The Prime Minister pledged ‘urgent’ action to transform the country after his landslide election victory in July.
But analysis of the Government’s record reveals it has created a staggering 25 new quangos and so-called taskforces and advisory councils in its first six months in office – equal to an average of one a week.
This will add to fears that Labour is more interested in reforming the structures of government than in driving real change in society.
And it follows revelations last month that the Government ordered 67 reviews and consultations in its first five months, leading to accusations Sir Keir is facing ‘paralysis by analysis’.
Former Tory chairman Richard Holden warned the push to create more quango risked stifling the economy and denting Labour’s hopes of kickstarting growth.
‘It’s a tale as old as time,’ he said. ‘Labour establishes a quango to duplicate work already under way in the public sector and the outcome is all-too predictable: more bureaucracy, more regulation and higher taxes for working Brits.’
Former Tory business secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg accused Labour of using quangos to make it harder for the public to hold ministers to account
‘We need a great cull of quangos,’ he said. ‘In government I was trying to close them down because we need to return decision-making to elected ministers.
‘Instead, Labour seem bent on giving us government by the quango, for the quango… They want government done by their friends and they want it done away from prying eyes by organisations that are simply not accountable in the same way as elected ministers. It is not only anti-democratic but it also leads to worse government.’
Ed Miliband has created four new bodies to help push through his controversial plan to decarbonise Britain’s electricity system by 2030.
The first, Great British Energy, was announced the day after the election, and was billed as a state-owned energy company, although it remains unclear whether it will ever produce electricity.
Four days later, Mr Miliband announced the creation of Mission Control, a new advisory body which he said would help him devise and deliver the Government’s Clean Power 2030 Action Plan.
In September, the Energy Secretary announced the creation of a new National Energy System Operator to help ‘accelerate Great Britain’s energy transition’.
Last month, the supposedly ‘independent’ body produced a report saying Mr Miliband’s target is ‘feasible’, despite widespread industry scepticism over its potentially enormous costs.
Then, in October, Mr Miliband set up the Solar Taskforce, which will examine issues such as whether to make solar panels compulsory on all new homes....<<<Read More>>>...
