UK Government is no longer accountable

Sir, – Light touch governance has been the order of the day for the last 40 years, setting up contracts which are supposed to control projects and hold contractors to account.

Sadly, within the UK Government, it all seem to be unravelling. There doesn’t seem to be anyone in control. No one to be held accountable.

On one day, three events offered an insight into this

– the first was the whistleblowers’ 28-page description of the support given by the UK Foreign Office to Afghans trying to leave their country. The second being the Grenfell inquiry. Event three was Chris Law’s MP speech on the reduction of aid funding by the UK Government.

Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab came out swinging his bat, saying that the UK Government did a great job, we should be happy and thankful that they extracted 15,000 Afghans in two weeks. The Foreign Office worker who resigned in September and was at the sharp end, stated that 125,000 need help (wanted to leave) so the UK Government think 12% is good. That’s a low bar.

Himself (Raab) was sunning himself at the time, and by all accounts some of the remaining 100,000 have died at the hands of the Taliban.

The other event was during the Grenfell inquiry, where a barrister (Mr Jason Beer, QC) apologised on behalf of the government for the deaths, all 72 of them.

No! Not, a government minister but a barrister – that must be a good Christmas bonus, having to sell that story.

Event three was the speech Chris Law gave to the committee, lambasting the UK Government – for just when the government needs to be strong and stable with its food aid programme, it cuts the programme by 70% and runs, leaving millions of needy people without support.

One of Mr Law’s key points was that food aid enables good nutrition and learning and, as a result, delays first pregnancies.

What do these events have in common? The light touch governance means that the responsible and accountable politicians cannot be held to book.

The UK Government can find money from nowhere but not for the starving.

The UK Government can build stuff but when it goes wrong they are nowhere to be seen.

The UK Government can proclaim they did a great job in the circumstances but it really is a poor performance.

It’s time for a Christmas party, oh no it isn’t.

Alistair Ballantyne.

Birkhill,

Angus.