22 February 2002
Six senior figures, representing priority areas for the government – such as health and law and order – have written to the prime minister urging him to champion public services.
The signatories point the finger at politicians' criticisms of public sector workers, such as Blair's own reference to 'wreckers' who hold up reforms, as a cause of plummeting morale among staff.
Authors of the letter, sent on February 21, include Dr Beverly Malone, general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing; Sir John Stevens, commissioner of the Metropolitan Police; and King's Fund chief executive Rabbi Julia Neuberger.
Malone told Public Finance they were demanding a clear government commitment to renew public services. 'The public sector is vital to the infrastructure and health of this nation, and the government must not allow these services to be eroded further,' she said.
The letter explicitly links the apparent lack of political support with problems in recruiting staff.
'All too frequently the actual policies and priorities of politicians give the message that public services are badly managed and need to be taught lessons from the private sector, or at least can be trusted only to carry out tasks by central government.'
It also blames the spread of regulation for increasing workloads, which in turn are driving people away to other, less stressful, sectors. 'Workloads have intensified and there have been growing, and often uncoordinated, requirements for audit, inspection and regulation, and paperwork,' the letter says.
The signatories argue that a reduction in red tape and administration is vital if low morale is to be defeated: 'A thorough pruning of the amount of paperwork required, such as that associated with monitoring and audit, is also essential, with specific emphasis on reducing unnecessary duplication.'
Unsurprisingly, the letter argues that improvements in pay and conditions are key to recruiting and retaining public sector staff.
The letter ends with a warning: 'Without the support of a stable, well-trained, well-motivated workforce, the government's efforts to modernise public services will have limited success.'
The other signatories were Camden council chief executive Steve Bundred; Industrial Society chief executive Will Hutton; and London Development Agency chair George Barlow.
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