Tag Archives: Public Bodies Reform Bill

Alex Marsh

Opinion: Should we be concerned about the Government’s attempted quangocide?

By Alex Marsh | Thu 13th January 2011 - 1:20 pm

Quangos – Quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations – occupy a strange place in the British political landscape. They tend to proliferate because governments can’t resist seeing new commissions for this or advisory panels for that as essential, while rarely deciding that existing bodies have outlived their usefulness. Yet, the term “quango” inhabits the same discursive space as “bureaucracy”. There is an engrained association with waste, inefficiency, red tape and pointless interfering. In many people’s minds, and frequently in political rhetoric, “quango = bad” by definition. (For a discussion of a similar equation regarding bureaucracy, see here on my blog.) So, the …

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Posted in Op-eds and Parliament | Also tagged and | 7 Comments
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Recent Comments

  • Steve Trevethan
    Thank you for a much needed article! "If our basic needs are neglected: our need for safety, economic security, loving connection, autonomy, self-realization...
  • Mike Peters
    Agreed with most of this article except the idea that the State has failed if it does not step in to provide baby-sitting to fit round when parents work. That�...
  • Steve Trevethan
    Thank you for an important article! May i recommend a small and relevant book entitled "The Care Manifesto: The Politics of Interdependence" by The Care Coll...
  • Mike Peters
    Sorry, should read ‘medicating the symptoms’...
  • Mike Peters
    Good article. The example of the single parent, full-time working mum, who is desperate for their child to be diagnosed with ADHD is really pertinent - the beha...