Mad Frankie Maude hangs up his axe

Axe-wielder-in-chief and Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude is to hang up his blade after the next election. Since first swinging into power in 2010 Maude has pledged war on the supplier "oligopoly", which have traditionally dominated Whitehall IT spend, placed a moratorium on IT contracts over £100m, overseen the creation …

[Anonymous Coward]

So what's he achieved exactly?

I'm embarrassed to say that I helped get him elected in 1983. I was young and foolish, and I didn't inhale.

I'm sure he'll be sadly missed, like Nick Clegg.

[Bob Vistakin]

Re: So what's he achieved exactly?

Jerrycan took first prize in taking the piss during the great corruption exposure by claiming London allowances for a flat he owned yards from his house.

[Roger Greenwood]

JFDI

When doing it properly is going to take too long.

[Elmer Phud]

Re: JFDI

When others asking question is so fucking inconvenient.

[Rich 11]

Blearghh

our brilliant chancellor

That tells you everything you need to know about Maude's judgement.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Blearghh

Beat me to it...

Its seems Mad Frankie has a rather unique interpretation of the word 'brilliant'.

Brilliant is only applicable to Gideon if suffixed by ' -ly inept (other scatological descriptions can be used)'

[open_paul]

You failed to mention the importance of the Transparency agenda that Mr Maude has championed (with mixed success). This is a key area of change in global politics and something that should be supported whether it is around making government decisions and spending more open to query or the Open Data agenda which is linked to the crucial National Information Infrastructure (read the latest paper from the Open Data User Group for more: http://data.gov.uk/blog/national-information-infrastructure-nii).

[Anonymous Coward]

Hmmm.. not sure I totally agree with your claim of him championing transparency when he heads a dept that is one of the worst in central govt for responding to FOI requests.

Like most politicians he is a snake oil salesman who will support whichever voter base is funding his campaign.

[Syntax Error]

This is the government guru who wanted us to sign on the internet using a facebook account.

[Gordon 10]

To be fair that actually makes pragmatic sense for a large subset of the population, it's only the IT equivalent to putting Govt adverts on during the soaps.

[sad_loser]

we have had a lot worse

he has got his hands dirty in policy and understood the importance of good information.

he has the testicular fortitude not to be bowed by the big corporations and a politicians' common sense when he sees a care.data turkey.

imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and other governments e.g. Australia have copied Maude's work through the Cabinet Office, so I suspect he has done a pretty good job.

[Desk Jockey]

The golden rule

The golden rule in Whitehall is that if Maude likes it, it is probably a bad idea and will be badly implemented! Not failed to be true yet.

The number of companies I have met who roll their eyes when you mention the Cabinet Office tells its own story. Maude and his young, naive but eager advisors are brimming full of ideas and jargon, but have no real concept of the implications of what they do or make others do.

I am sure there are some things they have done right, but there is a hell of a lot they have done wrong and so any claims of success or savings from the Cabinet Office should be treated with a great deal of suspicion unless independently verified by people with credibility in that field.

[Elmer Phud]

Re: The golden rule

"his young, naive but eager advisors"

puppies that pee and poo on the floor with excitement but never notice the mess they make.

[A Twig]

Re: The golden rule

Generally cured by rubbing their noses in it?

[Anonymous Coward]

I assume a pleasant sinecure as non-exec at half a dozen FTSE100 plc beckons?