The Art of Delivery ventures inside 10
Downing Street at the turn of the millennium to unveil how Tony Blair's
government successfully transformed the public services we value most.
Though the Blair government had a huge
mandate, there remained fundamental challenges to success - not least the
Blair-Brown rivalry, which manifested itself in a proxy war over the direction
of public service reform. Nevertheless, over four years, the Prime Minister's
Delivery Unit, led by Sir Michael Barber, upgraded the way in which the British
government implemented improvements to the NHS and the education system. It
also represented a watershed for how Prime Ministers engage with the real-world
delivery of their priorities.
Until now, much of this narrative has
remained untold. Based on brand-new research and analysis, Michelle Clement
uncovers the full story, drawing on 600,000 words of Sir Michael Barber's
unpublished, handwritten private diaries as well as exclusive interviews and
government papers. Filled with revealing insider detail, this is a human
account of what it takes to effect change from behind that famous black door.
Hardback | 432 pages | Published May 2025
