A Less Acerbic take on the Failures of New Labour

Stein Ringen is a Norwegian sociologist and political scientist (Wikipedia).  He is Professor of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Oxford, and a Fellow of Green Templeton College, Oxford.  In 2009 be wrote a book entitled the 'The Economic Consequences of Mr Brown'

Here he gives a highly visual ten minute summary on the main thesis of the book: -




I found the video interesting and entertaining in-so-far as social economics can be described as entertaining.

I was astonished by Prof Ringen's statement that "new Labour failed not because of incompetence but in spite of competence" especially as he then lists a series of bad decisions made by the government.  Bad decisions sounds to me almost like a definition of incompetence.  I also think that the marginalisation of the House of Commons together with the centralisation of government around ten Downing Street and the irrelevance of  local government are not just things that arrived out of nowhere but were largely the products of New Labour.

But what the hell, its an interesting video anyway.
Best Wishes
Will