Leaders | Not like that, minister

The machinery, structure and output of the British state need reform

From productivity to the public services, the case for change is clear

Mar 23rd 2023

A dose of competence goes a long way in British politics. Last week the budget provided a welcome contrast to its chaotic predecessor. This week Boris Johnson’s blustering testimony to Parliament’s privileges committee reminded Britons just what they have not been missing. Ministers who know what they are doing and care about detail can make a big difference. But that should not obscure a set of underlying problems with how the British state functions. Those problems are at the core of a series of articles that The Economist intends to publish this year.

This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “Reforming the British state”