

    The stakes for a government are rarely higher than at a budget. Every chancellor has dealt with this differently. Ken Clarke would draft his budget speech with cigars and whisky, Gordon Brown pored over every word in what officials called…
  2. Scottish parliament building at Holyrood and Calton Hill, Edinburgh

    Great expectations: Rejuvenating the national debate in Scotland

    Fresh IPPR Scotland polling shows that politicians must raise their game if next year’s election is a to be serious debate about the challenges facing Scotland and potential solutions. 
  3. A Black man in a bright orange high vis jacket and hard hat stands in the middle of a road holding a sign that says 'STOP - WORKS'

    Unfinished business: Redressing inequality in British policy and Black lives

    As conversations about race and equality continue to evolve, Black History Month remains a powerful invitation to pause, reflect, and recommit to progress.