As the parties gear up for conference season, they should remember that the public want policies that work in practice as well as sounding good on the podium
Ed Miliband, David Cameron and Nick Clegg will shortly set out what they would do if elected in 2015 – and Alex Salmond will get his chance too, even if he must wait until November.
As they prepare their speeches, party leaders would do well to note the findings of a new poll carried out by Populus for the Institute for Government. It reveals a fairly negative view of the political class, which is perhaps unsurprising. But what is interesting is just how little the public trusts political pledges. Only eleven percent think political parties generally keep their promises. And only fifteen percent are confident that parties currently know how they will fulfil their promises in government.
The good news, however, is that credible plans could lead to more votes. Two thirds (65%) say they would be more likely to vote for a party if it had shown how it would implement its policies. The public also say they’ll respond well to politicians who focus on the long term, consult widely and take their time to make decisions, rather than focusing on political point-scoring.
Does this mean that parties are all furiously planning for policies that work in practice from now until May next year? Probably not. In fairness, all political parties prepare more for the realities of government than they ever have previously. But politicians naturally find it difficult to ignore the reality that they must get elected before they get to govern. And events surrounding the Scottish referendum show that the cycle of inadequate preparation followed by crisis management has become deeply entrenched in Westminster.
Most politicians are aware of the big challenges facing the country from 2015 and, despite public opinion, do usually want to make a difference. But good intentions aren’t enough, which is why the Institute for Government has set out the practical steps politicians must take to ensure the country gets effective government, whoever is elected in 2015.
All parties want to tackle the deficit. But given the state of the public finances, spending will still be tight even if parties opt to reduce the deficit more slowly or increase taxes. Politicians should therefore avoid making promises – like the 2010 Liberal Democrat commitment on tuition fees – without knowing how they will pay for them. Instead, they should keep grounded in the facts and prepare to run Whitehall’s Spending Review and budget processes differently.
A five year spending plan is needed to provide long-term stability, and the review itself must not be rushed. In 2010, the Ministry of Defence ended up with money for aircraft carriers but no planes because decisions were made before the completion of a proper strategic defence and security review.
All parties want growth too. But unless they do something to address chronic underinvestment in the UK’s infrastructure, Britain will continue to underachieve. France has a National Commission of Public Debate which facilitates early dialogue with the public about new projects and therefore avoids the common UK problem of plans being shelved late in the day when the public protest decisions they feel have been foisted on them. Australia has a Productivity Commission which provides an evidence base on the best course of action that it’s harder for politicians to disagree with. Both models are worth looking at.
Similarly, changes are needed to maintain focus on the long-term policy issues like climate change, increasing obesity and energy security. Unless parties identify practical ways to protect time and resources to focus on these issues and build cross-party consensus, then the urgent will continue to squeeze out the important.
Most pertinently to Scotland, party conference speeches also need to reflect the new reality of UK politics. It is tempting for politicians to think they retain a monopoly of power. But not only is power shared with devolved nations but the dominance of two-party politics is over. Nearly everyone in the UK (97%) voted for Labour or the Conservatives in 1951 compared to just 65% in 2010 and minority or coalition government is a real possibility for 2015. Parties should therefore not just be preparing their plans but thinking about how far they would be willing to compromise and how to avoid time-consuming blame games.
When asked what politicians prioritise at the moment, 53% say ‘getting re-elected’ and 51% say ‘scoring political points against other parties’. But what they say they think politicians should prioritise is fulfilling promises (46%), ensuring value for money (45%) and running the government professionally (40%). Speech-writers sharpening their pencils and party leaders returning from their trip to Scotland should take note.
Tom Gash is director of research at the Institute for Government. The Institute’s Programme for Effective Government is published today
