Squandered: How Gordon Brown Is Wasting Over One Trillion Pounds of Our Money. David Craig

by David Craig

Over the last ten years, New Labour has boosted public spending by around a trillion pounds - that's £1,000,000,000,000 of our taxes - over £50,000 for every household in Britain. But what have we got for our money? Effective and responsive public services that are the envy of the world? Or the creation of a vast, self-serving bureaucracy that has presided over the greatest waste of money in British history?With so much money, a tsunami of extra cash, being thrown at public services - health, education, policing, defence, social services and public administration - there have been some successes. Nevertheless, the results of the Government's tidal wave of extra spending have been worse than pitiful.In department after department, it is the same sorry story - a triple whammy of incompetence, cover-up and cuts that have all but decimated public services, while those responsible have lavished money and honours on themselves. David Craig exposes the sometimes tragic, sometimes comic story of how New Labour's years of mismanagement have led to a bureaucratization of Britain that has squandered almost unimaginable amounts of taxpayers' money, caused irreparable damage to all our lives and rewarded the man responsible with the keys to Number 10.

Genres: Politics

322 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2008

Reviews

[Peter Timson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having seen evidence of this, it is all too sad. We need to hold our leaders to account better than we do. They are becoming masters at being unaccountable.

[Mark Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Disappointing' is the word he uses, and the word that is probably the most appropriate. This book, if it were given a bit more 'sex appeal', a bit more energy, would appeal to a wider audience and possibly help enlighten more people. As it stands, it is an excellent read, but only really accessible to people who are really interested in politics. The sheer weight of facts and figures filling most pages would put off the average reader very quickly.

The conclusion was also a little short, perhaps a more positive ending would have lifted the tone, an expanded example of what could be done to fix the problems we face. Currently, the book conveys a sense of hopelessness, that sadly, many of us are feeling.

Perhaps a modified and trimmed down version showing the key facts in slightly sexier language would help more people realise what a terrible job New Labour is doing. As it stands, I'm going to be stepping onto my soap box and lending this book to everyone who I think will read it.

All in all, and excellent book, well written and very interesting. As a lot of people here have said, it is depressing, but there is always a tiny bit of hope for change.

(Incidentally, by "adding more 'sex appeal'" I am thinking along the lines of Fast Food Nation which is a similarly meticulously researched informative book, but crucially, it is much more engaging.)

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

scary stuff!