UK politics

Britain is about to change its sixth prime minister in the last ten years. It cannot find a prime minister to manage it for a full term of five years. It is sad.

Some 36 years ago I attended a speech by a former chairman of a British multinational in India, who had later joined the public sector. He explained why private sector firms perform better than public sector firms. He said that in the private sector they retain the same chairman for ten years, even though the term may be for five years. However, in the public sector, they change the chairman every year, during the five-year term.

What is the lesson? Simply that chairmen of companies and prime ministers of countries need some time to settle down in their jobs and deliver results. It takes a top man at least a year to get to know and understand the key issues, people and underlying pressures.Then, he starts contributing. However, in politics people expect the PM to start delivering phenomenal results within 24 hours of his swearing-in. This is unrealistic.

Britain must learn to have patience with its prime ministers. A prime minister’s job is very serious, given the emerging global geopolitical pressures, laced with wars and AI ramifications. The PM’s job should not be reduced to a game of musical chairs. It is unfair to the voters who repose their trust in a party or a person. It is also unfair to the man in the hot seat.

Rajendra Aneja,
Mumbai, India