Institutional Decay

6 articles

Sep 14, 2025 • via The Guardian

The Prime Minister Who Invoiced a Dictator: Johnson's Gulf Gold Rush Exposes Britain's Ethical Collapse

From Downing Street to Dubai: How Boris Johnson Monetized Public Office for Private Gain

Boris Johnson's post-premiership activities reveal a troubling intertwining of public office and private profit, raising serious ethical questions. The leaked documents show a former prime minister leveraging his government contacts for lucrative deals with autocratic regimes, highlighting a broader pattern of institutional decay in British politics.

Sep 7, 2025 • via The Guardian

Military Bases for Asylum Seekers: Britain's Endless Loop of Failed Solutions

Why Labour's Plan to Use Military Sites is Just Déjà Vu

Defence Secretary John Healey's announcement to use military sites for asylum seekers is less a new solution and more a repetition of past failures. With asylum hotel costs at £8 million daily and no clear plan to end their use, the government is recycling failed strategies amid political panic rather than evidence-based planning. This move highlights Britain's institutional decay, where basic governmental functions are outsourced to military resources, reflecting a broader collapse in administrative competence.

Sep 5, 2025 • via The Guardian

Labour's Welfare Betrayal: A Masterclass in Political Cowardice

London Transport's Paralysis Exposes Britain's Institutional Decay and Governance Failure

While millions of Londoners face another week of transport chaos, tube drivers earning £71,000 are demanding shorter working weeks. The capital's entire underground network will grind to a halt for four days because 57% of RMT members voted to strike over their 35-hour week being too long.

Aug 3, 2025 • via The Telegraph

Labour's Housing Fantasy Meets Britain's Building Reality

How Labour's Housing Promises Are Failing Under the Weight of Reality

Labour's housing promises are collapsing under the weight of reality, with new home construction at its lowest in nearly a decade. Despite pledging 1.5 million new homes, actual building has fallen to 201,000—an 8% drop from last year and a 17% plunge from the 2022 peak. The government's housing targets are not just unrealistic; they are symptomatic of a deeper institutional decay that has left Britain unable to deliver even basic functions of a developed nation.

Jul 20, 2025 • via BBC News

The Well Has Run Dry: Victorian Engineers Built 11 Reservoirs. We Can't Build One

Britain Can't Even Build Reservoirs Anymore

Yorkshire Water manages 120 reservoirs, most built by Victorian city corporations or in the post-war reconstruction era. Thruscross was constructed in the 1960s. Grimwith was expanded in 1982. Then, shortly after water privatization in 1989, construction simply stopped.

Jun 29, 2025 • via The Standard

When Failure Pays: TfL's Bonus Culture Reveals the Mechanics of Institutional Decay

How Transport for London's executive pay themselves while services decline

Transport for London handed out £639,164 to its chief executive while trains ran late, passenger targets went unmet, and cyber attacks left children unable to access discounted fares. This isn't administrative incompetence—it's how Britain's public institutions now function by design.