Starmer appoints delivery guru Michael Barber for 'missions' drive

Mastermind of Blair-era Prime Minister's Delivery Unit will serve as unpaid "adviser on effective delivery"
Sir Michael Barber Photo: GOV.UK

By Jim Dunton

13 Sep 2024

Prime minister Keir Starmer has appointed system-change expert Sir Michael Barber as his "adviser on effective delivery" for the new government's five "national missions".

Barber, who was head of Tony Blair's revered Prime Minister's Delivery Unit from 2001-2005, has been hired to the new role – which is part-time and unpaid – as a direct ministerial appointment.

According to the Cabinet Office, Barber's latest government assignment – which is expected to run for an initial year, starting this month – will include "coordinating ambitious, measurable, long-term objectives that deliver change across the UK".

Labour's national missions are: securing the highest sustained economic growth in the G7; making Britain a clean-energy "superpower"; halving serious violent crime; breaking down barriers to opportunity; and making the National Health Service "fit for the future".

Last week, Department of Health and Social Care director general Clara Swinson was announced as the head of the "Mission Delivery Unit" in the Cabinet Office, tasked with implementing a cross-government approach to realise the goals.

During Blair's first term, from 1997-2001, Barber was chief adviser to then-education secretary David Blunkett, before the creation of the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit in Blair's second term, which had a focus on numerous "public service agreements" with departments at its heart.

He subsequently set up the Delivery Associates social-impact consultancy, but has worked with most governments in recent years in some capacity.

Barber conducted a productivity review under Theresa May that resulted in his proposals for a new "Public Value Framework" to maximise social value achieved through public spending.

In 2021, then-PM Boris Johnson brought Barber in to conduct a rapid review of how departments could make the delivery of projects and programmes more “focused, effective and efficient”.

Most recently, Barber served as an adviser on skills delivery to then-chancellor Jeremy Hunt and education secretary Gillian Keegan.

Starmer said he was "delighted" that Barber would be supporting the new government "to change lives for the better as we fix the foundations and deliver our five national missions".

"By changing the way we govern this country – through setting long term goals on the economy, energy, safer streets, breaking down barriers of opportunity and building an NHS fit for the future – we can rebuild the public’s trust in our politics and deliver the change Britain needs," the PM said.

Barber said it was "an honour" to be asked to advise the new government.

"The five missions are vital to the future of the country and I look forward to assisting the prime minister with their delivery," he said.

The Cabinet Office said Barber had stepped down as chair of Delivery Associates and would not undertake government-related work of any kind for the consultancy.

It added that Barber's letter of appointment was "clear" that Delivery Associates should not gain any advantage in relation to potential future government work as a result of his latest appointment.

The Cabinet Office said the government's position on Delivery Associates was the same as it had been in relation to Barber's work under the Sunak administration.

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