Few public servants adhere to Nolan – and don’t care

As the new mob beds in at Westminster and a bunch of sads implode because Jose Esplanade is a brute and Jesus della Saucisson isn’t brute enough when it comes to training for a faux-dance competition, the entire question of good and bad behaviour is under the spotlight. It’s poor form to shoot at the President, but even worse to miss from a sloping roof, thanks to the hand of God. I may be conflating some of the newsflows, but there is much squawking about what might have been and how damaged they may be; however, the sheer slackness of all those supposedly responsible leaves me entirely disinterested.
I suspect I know the source of this management slackness. As planes remain flightless and doctors lose their patience (Check spelling Ed), I read this week that Microsoft has laid off its entire internal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion team. One laid-off team leader said, “DEI programs everywhere are no longer business critical or smart as they were in 2020“. Microsoft joins Zoom, Google, and Meta in cutting costs on useless woke hires. The growth in the DEI programme, driven by the ever-burgeoning power of HR departments, appears to have a direct correlation with the election of Donald Trump in 2016. Perhaps I am being cynical – but I find it strange that as a new Right appears over the horizon, Bill and Elon save money, time and effort on excessive affirmative action programmes. Yet, just as a new Left rides into town here in Blighty, the UK’s enormous civil service offers pay rises for saying inclusive things and expands the very DEI teams cut by the private sector.

But here’s the rub. All this positivity and inclusivity doesn’t seem to have improved any outcomes. Rather than looking at the Secret Service’s inability to holster a pistol, let’s take a small peek at the Labour-led Wandsworth Council, which appears to have lost over 6500 votes during the general election count. On election night, Putney’s results showed 42,737 votes and a 59% turnout, though now-revised figures reveal a disturbing 6,558 votes were lost, bumping the turnout to 68%. Or what statisticians and boffins call 10%! No explanation is forthcoming; Councillor Hot’n-Bothered had made the appropriate noises, but you and I both know nothing will change.
I mention this because the other day, I came across The Nolan Principles and because I like things that make matters clear, if not tidy, I read them.
The Seven Principles of Public Life (also known as the Nolan Principles) were introduced in 1995 by the UK government’s Committee on Standards in Public Life, and these important values are allegedly “enshrined” in codes of conduct across the public sector. They apply to anyone who works as a public office-holder. This includes all those who are elected or appointed to public office, nationally and locally, and all people appointed to work in the Civil Service, local government, the police, courts and probation services, non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs), and in the health, education, social and care services. It is important to remember that all public office-holders are both servants of the public and stewards of public resources. The principles also apply to all those in other sectors delivering public services and state:

• SELFLESSNESS: Public officeholders should act solely in the public interest.
• INTEGRITY: Public officeholders must avoid being obligated to people or organisations that might try inappropriately influencing them in their work. They should not act or make decisions to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends. They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships.
• OBJECTIVITY: Public officeholders must act and make decisions impartially, fairly, on merit, using the best evidence, and without discrimination or bias.
• ACCOUNTABILITY: Public officeholders are accountable to the public for their decisions and actions and must submit themselves to the scrutiny necessary to ensure this.
• OPENNESS: Holders of public office should act and make decisions openly and transparently. Information should not be withheld from the public unless there are clear and lawful reasons for doing so.
• HONESTY: Holders of public office should be truthful.
• LEADERSHIP: Public officeholders should exhibit these principles in their own behaviour. They should actively promote and robustly support the principles and be willing to challenge poor behaviour wherever it occurs.

Inevitably, the Scots had to add their own fol-di-rol, with two additional requirements – I’ll leave you to think if they have merit or if they are the work of some slithy toves that gyre’d and gimble’d in the Jabberwock’s wabe:

• PUBLIC SERVICE: Holders of public office have a duty to act in the interests of the public body of which they are a board member and to act in accordance with the body’s core tasks.
• RESPECT: Holders of public office must respect fellow members of their public body and employees of the body and their role, treating them courteously at all times.

Do you truly believe that most of our public bodies follow these Principles? Without thinking too hard, the BBC, The Arts Council, the MOD, NICE, Rochdale Council, The Post Office, Transport for London, and NHS Health Trusts all seem to have a case to answer, but no one to ask the questions. We have no restitution, no recourse, no justice when they fail. It has led to a wave of corruption that goes from Fast Lanes during Pandemics and then actively robbing the country through the supply of shoddy goods – to “who cares” voter fraud, from a holiday villa abroad for the planning officer to jobs for life for retired cabinet ministers and top civil servants.
When I was quite young, I worked in a now-failed American bank as a trainee FX dealer. At that time, technological breakthroughs in communications had yet to occur, so quite a lot of lunching and handshaking went on to secure deals and transact business. My word is my bond – have another glass of this Yquem. Thus, the offices were largely devoid of bosses between midday and 3 pm, and then the reptiles would appear. There was one youth working there who had the worst BO of any human before or since and who would regularly decimate the contents of the stationary cupboard on my floor. “Why?” I asked him one day from 40 feet away.
“Cos they won’t mind, and they can afford it – and then I sell it dahnamarket on Saturday.”
That, to me, remains the stench of petty corruption, BO pervading the stationary cupboard because no one will mind. Rewarding someone for doing a crap job – whilst saying important things about Gaza – doesn’t make it less of a crap job. It’s just a more expensive failure. Perhaps that is the faintest hint of BO in Wandsworth – or heaven forfend – in the USA.

Talking of expensive failures, here are some ideas for this weekend’s sport.

Saturday

• Test cricket, day three: England v West Indies (11 am, Sky Sports)
• The Open Championship: Day three (6.30 am, Sky Sports)
• Tour de France: Stage 20 The mountainous Nice to Col de la Couillole stage. (12 pm, ITV4)
• Horseracing from Newbury and Market Rasen: (1330 ITV1)
• Formula 1: Hungarian Grand Prix: Qualifying (3 pm, Sky Sports)

Sunday

• Test cricket, day four: England v West Indies (11 am, Sky Sports)
• The Open Championship: The Final Day (6.30 am, Sky Sports)
• Formula 1: Hungarian Grand Prix (2pm, Sky Sports)
• Tour de France: Stage 21. See all your favourite spots on The Riviera on the 35-km time trial between Monaco and Place Masséna in Nice (11am, ITV4)

RACING

I hope you were on our recommendation for Ding Dong’s deb PAROLE D’ORO last week. 3 pts e/w at 28/1 for an unraced colt should have given you some clue about my belief that the tip was good. It was a very decent second.
There is also the Irish Oaks from The Curragh at 3:40. If you have Sky Sports Racing Bet TV, here are two I fancy today:

2:35 – MR WAGYU 5 pts e/w 11/2 generally

3:40 – DARE TO DREAM  3 pts e/w 14/1

1 pt e/w double 

1:50 NEWBURY BetVictor Steventon Stakes Cl1 (3yo+) 1m2f 5 run

This is surely simply a match race between the two Shadwell horses. But then PHANTOM FLIGHT has avoided racing over the last year, had a wind-op and changed trainers. Today, he gets a hood. He was also second in this race last year to AL AASY, who beat him again at Haydock next time out. I keep thinking on paper, and with these changes, he might just pull it off… but not at level weights. I can’t split the Shadwell horses, and I don’t care. AL AASY, probably…

NO BET

2:05 MARKET RASEN Unibet Races Hcap Hurdle Cl3 (4yo+ 0-135) 2m4½f 14 run

ILANZ disappointed over shorter LTO, but this step back up in trip should suit this horse with some evidence of class. Sean Bowen takes the ride and this one is over-priced.

ILANZ 2 pts e/w

2:25 NEWBURY Mettal UK Hcap Cl2 (3yo+) 2m½f 10 run

Syd Hosie will be keen to see whether TEMPORIZE will be competitive in his Goodwood target – the Goodwood Stakes, which he won last year. He’s 7lbs higher, and I don’t know whether this is a warm-up alternative. Either way – this trip might well be too short. DANCING IN PARIS and PRYDWEN are also on my radar.

TEMPORIZE – PRYDWEN 2 pts e/w both

2:40 MARKET RASEN Unibet Summer Hcap Hurdle Cl2 (3yo+) 2m½f 17 run

CHAOS CONTROL 4 pts e/w – PISGAH PIKE 2 pts e/w

3:00 NEWBURY Fidelity Energy Hackwood Stakes (G3) Cl1 (3yo+) 6f 10 run

I scribbled TWILIGHT CALL’s name down after his dawdling start LTO at Sandown. He finished like a train, but all too late. I also thought he might benefit from blinkers rather than the cheekpieces, but Henry has taken them off altogether. Still, the good ground will help, and he looks too big a price at 12s with Bet Victor, Ladbrokes and Boyle.  REGIONAL is the correct favourite.

TWILIGHT CALLS 4 pts e/w

3:15 MARKET RASEN Unibet Summer Plate Hcap Chase Cl1 (4yo+) 2m5½f 16 run

THE BIG LENSE wasn’t given a hard time when beaten by a well-handicapped rival over C&D LTO, and I suspect this was the main target. He was an easy winner last summer, off 3lb lower, and there is value here at generous odds. AL ZARAQAAN 16/1 also likes a bit of decent ground as he’s even dabbled in the Flat scene a little bit. He probably benefitted from a pace collapse on the last day, and this mark of 138 is a career-high rating. He would need a career-best effort over a new trip. SOUL ICON 8/1 is in the same category as his mark of 137 is a career-high. He’s been running in decent company, notably when third in the Grade 2 Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase, and he has also won on good ground before. this trip suits him, although I do think he’s better in the mud. That said, his mark of 137 is workable. Summer specialist Bowen loves this race, and he has two runners, but FRANCKY DU BERLAIS is 11 yo, and STATUARIO doesn’t look like he can win this. That leaves me looking at the trends; I get PARIS ENCORE and BOOMBAWM from those. PARIS ENCORE is four wins and nine placed efforts from nineteen career starts and stayed on well to win LTO at Perth carrying a big weight over a slightly shorter trip. Had a couple of today’s rivals behind that day and can confirm that form and land a place at least with many bookies paying five places. Currently 10/1, but being backed.

PARIS ENCORE 3 pts e/w – THE BIG LENSE 2 pts e/w 25/1 with Bet365 5p

3:35 NEWBURY Weatherbys Super Sprint Stakes Cl2 (2yo) 5f 19 run

I will be surprised if Eve Johnson-Houghton runs PONT NEUF, who ran no kind of a race in the Windsor Castle, and I suspect is better with cut. With the course losing 20mm+ of moisture out of the ground yesterday, it is riding GF Good in places, and the rain will probably not have arrived until 4:00. She has a chance with COILED, who was third @ 4/1 LTO to another of Eve’s Rotation who won at 20/1. You can’t ignore a Hannon runner here, and MISS COLLADA defied a penalty LTO and her Newmarket race in May has produced some decent types. Rod Millman knows how to tuck a bookmaker up and has won this race twice before; his MAPLEDURHAM has shown some promise. Royal Ascot form always produces some tales of woe or bad luck, and it could be argued that VINGEGAARD might have had a podium at the very least but for the draw in the Windsor Castle where he was 5th home, but 2nd on the unfavoured far side. TIME FOR SANDALS won her debut by a head, and this €35k yearling could be seen travelling best two out and only had to be nudged along to make a narrow but decisive winning debut. She looks like an above-average filly.  IT AIN’T TWO is considered Black Type waiting in the Palmer yard, and Oisin Murphy will help. However, I can’t see anything in the form that says will win instead of might win – which makes the price toppy. However, I am suggesting CABURN, who was fancied on debut and showed a willing attitude despite running green and missing the break; he was also the first winner at Salisbury for his trainer Jack Jones. The second has won since. The 24,000gns yearling purchase went to the breeze-up sale in May but went through unsold at 75,000gns, a decision that has proved the right one for connections.

CABURN 4 pts e/w – MAPLEDURHAM 1½pts e/w (5 places with Paddy Power at 12s and 35s respectively)

HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX

The markets have not fully formed as I write, and that is probably because of the well-publicised computer issues with Crowdstrike. The company’s name not only adorns Mercedes F1 cars but has also screwed up many of the teams’ on-track computer systems – so no impact there then! Consider having a small punt on Zhou to finish in the points or Top 10 when the market forms. Hungaroring has similarities to Shanghai, where Zhou got a stand-out 7th, and I think he’ll like this track. Also, I fancy Lando Norris to win, and if you can find such a market, see if you can get the top three English drivers for the podium. Norris, Russell, Hamilton.
Update: the market has formed:

ZHOU points finish  4 pts @ 11/2 –   Lando Norris to win 6 pts @ 5/2