A new chapter... a new Substack
A place to talk about my time in Government, my thoughts on what works and what doesn't, policy and, of course, politics.
Today was my last day as a Senior Adviser to the Secretary of State for Education. After almost three years channelling 6 different Secretaries of State on a whole host of policy issues I am leaving the British Government and returning to the third sector. And in leaving I am freeing myself from rules around senior officials talking publicly about Government, policy, politics and the specifics of what happened and why. So here I am, long-time reader … first-time writer. I intend to use this as a medium to talk about my experiences in Government, my perspective on what works and doesn’t work when it comes to public administration and, of course, opine on policy and politics occasionally. But please do not expect a sour Dom Cummings tribute act… I bear no grievance with former colleagues, many of them superb at their job (albeit working in a dysfunctional system) and trying their hardest.
On Tuesday I start my new job at The Jobs Foundation, a brand-new charity that will focus its energies on championing the positive role business plays in British society. Whether it is creating jobs, offering training opportunities, paying tax and investing in productivity enhancing technology. Don’t be surprised then when I also write about the British economy and why we seem to be stuck in the slow lane at the moment. Lastly expect the odd book review (I have two children under 2 years old so finishing a book is an infrequent occurrence these days). There is a lot of Substack content out there, so I know I will have to work to make this interesting and valuable. Nor am I deluded enough to think I can charge people to read my output yet, so please enjoy this public good. In the meantime, do contact me on patrick@thejobsfoundation.com (or via twitter @pspencer_88) if you have thoughts/opinions.