Tell Us Something We Haven’t Already Figured Out For Ourselves…

Up to 90 per cent of the work of government is now conducted by Britain's quango state.

Startling new research suggests that once-great Whitehall departments have been reduced to little more than policy-making 'hubs' which distribute taxpayers' money to unaccountable arms-length public bodies.

Ministers are accused of creating a plethora of new bodies so they are 'seen to be acting' in the event of a crisis.

Well, hallelujah!

So many quangos - quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations - have proliferated that there is no clear picture of how many there are or how much they cost.

But some people have attempted to quantify it:

The Government says there are around 800. But a comprehensive survey by the Taxpayers' Alliance campaign group has identified 1,152.

And if you add to that all the fakecharities too…

The frightening evidence of their growing power has come from Professor Matthew Flinders, an expert on government at Sheffield University.

He said their proliferation meant the British state was increasingly 'walking without order' - meaning there is widespread political confusion about the number and status of public bodies.

So, what does the new-government-in-waiting plan to do about it?

Shadow Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude said: 'Too many state actions, services and decisions are carried out by unaccountable organisations who don’t have to answer the public. This has a corrosive effect on public trust.

Quite right! And your plans?

'We are committed to reduce the number of quangos. If something needs to be done by the state it should be done by a body which is democratically accountable unless one of David Cameron's three tests applies - it performs a highly technical function, is required to be transparent or impartial.'

Well, I feel so much more reassured as a result of that.

Don’t you?

Of course, maybe someone at Tory HQ will grow some backbone and take Dick Puddlecote's advice. We can only hope...