The Laws of the Public Policy Process: Effort is admirable. Achievement is valuable.
A couple of years ago Donal Blaney ran a weekly column on ConservativeHome entitled “The Laws of the Public Policy Process”. These 45 rules were devised by Morton Blackwell – the Godfather of the American conservative movement – and they come from his decades of experience in the policy process. Every Saturday YBF will discuss one of these laws in the context of some current political news.
Rule No. 4: Effort is admirable. Achievement is valuable.
Gordon Brown has announced a £1 billion package to help people with struggling fuel bills. The plan includes half-price insulation for all households and a freeze on this year’s bills for the poorest families. However, as even the BBC points out, the measures have been criticised as “flimsy” and “disappointing”. Indeed, as Guido points out, the National Insulation Association says that Brown’s insulating plans will take 10 years. This is hardly much help to those who are already choosing between heating and eating. Brown has also been mocked for offering energy saving tips such as “draw your curtains” and “put a balloon up your chimney.” Perhaps this is just the Scotsman in him…
The point of all this is that whilst effort is admirable, it is achievement that’s valuable. Of course, effort can cease to be admirable when it’s done for the wrong reasons – and this further compounds Brown’s problems. Not only is his recovery package not much more than ‘an effort’ but that effort is to win himself good headlines and favourable poll ratings – and not to govern the country well.