ICEA Meeting Notice

Notice of Meeting

Tuesday 10th October 2017, 18h00 for 18h30

A New System of Government: What it would look like & Why not?

presented by

Ed Straw

We all know and experience examples of the failure of Governments to deliver on their promises and the associated ‘horror stories’, for instance, of over ambitious IT projects, poorly thought through initiatives, construction projects that are way over budget and fail to deliver the promised benefits. In his book Stand and Deliver: A Design for Successful Government Ed Straw has drawn on his broad experience of working with Governments and public sector organisations for over 30 years to explain and analyse why failure appears to be endemic in our system of Government. He will draw in particular on his experience of working with Labour/New Labour in the period 1984 to 2010

His analysis demonstrates that the problem goes well beyond politicians and the policies they pursue. Rather the causes are embedded in a system of government that has evolved over centuries, but has never been designed for the needs of the modern age. The institutions we rely on struggle to deliver and ad hoc attempts to improve their effectiveness, such as managerialism and restructuring, contracting out and privatisation, rarely achieve the hoped for improvements because they deal with only a part of the problem.

Ed will present his proposals for radical change in the way we organise our government institutions and they way they operate. Should anyone wish to read the book before the meeting it is available from

The Treaty is summarised here:

Ed Straw has extensive experience working with Government as a former partner and global and UK Board member of PwC/C&L, working in the Government and Media Consulting practice. He was Chair/trustee of the ‘think tank’ Demos 2005 - 2009 and of Relate 1990 - 2000, adviser to both Conservative and New Labour on public sector reforms, member of the Scottish `Executive Efficient Public Sector working group and adviser to John Smith on the organisation of the Labour Party. He is now a writer and campaigner for radical change in systems of government and a visiting fellow at the Applied Systems Thinking Practice group at the Open University.

The paper will be available after the meeting on . Future meetings dates and topics can be found at . If you do not wish to receive such notices, please email

Venue: Art Workers Guild
The Art Workers Guild, 6 Queen Square, WC1N 3AT
(Turn left out of Russell Sq Station, then immediately left down Herbrand Street to Guilford Street. Cross the road, turn left and then immediately right down an alley to Queen Square No. 6)

Charges (including drinks/refreshments): Members - £5; Non-members - £10; Students - £2.50

NOTE: meetings last 1¼-1½ hours with an initial presentation by the principal speaker (or speakers) followed by questions and contributions from the floor. Further informal discussion may continue thereafter