Ian Dunt

Oh shit, was that me? I didn't even know what you were saying.

Oh shit, was that me? I didn't even know what you were saying.

Yeah, yeah, because of the absence of politics. I mean, that's clear. So it's odd, right? Like, all we do is when we talk about politics, whether it's sort of Fleet Street journalism, whether it's Westminster itself, we talk about the day-to-day, the clatter noise of things.

Yeah, yeah, because of the absence of politics. I mean, that's clear. So it's odd, right? Like, all we do is when we talk about politics, whether it's sort of Fleet Street journalism, whether it's Westminster itself, we talk about the day-to-day, the clatter noise of things.

This person's out, this person's in, this person left this thing on a train, this person said something that contradicted someone else in cabinet, now they're going to have a row about it, what are they going to do about spending... Day to day, basically empty calories.

This person's out, this person's in, this person left this thing on a train, this person said something that contradicted someone else in cabinet, now they're going to have a row about it, what are they going to do about spending... Day to day, basically empty calories.

The other bit of politics that actually fixes people's lives is the bit that we never talk about, which is like the machinery, the engine room. That is about the civil service. It's about special advisors. It's about competent ministers. And it's about working according to a deliverable timetable on meaningful targets for change.

The other bit of politics that actually fixes people's lives is the bit that we never talk about, which is like the machinery, the engine room. That is about the civil service. It's about special advisors. It's about competent ministers. And it's about working according to a deliverable timetable on meaningful targets for change.

You know, especially when you look at something really complex like the health service, like education. It's not enough to just go more money. It's not enough to just say the word. You've got to get the engine room functioning. Sue Gray was the engine room bit. You know, Morgan McSweeney, who's now taken her job, was the raw politics bit, right? Raw politics worked for the election.

You know, especially when you look at something really complex like the health service, like education. It's not enough to just go more money. It's not enough to just say the word. You've got to get the engine room functioning. Sue Gray was the engine room bit. You know, Morgan McSweeney, who's now taken her job, was the raw politics bit, right? Raw politics worked for the election.

Her bit was starting to fall apart a bit. Okay, so fine. So you put him there. Now what do we have? We've got all the raw politics, and I think that will improve, and there'll be narratives, and there'll be a grid, a media grid, and, you know, journalists will have less sort of food to feast on in terms of scandal.

Her bit was starting to fall apart a bit. Okay, so fine. So you put him there. Now what do we have? We've got all the raw politics, and I think that will improve, and there'll be narratives, and there'll be a grid, a media grid, and, you know, journalists will have less sort of food to feast on in terms of scandal.

But the engine room concerns me because at the end of five years, Starman needs to be able to show that he has addressed the reasons that the last government was thrown out, which was not as I would wish it to be about Brexit or about, you know, anything else. It was about shit isn't working.

But the engine room concerns me because at the end of five years, Starman needs to be able to show that he has addressed the reasons that the last government was thrown out, which was not as I would wish it to be about Brexit or about, you know, anything else. It was about shit isn't working.

So unless there's someone there to make sure that it does start working, not just throwing meat to the tabloids every day, then I think he's going to end up having a big problem.

So unless there's someone there to make sure that it does start working, not just throwing meat to the tabloids every day, then I think he's going to end up having a big problem.

It's so boring.

It's so boring.

And there's also like a macho thing to that, right, as well. Like it's always just like, oh, the backstage shouty, you know, dry treatment, all of that kind of stuff. So take on board that I've never met the guy, so I can't give you any kind of personal assessment. Yeah.

And there's also like a macho thing to that, right, as well. Like it's always just like, oh, the backstage shouty, you know, dry treatment, all of that kind of stuff. So take on board that I've never met the guy, so I can't give you any kind of personal assessment. Yeah.