By stewartb
Deary me! Gordon Brown’s Scottish Future doesn’t seem too bright if the Guardian’s Scotland Editor (no less) has distilled the best bits for his article from the thinktank’s latest output .
The journalist seems particularly taken with output statistics provided by Mr Brown and his team: ‘the Scottish government has been suffering from “consultitis” by publishing more than 1,000 consultations, plans and strategy papers in nine years’ and ‘Since September 2014, there have been 529 strategy papers or plans, or more than one published every week, and 669 consultations’.
Notwithstanding the matter of what constitutes a ‘plan’ in the context of government, the implication is that for example 669 consultations is (obviously) an outrageously large number and to be deprecated.
But is this a high number for a busy, ambitious government organised with 54 directorates and other agencies all with the responsibility, among other things, to propose legislation. Is this a high number when working across policy areas as diverse as: the economy, education, health, justice, rural affairs, housing, environment, equal opportunities, consumer advocacy and advice, transport and taxation.
If only there was a way of testing whether 669 consultations in nine years is something out of the ordinary, something obviously ‘bad’. If only we could find a benchmark and especially one that a senior Labour politician and his thinktank team would recognise as appropriate?
Of course we can! Candidly sometimes this is just all too easy!
A search of the Welsh Government’s website listing all of its consultations reveals that during the same nine year period, from 1 September 2014 to the present, Labour governments conducted 719 consultations, now closed. A Labour government with even more severe ‘consultitis’ it seems!
There are times when the only rational conclusion to be drawn is that intellect and critical thinking are being forced to give way to the constant demands of striving to sustaining Unionism.
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
I had a chuckle when you said
“If only there was a way of testing whether 669 consultations in nine years is something out of the ordinary, something obviously ‘bad’. If only we could find a benchmark and especially one that a senior Labour politician and his thinktank team would recognise as appropriate?
Of course we can! Candidly sometimes this is just all too easy! “
I just knew you had “ a plan “
And low and behold , you found 719 consultations in the same period of time by the Labour Party in Wales
Compliments to you , it’s a fact that you are so good at this , easy for some but for most of us we will never be as good as you are.
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Is that all. Few consultation in 9 years n
Gordon Brown let the banks go bust. Defrauding many people.
Supported illegal wars costing trillions.
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Bodger Broon did not need to consult because he knew he knew best what people needed, even if they did not need these things. The Bodger KNOWS what’s best for Scotland and that is not being Scotland.
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Well I suppose the Scottish government could just do what the English government does, don’t bother with those pesky consultations, pah!
Just wing it, lie, push matters of great importance under a very expensive carpet, bluff and bluster to get their scheming approved, and, blame everyone else when it all goes to pot, and then, woo hoo party! Seems an effective manner in which to do government business, a win win! Oops, money needed for the NHS, better look down the back of the chaise longe!
I vote Gordy for FM of England!
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Hoist by their own petard, brilliant!
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