B of the Bang – Investigative Journalist
The Covid 19 Enquiry
It would be hard to ignore the on-going public Covid19 Enquiry – it’s all over TV and radio every news bulletin – I’m even watching it live during the day. It’s my job!
But – don’t worry – I have no intention of reporting or analysing the actual question and answer sessions – most of which fall into just two categories –
- ‘It’s easy to criticise now – in hindsight – but we had to deal with an unknown threat – – which was changing all the time – with no previous experience.’
and–
- 2. ‘It was somebody else’s fault.’
But what’s really attracted my attention is the cost:
Before it even began in public – In June 2023 – the total cost – even then – was £85 million!
Much of that went to an undisclosed, number of leading London law firms – whose job it was to wade through the mountains of documents, recording the details of hundreds of formal and informal meetings of the politicians, advisers and civil servants – plus the hundreds of, often offensive and abusive WhatsApp exchanges – within Downing Street.
The other, early, major expense–was £500.000 for – what was titled –
‘The Strategic Communications Deal’,
I had to Google it _ defined, variously – as – ‘ The New Corporate Superpower – Strategic Communication – a plan to provide a clear purpose to keep everyone you are communicating with (sic) (or, who is your target audience) and what is the message and how will it be communicated to maximise ROI with your ‘Known Engaged Marketable Audience.’
‘ROI’? – ‘Return on Investment.’
They can get worse e.g.
‘Strategic communication provides a conceptual umbrella that enables organisations to integrate their disparate messaging efforts. It allows them to create and distribute communications that, while different in style and purpose, have an inner coherence. This consistency can, in some instances, foster an echo chamber that reinforces the organisational message and brand. At the minimum, it prevents contradictory, confusing messaging to different groups across all media platforms.’
If you bothered to read all of that – well done!
I sometimes wonder – how I managed to survive four years, studying ‘Business Studies’ surrounded by this sort of; bull****’.
By the way – there are further examples of ‘marketing speak’ in an earlier post – called – ‘How Not to Sell Anything’. But at least they are mostly funny.
– I know, you might be thinking – ‘what could be less interesting? -’ But – perhaps more interesting is the question:
Where did that3500,000 for the Strategy go?
Not easy to find – but I did it.
The half million was paid to a private company called – ‘Crest Advisory’. Their management team is very interesting.
I’m not naming them – because of possible legal consequences:
Their website initially describes them as a collective of experts in:
Justice
Policing
&
Public Safety
Doesn’t mention any expertise in Communications Strategy or Marketing?
Chief Executive – Ex. Office of Police & Crime Commissioner
Executive Director – expert on Criminal Justice Policy
Ex. advisor to – Ministers – Mayors – Chief Constables
Executive Director – Ex. Head of News – Independent Police Complaints Commission
Founder – Advisor to David Cameron and Government communications advisor for twenty years.
Executive Director – Ex. ITN Broadcaster & Daily Mirror reporter
Development
Executive Director – Ex. Advisor to Mayor’s Office of Policing Crime.
Pre-dominantly – ex Downing Street and Government offices.
No evidence of ‘jobs – ‘for the boys & girls’, then?