There are a handful of blunders that are remembered all too well by British citizens, from the poll tax to the Millennium Dome. With unrivaled political savvy and a keen sense of irony, distinguished political scientists Anthony King and Ivor Crewe open our eyes to the worst government horror stories and explain why the British political system is so prone to appalling mistakes. Readers will discover why the government wasted up to £20 billion pounds in a failed scheme to update the London’s Underground system; why tens of thousands of single mothers were left in poverty without financial support from absent fathers; why Tony Blair committed the NHS to the biggest civilian IT project the world has ever seen, despite knowing next to nothing about computing; and much more. Groupthink, constantly rotating ministers, and a weak parliament all contribute to wasted billions and illogical policy. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Informed by years of research and interviews with senior cabinet ministers and civil servants, this razor-sharp diagnosis of flawed government also includes spirited prescriptions for more foolproof policymaking and will prove to be one of the most important political books of the decade.
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