A newly elected government should capitalise on the political capital that comes from winning to enact bold, contentious reforms – such as immediately launching the process of delivering planning reform. This, The Future Governance Forum says, will deliver tangible results for voters, showing that Labour has fulfilled its promises in advance of the next general election.
Published today, 100 Four 100: How a new government can set itself up for success urges the next government to execute not only a first 100 day plan, but also a plan for the crucial first four weeks and first 100 hours when first impressions of the new administration are formed. It suggests preparing some ‘quick wins’ the new administration can point to as early evidence of change, similar to the creation of the Office for Budgetary Responsibility (OBR) in 2010 or Bank of England independence in 1997.
The arrival of a new government also offers a rare opportunity to rethink the way the country is governed. Labour must use this narrow window to establish its new ‘mission-driven’ approach, effecting change – both structural and cultural – before the system reverts back to the traditional Westminster-Whitehall model. For a mission-driven approach to take root, missions must be embedded into the state’s financial institutions from the outset. This should start with the Treasury, and receive the personal backing of the Prime Minister and Chancellor, as argued by a recently published FGF report on mission-driven government written by leading missions expert Mariana Mazzucato.
Drawing lessons from conversations with leading figures in the UK Conservatives, US Democrats and Australian Labor about their transitions of 2010, 2020 and 2022 respectively, the briefing puts forward a series of recommendations a new government should enact within its first 100 days to set itself on course for success:
- Send a clear, unambiguous signal of the new administration’s purpose from the outset, establishing missions as the first priority of government with the personal backing of the Prime Minister and Chancellor
- Agree on, and roll out, a clear ‘theory of power’ – where it sits, how it should be distributed and where the centre of power lies
- Avoid scrapping initiatives and institutions introduced by the former regime simply to signal a break from the past
- Refresh the Treasury’s role and redesign public finance tools and institutions in line with mission goals
- Write to each cabinet minister setting out key priorities. Instruct ministers to work with civil servants to convert these into actionable departmental delivery plans
- Commission mayors and local leaders to start work on their place’s Local Growth Plan in a joint letter from the Prime Minister, Chancellor and Local Government Secretary
- Consider establishing temporary ‘beachhead’ appointments to ease the transition
Nathan Yeowell, Director of The Future Governance Forum, said: “If the polls are to be believed, we will soon witness only the third transition of power in over 40 years. The new government will face immense pressure to start delivering results at pace. And this time, with the in-tray awaiting the incoming administration the most daunting any government has faced since World War II, the stakes are even higher.
“Yet a change of government also presents a rare opportunity – the opportunity to usher in bold reforms and to rethink the way the country is governed from the ground up, buoyed by what is expected to be an historic mandate. This report offers an essential playbook for a newly elected government, detailing how to manage a smooth transition, establish a new mission-driven governance model, and begin delivering on key election pledges from day one.”
