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Budget 2024: What did the Budget mean for our 'national treasures'?

Dr James Blackmore-Wright looks at what the Budget will mean for 'national treasure' organisations like the NHS and the Post Office.

31 October 2024•1 min read
Post Office sign on a building.

"The UK Budget revisits a familiar dilemma with 'national treasures.' While compensation for Post Office scandal victims remains a priority, the NHS’s additional billions signal a shift: reform-first rhetoric has quietly faded. Although healthcare funding is welcome, it comes at a cost. When organisations like the NHS are seen as 'ours' to protect, they become harder to scrutinise, let alone reform. The Post Office scandal showed us the danger of deification; unchecked reverence can blind us to systemic issues. Caution, not loyalty, is essential to prevent future “national treasure” scandals from looming on the 'horizon'."

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Featured staff

  • Dr James Blackmore-Wright

    Assistant Professor of Strategy and Leadership

    Dr James Blackmore-Wright is an Assistant Professor of Strategy and Leadership, Birmingham Business School, University of Birmingham, UK.

    Phone: +44 (0)121 414 8307
    Email: j.m.blackmore-wright@bham.ac.uk

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