I'm not sure that he is a pal - whatever you think of Peter Mandelson he isn't a fool and he is a consummate politician. The point about this is that there is a myth that a manager is a manager is a manager. I have never subscribed to the view that that is true. You will know that to be a half decent manager you need to have a knowledge and understanding of what the job entails and preferbaly have done it yourself at the coal face, and an understanding of what the staff will experience and how they will perform at their best, and what resources and training they will require. I don't think putting a man in charge of Children's Services whose previous experience was managing a pizza and pie factory is particularly bright and was - as proved - a disaster, unfortunately ultimately costing lives. I worked for the CSA for years and we had a Chief Executive who frankly was regarded with contempt by the troops, Lambeth Council head hunted her! Twelve months later they couldn't get rid of her quick enough, she caused mayhem and it cost a fortune to to get her to go. Lately I have worked for another part of the Civil Service where again the Chief Exec. had no specific knowledge of the department, coming from an entirely different area, and is now leaving to go off to the Financial Ombudsman service, where again she has no relative experience. I cannot think that there are a group of people who are that clever that they can run anything, run into the ground is more likely, yet still this priviliged bunch go on leaving - if not disaster behind - then certainly a mess which has cost ordinary working people their jobs. What now for our Royal Mail service post Crozier's toxic reign?
Vanessa Smith ● 5939d