Who’s on first? One thing I learned having spent several years’ in the US is the instantly recognisable nature of this classic 1940s Abbott and Costello sketch.
Almost any American can happily recite the comedians’ quick-fire patter and mounting confusion over the names of baseball players and their order of play.
Comedy might be an odd thing to bring up when thinking about how we kick-start economic growth, but it strikes me there could be some worthwhile lessons here for government.
Looking at our latest State of the State report, it is clear that we are at a moment where there is strong convergence between the priorities of those who use public services and those who run them.
There is clarity on the direction of travel, underpinned by a stable government that is clear about its priorities and what it wants to achieve.
The five missions, anchored by the ambition to kick-start economic growth, are an unambiguous statement of intent and State of the State 2025 shows that they align strongly with the public’s priorities.
While there is still some understandable trepidation among public sector leaders about the scale of the challenge ahead, State of the State detects a definite sense of optimism and excitement there too. “The future is bright,” one council chief executive told us. A senior civil servant spoke of the optimism generated by the opportunity to do “some proactive policymaking after a decade in reaction mode”.
This is matched by a notable turn in the public mood, particularly some encouraging signs of improving trust in government. According to the public survey conducted for State of the State, which tracks trust, there have been increases of 5 – 6 percentage points in the proportion of people who say they trust the Government to take environmentally responsible decisions, do the right thing for society, focus on the needs of service users and citizens, whilst delivering projects on time – and on budget.
They also see growth creation as an inherently people-centred activity. While recognising the importance of interventions around tax, trade and infrastructure, the public identifies health and wellbeing, as well as education and skills, as their two top priorities in getting the country ready for growth.
So both the public and government are aligned, both are ready for growth and for delivery. The next question is: how do we translate this commonality of purpose into successful action? How do we realise the readiness?
This is where it is important to avoid the confusion and misunderstanding that characterise the Abbott and Costello skit. Successful delivery will require every part of the public sector to play their part, along with the private sector, civil society, and citizens too. And we can’t allow ourselves to get out of sync.
It’s the job of central government to think through and plan a co-ordinated advance. It needs to marshal its forces, both within and beyond government, setting out a clear plan that covers who is doing what, where, when, and how.
Central government cannot do this job alone, nor by sticking with old strategies and systems. What is needed is a fresh approach that resets relationships, pursues new models of participation, and introduces incentives – nudges – that secure the right behaviours.
There are four key actors in this ecosystem that government needs to enable and empower: regional government; the private sector; civil society; and its citizens.
A dotted line running from central government needs to connect these four quadrants, building up a coherent plan of activity. The civil service needs to play in the spaces between these sectors, finding and exploiting opportunities for value and growth creation.
Regional government will be key, and the ambition set out in the English devolution white paper, represents an enormously promising opportunity to bring more consistency to what has been a fragmented and, in places, inconsistent regional governance landscape. Strategically focused regional government complemented with, ideally, a cadre of metro mayors for all areas of England will be a huge step forward in delivering for places and communities. Greater Manchester has led the charge here. The introduction of the Bee Network, an integrated, multi-modal public transport network, now complete with a contactless capped payment system, shows what can be achieved for places when strategic vision is matched with enhanced powers.
The private sector is a key generator of value, which in turn drives growth. It can invest in the UK, in research and development, in infrastructure and jobs. It can also help the government transform by bringing important lessons and insights from its own experience. We access our flights, bank cards and other services via a digital wallet in our phone. We should be aiming to access our citizen credentials, whether that’s health, education or employment, in the same way. Given this, we can’t allow growth in overall business investment to stagnate after a 1.9% downturn in Q4 of last year. It’s important the Government works to increase business confidence and create the conditions for healthy growth in private sector investment.
Civil society should act as a conduit for citizens from all backgrounds and places. It can lead how we engage with communities, particularly those hard-to-reach groups who do not always engage in mainstream structures and services. Civil society can also adapt successful approaches governments, and the private sector have developed to help solve challenges facing those with distinct needs.
And finally, citizens themselves must be at the heart of this work. Rather than passive consumers to whom things are done, citizens should be active participants, working with agency to shape their lives and communities. If central government, aided by regional government and civil society, can find a way to tap into the potential citizen action represents, exciting possibilities present themselves across all five missions, and particularly the growth agenda.
Get the interplay and understanding between all sections of society and the economy right, then the Government can set itself up for success and will avoid falling into Abbott-and-Costello-like confusion and chaos.
Stephen Bediako OBE