Arse, Elbow?

This entry is something of a post-script to the previous one on Brown's miniscule 'gas giveaway'on Thursday. Gordy was quite clear about who would benefit (albeit marginally) when he said, "all lower income and all pensioner households will be eligible." The DEFRA press release was equally crystal when it said the new energy efficiency scheme would apply to, "those most at risk of fuel poverty, including all pensioners." No journalist checked that fact, they didn't need to, did they? It was only when a 60-year old woman contacted the Conservatives to say she had been refused free insulation, this much heralded policy began to unravel. DEFRA press office have now conceded only those over 70 may apply. Compared to the loss of data discs, failing to call an election, dropping the 10p rate, this may appear to be quite a small drama. But it shows the Government at its most disfunctional.

Whenever there is any well-planned Government press announcement, officials sit down, a couple of weeks before, with press officers. Invariably the first question discussed is, 'who benefits from this'? Naturally all Governments wish to push their new policies to the appropriate constituency. The draft release plus background briefing and detailed Q and A would be seen by more senior officials, press officers, special advisers and very often two Ministers before being given clearance. In this case there was an additonal, supposedly more rigorous stage, of going through No.10 as well. The process, like so many in the Civil Service is lengthy but eradicates risk of saying the wrong thing or at the wrong time.

And yet, here, the first principle point of the statement was wrong. There appears to be immense sloppiness at every level of Government. Ultimately it is Hilary Benn's (pictured above) fault as Secretary of State for Environment, it his Department's policy. But the mere fact that Downing Street allowed this farrago to occur at all, shows the well-oiled machine once ran by Alistair Campbell is now grinding its gears and is nearly out of juice.