1 december, better pEUnrose

Wednesday 2nd December 2009

Met john penrose mp today, shadow minister for business, enterprise & regulatory reform; part of ken clarke’s team. Very happy to say that some of ken’s “europe does good stuff too” attitude has clearly penetrated. John was talking about the thrillingly titled “regulation in the post-bureaucratic age: how to get rid of red tape and reform quangos", and I am happy to report that its prescriptions are largely lifted straight out of the eu’s better regulation efforts of the past years, which, on the whole, are "a good thing". In my attached eu briefing you can read all about sunset clauses, impact assessments and more consistent application – and then you can read all about it again in “RIP bureaucratic age” as the conservative tome will no doubt eventually be known. This is an excellent initiative, and better regulation and lawmaking is an extremely worthy goal, and could have a real impact. All you do when you cut red tape though, drily observed one participant, is create two bits of red tape, and I suspect that like barroso’s very best efforts, the fierce need for bright new legislation that does things that have been promised will quickly and vastly outweigh the germanic urge to tidy up old legislation that’s not really doing much any more. There are only so many hours in the day. You’ve got to wish him luck though !