Grayling to head up delivery watchdog

Labour's three terms have been marked by headline-grabbing initiatives that never saw the light of day. The Conservatives have today launched a watchdog to monitor their delivery.

The Party have compiled a dossier listing policies that Labour's ministers have promised over the years, and have been either "hot air or total failures".

Chris Grayling, who has a business and media background, is overseeing the monitoring group.

It strikes me as something that bloggers could do (and do do) very well.

Wiki, anyone?

10:30am update:

Click continue to see the dossier as it stands so far. The small team of researchers will be sending out regular bulletins tracking delivery failure.

Please comment on other examples that spring to mind.

Deputy Editor

Home Office Budget

What they said.

On 5 August 2005, Tony Blair promised ‘a comprehensive framework for action in dealing with the terrorist threat in Britain’. Gordon Brown later said: ‘the first responsibility of a government is to protect its citizens, keep people safe and ensure their security…I want a Britain [where] our national security is safe in our hands’.

What’s happened?

Gordon Brown has pre-empted his own Comprehensive Spending Review and recently announced a freeze in the Home Office budget for the next three years. The Home Secretary has described his own department as ‘not fit for purpose’.

Deportations

What they said.

On 24 August 2005, the Government announced a new ‘list of certain types of behaviours that will form the basis for excluding and deporting individuals from the UK’. They promised that the Home Secretary ‘will use his powers to deport and exclude from the UK those who engage in these types of behaviour…those who would attempt to foment terrorism or provoke others to commit terrorist acts are not welcome in the UK’.

What’s happened?

One year on, the Government has failed to deport several ‘preachers of hate’ and rapid extradition procedures have reportedly been dropped.

Borders & Asylum

What they said.

In April 2005, Tony Blair promised to ‘go on building strong controls to protect our borders; improving systems for tracking and returning illegal immigrants and individuals whose asylum claims are turned down’. One month later, he announced to the European Parliament that he would work to ‘make Europe's borders secure’.

What’s happened?

John Reid recently estimated that there are between 400,000 and 450,000 failed asylum seekers in the UK. The Public Accounts Committee recently calculated that this would take up to18 years to clear. The Home Secretary has described the IND’s electronic files as ‘riddled with duplication and errors’.

Amending the Human Rights Act

What they said.

On 5 August 2005, the Prime Minister promised: ‘anyone who has participated in terrorism, or has anything to do with it anywhere will be automatically refused asylum in our country…Should legal obstacles arise [to deportations] we will legislate further, including, if necessary, amending the Human Rights Act in respect of the interpretation of the European convention on human rights’.

What’s happened?

John Reid recently said: ‘repealing or amending the [Human Rights] Act will not assist in rebalancing the system’. The Government has failed to gain deportation in several cases such as the nine Afghan hijackers.

British citizenship

What they said.

On 5 August 2005, Tony Blair said: ‘We will review the threshold for [British citizenship] to make sure it is adequate, and we will establish with the Muslim community a commission to advise on how, consistent with peoples complete freedom to worship in the way they want and to follow their own religion and culture, there is better integration of those parts of the community presently inadequately integrated’.

What’s happened?

The Home Office has recently abandoned its Britishness test for immans - Tony McNulty, the Immigration Minister, said that there are no ‘compelling reasons’ to single religious leaders out, adding:  ‘There was some concern throughout the consultation that somehow ministers of religion were being treated differently to everyone else’. The Muslim Council of Britain said: ‘I do not understand why the Government has dropped this plan…We welcomed the idea. We thought it made sense that people coming here to preach should have a good grasp of our country's history’.

Protecting the Public

What they said.

A year ago, the Home Secretary, Charles Clarke, said: ‘our first responsibility is to protect…the public’.

What’s happened?

The Government failed to ensure that 1,013 foreign nationals already inside prisons in England and Wales were considered for deportation; John Reid told Parliament that ‘answers are not always factual’; a Chief Constable has accused him of making up policy ‘on the hoof’; and employees working in the Home Office recently described it as a ‘hell house’.

Hard Drugs

What they said.

On 11 August 2005, the Government boasted that ‘local communities are reaping the benefits of a major initiative by Government and police to rid the streets of Class A Drugs’.

What’s happened?

The latest crime figures show that there are now over a million Class A drug users; the number of people using Class A drugs frequently has gone up by more than a third in the last seven years; and cocaine use in the UK is now the highest in Europe.

Gun Crime

What they said.

On 5 August 2005, the Home Office announced a new initiative to tackle gun crime. The Government said ‘people in all neighbourhoods have the right to feel safe’.

What’s happened?

The latest figures show that gun crime has doubled under Labour and a gun crime was committed every hour in England and Wales in the last year.

Attacks on NHS staff

What they said.

On 28 August 2005, Patricia Hewitt announced that she was ‘determined to reduce the number of violent incidents occurring in the NHS. NHS staff should not have to tolerate abuse’ (DH Press Release, 28 August 2005).

What’s happened?

Latest figures show that over 60,000 NHS staff were physically assaulted in the last year - one assault for every 22 NHS staff and the Government recently neutered a Bill proposing tougher sentences for those who assault public servants. Health Minister Rosie Winterton recently repeated last year’s message: ‘it is totally wrong that so many of our hard-working doctors and nurses are subject to violence and verbal abuse whilst trying to treat patients’ (NHS Security Management Service Press Release, 15 August 2006).

Doctors’ training

What they said.

On 9 August 2005, the Department of Health announced a major shake-up of medical training. Health Minister Lord Warner said: “This is just the beginning of a much wider ranging change in medical training, driven by the needs of patients and the NHS’ (DH Press Release, 9 August 2005).

What’s happened?

One year later, it has emerged that the Government has failed to plan properly for the changes. The British Medical Association laid the blame squarely on the Government for failing to plan adequately for the changes and the resultant rise the unemployment of junior doctors (BMA press release, 14 June 2006).

Debt

What they said.

On 4 August 2005, the Government boasted that they had dealt with the debt crisis. ‘Much has been done to tackle over-indebtedness in the UK in the past year... The majority of the population continue to benefit from the availability of credit…[and] the Government is continuing to help the minority who still have significant problems’ (Department for Trade and Industry press release, 4 August 2005).

What’s happened?

One year later, personal indebtedness has risen by 10 per cent and total consumer debt now totals over a £1 trillion.

Comments

[Umbrella Man]

Will Chris Grayling be monitoring the Conservative Party's record at delivery? Here is my scorecard:

+ Leave EPP within months. NOT DELIVERED. Running three years behind schedule. Some think it will never be delivered.
+ Achieve 50/50 balance of candidates. BEHIND SCHEDULE. Only 30% of candidates selected are women.
+ Select London Mayoral candidate by open primary. BEHIND SCHEDULE by at least six months....

[Jon White]

Oh dear, oh dear. Now we have a 'Delivery Tsar'.

I think that we should realise that most people in Britain are all too well aware of NuLab's failures. Further resource devoted to exposing them is probably futile.

What the voter lacks, however, is any indication of how the Tories would be DIFFERENT. Until we tell them that, simply slagging off NuLab is pretty pointless and straight back to the "Punch and Judy" politics that a certain leader promised he'd get us away from. (DC breaking a campaign promise? Surely never, not that nice Mr. Cameron).

Rather than have a 'Delivery Tsar', why not appoint a 'Policy Tsar' who can monitor OUR failure to put out a coherent set of policies on Tax, Immigration, Welfare Reform, EU reform etc that the voters can compare us to NuLab on?

It's no longer a social stigma to be a Conservative, which is a step forward. But when I am asked what a future Conservative Governement would DO if elected, I'd love to be able to quote some promises of our own.

[NigelC]

I think the initiative is brilliant.

I am fed up with New Labour stealing the headlines with Conservative policies but then not implementing them - usually because they have no concept of the underlying principles that are needed to make them work or because of inept management.
We need to clearly lay out what they have proposed to do and have not; some people still believe that if they said it it must be done/true.

Will the initial dossier be avaiable via ConservativeHome?

Is this part of phase 2- now we oppose - that will lead to phase 3 - proposing policies to tackle the deficiencies? We do need to get to Phase 3 soon.

[Jon White]

Nigel, we've had 10 years (almost) to get to your promised land of 'Stage 3'. Why aren't we there now? NuLab's failures are well enough documented already.

[Nadim]

The initiative is indeed 'brilliant', but who is assessing the delivery performance of the delivery tsar?

[Jon White]

LOL, indeed Nasim. Who watchs the watchmen?

[James Maskell]

Shouldnt the Party already be aware of failed promises made by Labour? Weve used this form of campaigning since it began. We use it in our campaigning material for goodness sake!

Sorry but this is a waste of time and resources, both of which we are rather short of. We should already be very much aware of the promises made by Labour and how it has not kept them. Why do we need to spend more resources on finding out stuff that we should be able to find out through Parliament? Parliamentary question time and written questions arent just for show...

Is this why us members are being asked to hand over an extra 10 pounds per member? For those of us progressing from youth membership fees to full paying status this year, despite being strictly speaking a CF member, (whoever becomes Chair, sort that clear contradiction out!) our membership fees go up from 3 pounds a year to 25 pounds a year! If this is what we are paying for then I want a refund!

Grayling already has a role as Shadow Transport. He doesnt need another role. If hes not busy enough with his role as Shadow Transport and he feels he can fit in an extra job, then hes simply not trying hard enough in his role as Shadow Transport Sec.

[Prodicus]

Good idea if it crystallises for the public and not just for the in crowd what the party has been doing all too quietly. Shout a bit.

[Chris D]

I am with Nigel C on this and a bit depressed by Jon White's comments.

"I think that we should realise that most people in Britain are all too well aware of NuLab's failures. Further resource devoted to exposing them is probably futile"
Great, and I thought our failure to be an effective opposition has been one of the most common criticisms levelled at the party in recent years.

"Rather than have a 'Delivery Tsar', why not appoint a 'Policy Tsar' who can monitor OUR failure to put out a coherent set of policies on Tax, Immigration, Welfare Reform, EU reform etc that the voters can compare us to NuLab on? I think we have had a very effective Policy Tsar over the last 10 years, you might have missed it because it went by the name of the British voting public!

[Prodicus]

... but can't find this on the party website under press releases, news or news headlines. Fingers out, please.
What on earth does that Tamzin Lightwater DO all day?

[Jon White]

Chris D @23.47:

" I thought our failure to be an effective opposition has been one of the most common criticisms levelled at the party in recent years"

It has. Effective opposition however means giving the voting public alternative policies that they can judge, not simply pointing out the mistakes of the shower that are in now.

[Deputy Editor]

Grayling already has a role as Shadow Transport. He doesnt need another role. If hes not busy enough with his role as Shadow Transport and he feels he can fit in an extra job, then hes simply not trying hard enough in his role as Shadow Transport Sec.

Don't worry James, it's a role similar to that of chairing a committee. He'll be overseeing the process but that doesn't mean he will be personally scouring the newspapers and conference speeches!

[NigelC]

I am happy to wait for new policies until nearer the election so NuLab don't steal them and then discredit the ideas by poor ill conceived implementation.

The in crowd may know NuLab's failing but the man on the street does not

[TomTom]

I hope the Conservatives will support Stephen Byers new initiative on IHT..............it is good that New Labour is developing interesting policies

[John G]

New Labour is talking about tax. Two cheers for them.

Now let's see our own Shadow Ministers stop runing scared and let rip with the raw meat we've been waiting for.

Tax cuts fuel prosperity. People spend their own money more wisely than the state.

Let's say it loud and proud and let's hear David Cameron shouting it from the rooftops.

George Osborne supported a flat inclome tax. Let's hear it again.

Less bunny-hugging. More genuine Tory policies for a prosperous future!

[James Maskell]

After reading thre update I have one question...how much did it cost the Conservative Party to do that? We already know about Labours broken promises. Weve been banging on about it all the time. This isnt new or innovative...whats the point?

[John G]

Hi James nice to see you here. Didn't you used to post as Kenyan Lion on Conservative groups?

I don't know about you but I think we have a very real chance of success with David Cameron. I just feel he is being held back by certain negative elements in his own shadow cabinet.

[John G]

Hi James nice to see you here. Didn't you used to post as Kenyan Lion on Conservative groups?

I don't know about you but I think we have a very real chance of success with David Cameron. I just feel he is being held back by certain negative elements in his own shadow cabinet.

[Westmorland Activist]

It is never difficult to determine what the NuLab story of the week is, every Sunday since 1 May 1997 the Press Release has been read out verbatim on Radio 4 at 6.00am on the dot. Although there is more than a tendency for this to happen every day this is the only time when there is no editorial intervention.

So, what do our front bench do about it ?

Sweet FA - for over NINE years !

I am glad to see Chris Grayling doing this job - if he intends actually to do it. I hope it isn't just a NuCon press statment with no more follow-up than the bogus stories he is meant to be following up himself.

BTW - its a good job we have Iain Dale. The "shadow cabinet" seems to have taken a collective vow of silence. Or is it just that the great and good can't be a***d to get up at 6.00am on Sundays ?

[Deputy Editor]

I hope it isn't just a NuCon press statment with no more follow-up

It would certainly be a huge irony if this was the case, but I see no reason not to be optimistic about this initiative.

[Cardinal Pirelli]

This is an excellent idea and for one reason that excapes anyone who follows politics as a matter of course.

Many of us here obviously know all this but the electorate doesn't!

When labour have said they are going to do something so many people believe that it equates to it having been done. What needs to happen is to point out all the things which people behave erroneously, when the emperor is shown to have no clothes then it is easier to usurp them.

[James Maskell]

The Yahoo Conservative Groups, yes. That was a fair number of years ago though. In fact it would have been about five years ago. I try to repress the memories of Yahoo Groups, but its just not working. I put it down to youthful exuberance...

Im afraid as one of the right wing nutters, I dont really agree with you. Im quite worried about our chances.

[Paul Kennedy]

It has the potential to be a good initiative, they are all important issues and to highlight Labour's failure is important, however the electorate would also like to, and indeed should, be told what we would do.......assuming we know what we would do, that is!

I, myself, do not believe that we will win the next General Election, outright, by merely emphasising Labour's failings. Voters are aware of many of those failings, now seeing them for themselves in their everyday lives, however their attitude I'm sure is that unless the Conservatives can put forward convincing policies to improve the problems, there is little point in changing, it is the "better the devil you know" syndrome.

[John G]

There are worries, certainly, and I share your belief that this mini-manifesto is not good enough.

Immigration is a key issue - that's been discussed elsewhere - but first and foremost we must proclaim our belief in a low tax economy.

Is there anybody here who doesn't agree with that?

[Wat Tyler]

Having read the BBC story link, I'm not sure how much work Grayling actually intends to do on this. I hope it's not too much because like other commenters, I think most people already know quite enough about this hopeless government's record of broken promises. The Party's challenge is to put up that compelling alternative.

I completely agree with the Dep Ed's comment that this looks like an ideal blogger job.

[sjm]

The belief that the majority of the voting public are aware of the success or failure of political initiatives is naive, to say the least.

At a by-election a fortnight ago, vast swathes of forests were sacrificed by at least 3 of the candidates, leafletting the Ward by the thousand upon thousand. There was also at least one loudspeaker van cruising all day.

At around 8.30pm, during the knock-up, at least 4 electors said 'oh, we didn't know there was an election on, yes, we'll come and vote, we always do!'.

[John G]

What I find really exciting about Cameron is that I think that for the first time the Tories may be able to break away from what is nowadays called the "Neocon" element.

There's nothing new about Neoconism. The name may be new but the party has been in thrall to this overseas-orientated element for years.

It's time to break away and join the human race, and DC could be just the man to make it happen.

[Chris D]

As I posted earlier, I think that this is a good idea, I like the idea of blogger's getting involved.
Also think we need to highlight reports/figures which the government like to slip out when the media is being dominated by a big story.
Just remember the Defence committee report a couple of weeks ago! Journalists were too busy being dazzled by John Reid talking tough on terrorism. Did anyone ask him about his failure as Defence minister to deliver for our armed services fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. These men are in immediate danger and must be given the best protection when carrying out their duty. John Reid can talk tough, I just wish that our soldiers equipment was tougher!

[James Maskell]

The Minister for Defence accepts that there are weaknesses with the supply of equipment to the Armed Forces and is working with (A) and (B) in order to meet those needs. The Government supports the British Armed Forces and is doing everything it can to provide all the equipment that the forces require."

Boom, nice and easy. The story ends there... Its not a perfect statement but you get the gist.

[Chris D]

James@21:46, Never seems to be any sign of weakness in a NuLabour minister's ability to grab the headlines/find a TV crew when a policy is announced. It's amazing how a report into delivery of much heralded initiatives can be announced by a simple statement, when the media aren't looking of course. Gordon Brown has an amazing ability to disappear from view for long periods of time, ever seen him comment on the Tax credits fiasco?

When the Home Office is under siege with bad headlines about incompetence "its not fit for purpose".
When the security forces foil a terrorist attack, John Reid has a "good week"! You could not make it up.
But I suppose that John Reid is luckier than most minister's, he never stays around long enough to take the blame for his management weaknesses.
When John Reid deployed the extra troops to Afghanistan it made the headlines. But when the defence committee say the operation is being run on a "shoestring" alarm bells should be ringing. The situation is getting worse and I want to know if adequate resources are being made available to match the demands being faced by our soldiers both there and in Iraq.
I mean with the amount of military operations this government has mounted, they should be getting bloody good at delivery of the appropriate vital equipment and supplies needed.
If they are still not getting it right then they are not delivering for our soldiers!

[Peter Smallbone]

Anyone else remeber Labour's Euro Roadshow? The wheels soon came off that one...

[George Hinton]

How naive.
No-one expects a politician to keep a pledge or promise.
We understand that it is rhetoric.
But you will be hoist by your own petard doing this. This is a Pandora's box.