Henry Midgley
@H80Midgley
Associate Professor in Accounting, Durham University. Co-author of a new history of the NAO- available https://tinyurl.com/2ea9s2b7
As with last year, this is a real indictment of how bad things have got in local audit. There may have been improvements since last year- but we need to go faster. Hopefully next year's accounts won't be qualified in this way.
The Comptroller & Auditor General has disclaimed the Whole of Government Accounts for 2023-24. This is due to a lack of audited accounts for English local authorities, with only 4% of these bodies producing audited accounts. Read the C&AG's opinion here: nao.org.uk/reports/whole-…
What I find dispiriting about this is that they are briefing against the Cabinet Secretary: when Starmer chose Wormald, his strengths and weaknesses should have been evident, he had been permanent secretary at Education and Health for ages. This was not an unknown figure.
Former Spad gets in touch with this gem: “Chris Wormald was once late to a conference call because he was stuck in the maze at Chevening”
This highlights everything that is wrong in the UK. It is addicted to superficial tinkering, without ever addressing fundamental questions. It staggers blindly in circles, chartless, getting nowhere. We need to learn to work from first principles. What are we trying to achieve?
Pathetic response from Jim McMahon - how can you reorganise local government if you don't have a clear view of what it's meant to be for? A local government system prioritising service delivery will look very different to one that prioritises local representation.
Pathetic response from Jim McMahon - how can you reorganise local government if you don't have a clear view of what it's meant to be for? A local government system prioritising service delivery will look very different to one that prioritises local representation.
Agree with Ruth. Its important we know why and whether @CommonsPAC or its chair were not told in particular as the ultimate guardians of public money
📣 Tomorrow: Prime Minister @Keir_Starmer faces questions from the House of Commons Liaison Committee. Will select committee chairs press him on the super-injunction and the @DefenceHQ data breach? Stay tuned – this is an important test of parliamentary accountability.
📅 #OnThisDay 19 July 1553: Lady Jane Grey is deposed & Mary I becomes Queen 👑 @jo_strong_ rages it’s time to ditch the ‘Bloody Mary’ myth & see England’s first Queen Regnant for who she was — less brutal than her sister! 🔥⚔️ Listen now 🎧 pod.fo/e/299de6 #onthisdate…
I’m exploring the idea of a reverse hibernation for Goths, paled skinned Brits, red-heads, and just anyone who hates this heat and is currently melting in the UK. It will involve spending summer in a freezer. Who’s with me?
What I find perplexing about this attitude is that the OBR have been highlighting most of these risks for years. 2017's fiscal risks report for example mentions many of the features that the current one does. Yes things have got worse- but it wasn't great in 2017.
'Surely it's time for a grown-up conversation about the challenges we face and bravery from our politicians,' says @SophyRidgeSky as the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) warning the public finances are in a "relatively vulnerable position." trib.al/XPNR27a
A real weakness of this government is the desire of no. 10 officials to brief against members of the cabinet. This story would be dead now without this briefing and its part of a pattern with Miliband, Rayner and now Reeves as targets
She probably can't survive now without saying exactly what the personal matter was. If it turns out she pretended to have a child in hospital or a dead friend just to cover up crying in public because she was told off by the Speaker, then she's done.