Special Episode: The Doomed Career of Dominic

The Hidden Power

Special episode on the Doomed Career of Dominic Cummings.

Dominic Cummings has been seen as a controversial and divisive figure, but as with so many people at the political extremes, significant parts of his analysis can be agreed upon by disparate factions across the political spectrum.

In this special episode we unpick the good and the less good from this lauded and demonised character, assess the reality he found himself confronted with and also assess where he went wrong. His intent to improve significantly the capacity of central government to produce meaningful change throughout Britain has been felt by many past radicals in and around no 10.

And we have the unexpected good fortune to have a co-presenter - Ed Straw - who has been deeply involved in an attempt to achieve the same aims as Dominic Cummings - civil service reform. And who can spell out in clear terms why, regardless of his wit, intelligence and muscle, he was never going to succeed in reforming the government machine.

Why does the Civil Service need reform? What might be the best way to achieve it? Why was Cummings’ attempt more on less doomed from the outset? Indeed, why have all 5 attempts, over 5 decades, at civil service reform - failed? Is this a symptom of something else?

Find out in this hastily assembled episode, dense with anecdote, comparison and analysis.

Links:

The actual control room - Chile 1973: “Cybersyn", no doubt an inspiration for James Bond films.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Cybersyn

Stafford Beer “The Godfather of systems thinking”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stafford_Beer

Salvador Allende, Communist president of Chile

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidency_of_Salvador_Allende

Article by Ed as accompaniment to this podcast

https://www.edstraw.com/four-lessons-of-civil-service-reform/

The Economist is on side:

https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/11/19/remaking-the-british-state

Ed’s 2004 report, adopted by Tony Blair - The Dead Generalist:

https://www.demos.co.uk/files/TheDeadGeneralist.pdf

Peter Hennessy, leading constitutional historian

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Hennessy

The Thick of It - Available on Netflix, or here are some "deleted scenes”:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=im_KryFuPeg

Yes Prime Minister - also on Netflix, I think - On The State of Education:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeF_o1Ss1NQ

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