Damian Green now heads up UK Cabinet Office

Damian Green’s appointment as Cabinet Office minister this week makes him the fourth MP to hold the role over the last seven years. He takes the helm from former Cabinet Office minister Ben Gummer, who was ousted as an MP in the general election last week. During the last two governments, the Cabinet Office has taken a more …

[Anonymous Coward]

Oh bugger!

Yet another PPE graduate from Oxbridge. Why is Parliament formed almost exclusively of know-nothing arseholes?

The sooner Oxford & Cambridge colleges are closed (and the facilities razed to the ground, just to make sure) the better. And at the same time Eton, Harrow and could be cleansed in the same way.

[Paul Crawford]

Re: Oh bugger!

Well there is the small business about the massive amount of real, hard, tangible science they do as well to consider.

Still, you have a point about no-nothing career politicians managing stuff they don't (or won't) understand.

[Mage]

Re: Oh bugger!

Transfer that to proper Universities more interested in real Science and Education than reputation and ego.

[Dan 55]

Re: Oh bugger!

Unless government IT security is given its own department and some real powers to order the others about, instead of just something else a politician who studied PPE is placed in charge of for a year or so does before moving on, NHS pwnage will be the order of the day.

You know, like what's done in Germany.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Oh bugger!

The sooner Oxford & Cambridge colleges are closed

There is plenty of proper science at both locations.

I would not tar everyone coming from a Red Brick with the same brush.

You may have a point regarding humanitarians and specifically Oxford as a prime offender.

[John Smith 19]

"another PPE graduate from Oxbridge..Parliament formed..exclusively of know-nothing arseholes?"

Hard to say.

Either something in the curriculum inculcates an astonishing level of arrogance in their belief that they have near God like powers of prescience

Or

They select undergraduates who already think they such gifts to begin with.

[Dan 55]

Re: "another PPE graduate from Oxbridge..Parliament formed..exclusively of know-nothing arseholes?"

They select undergraduates who already think they such gifts to begin with.

That'd be Eton, then.

[macjules]

Re: "another PPE graduate from Oxbridge..Parliament formed..exclusively of know-nothing arseholes?"

You mean 'Slough Grammar School for the mentum bereft'?

[Mage]

Re: "another PPE graduate from Oxbridge..Parliament formed..exclusively of know-nothing arseholes?"

"They select undergraduates who already think they such gifts to begin with."

I misread that as "they are such gits", sorry.

[bigbob]

Re: Oh bugger!

Um...Oxford and Cambridge are world-class universities, the best people apply to them, and then the population votes them into parliament. I don't see much problem with it.

Got a chip on your shoulder perhaps?

[Doctor Syntax]

Re: Oh bugger!

"Got a chip on your shoulder perhaps?"

No, but rather too many PPE monkeys on our backs.

[Doctor Syntax]

Re: Oh bugger!

"The sooner Oxford & Cambridge colleges are closed (and the facilities razed to the ground, just to make sure) the better."

I understand that they do actually have real science and engineering depts as well. Just close down PPE courses - or, even better, require a STEM degree for entrance.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Oh bugger!

You can only get a PPE degree from Oxford, Cambridge don't do it. So no point calling it an Oxbridge degree.

[TRT]

Should get married to Amber Rudd.

Then she could change her name so people would stop making stupid traffic light jokes about her.

[Norman Nescio]

Re: Should get married to Amber Rudd.

Aye, and in a surprise move, cross the floor and join the Communist Party.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Should get married to Amber Rudd.

They could have a child and call it Red with her surname as the child's middle name.

[TRT]

Re: Should get married to Amber Rudd.

She could always go to work in a men's suit, so that when she comes to put a bolo on, they can refer to it as the Amber Necktie.

[Anonymous Coward]

Erm - it seems to run the government

Most of the big departments can't move without cabinet office approval - its more like a US administration.

I am not at all clear it improves efficiency by making itself a critical path on almost all government activity.

Possibly a good place to get your mate a good outsourcing deal arranged (cynical I know...)

[phils]

Damian Green?

I thought he was one of the ones Grant Shapps made up.

[hatti]

Brilliant, I'll tap him up for a new wardrobe, mines falling apart.

[Hans Neeson-Bumpsadese]

with just over 2,000 staff, it is a relative minnow

When you consider how much some private sector companies can achieve with a much smaller headcount, you have to wonder about how efficient (or not) the department is.

[Mage]

Cabinet Office

Did it used to be Dept of Administrative Affairs?

[Rich 11]

you have to wonder about how efficient (or not) the department is.

But equally you should look at who they have to deal with. I reckon they're understaffed. Or badly directed; that's always a possibility.

[Allan George Dyer]

"you have to wonder about how efficient (or not) the department is."

As Sir Humphrey Appleby would say, you don't measure efficiency by results, you measure efficiency by activity.

[Charlie Clark]

Logo watch?

If we don't get a silly but very expensive logo out of this then what's the point?