The Quarterly Scorecard.
In a meeting room with questionable biscuits, my accountant and I sit down to review our suppliers. It's not the most glamorous work, but a crucial one. We're on the lookout for delivery against promise, invoice against quote, and excuses per annum. The latter often tells us more about a supplier's performance than any other metric.
Last month, we struck off a firm that had been with us for nine years. They were lovely people, always a pleasure to deal with over the phone. However, their delivery record was abysmal, and in business, that's all that matters. They failed to deliver what they promised, when they promised it, and that's a line that's non-negotiable.
This week, the Labour Party effectively handed Andy Burnham the keys to Downing Street with 322 nominations from 403 MPs. As the new Prime Minister, he's about to inherit a rather dismal delivery record. But it's not just his party's performance that's the issue – it's the way Westminster operates as a whole. The state quotes in years, invoices in inquiries, and delivers in apologies.
Westminster's record stretches back decades. The oldest job in its ledger was booked on 15 April 1989, when 97 Liverpool supporters went to a football match and didn't come home. The state spent the following decades doctoring statements, briefing lies, and blaming the bereaved. It's a stain on the nation's conscience, and one that still has far-reaching consequences.
Andy Burnham's past is marked by his determination to address this issue. In 2009, he spoke at Anfield, a move that was met with a mix of chants and boos. Despite this, he went back to London and acted. He oversaw the release of full documents, the Hillsborough Independent Panel, and the 2012 report. His efforts led to the 2016 verdict that the supporters were unlawfully killed.
However, his successor, Sir Keir Starmer, has struggled to follow through on Burnham's promise. A bill to introduce a statutory duty of candour has been languishing in Parliament for over two years. It's a bill that would simply enforce the same standards that every director in Britain already adheres to – honesty is not a moral failing, but a commercial one.
Investors are already demanding a premium to lend to Britain, partly due to the country's reputation for dishonesty. A state that legislates for its own honesty would tell the world that its word has value. Candour is not just a moral imperative, but a growth policy.
As the new Prime Minister, Burnham has a chance to redeem his party's reputation. His first act should be to bring the Hillsborough Law back to the floor, unwatered and unchanged. By doing so, he'll not only deliver justice for the 97, but also earn a tick in the renew column. It's a chance to prove that Westminster can indeed deliver on its promises.
