The CMS, the DWP and the Crisis of Accountability

In this week’s FFT Radio segment, I was joined once again by Robin Hood for a wide-ranging and highly charged conversation about the Child Maintenance Service, the DWP, the courts and what he sees as a much deeper crisis of state power and public accountability. Robin argued that families are being squeezed by administrative systems with too little scrutiny, and he laid out his broader view that modern governance has drifted away from constitutional protections, due process and the public interest. We also got into questions around property, debt, licensing, judicial power, taxation, policing and whether public institutions are serving the people they were created to protect.As the discussion unfolded, we moved from child maintenance and benefits into bigger themes: the NHS, data collection, biometrics in schools, the Post Office scandal, corporate influence, immigration, and the problem of public passivity in the face of corruption claims. Paul English later joined us to reflect on how people can communicate these concerns more effectively and how ordinary listeners might begin thinking in terms of restoration rather than resignation. As ever, this was a passionate, provocative and unapologetically full-on conversation.Food For Thought Radio (FFT Radio): https://www.fftradio.com/Child Maintenance Service: https://www.gov.uk/child-maintenance-serviceDepartment for Work and Pensions (DWP): https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions/aboutHM Land Registry: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/land-registry/aboutNHS England: https://www.england.nhs.uk/Financial Conduct Authority (FCA): https://www.fca.org.uk/Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA): https://www.sra.org.uk/Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC): https://www.nmc.org.uk/about/European Court of Human Rights (ECHR): https://www.echr.coe.int/en/European Convention on Human Rights: https://www.echr.coe.int/en/web/echr/european-convention-on-human-rightsInternational Criminal Court (ICC): https://www.icc-cpi.int/decisionsMagna Carta (1297): https://www.legislation.gov.uk/aep/Edw1cc1929/25/9Constitutional Reform Act 2005: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2005/4/pdfs/ukpga_20050004_en.pdfInterpretation Act 1978: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1978/30/pdfs/ukpga_19780030_en.pdfCompanies Act 2006: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/46/pdfs/ukpga_20060046_en.pdfLand Registration Act 2002: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2002/9/pdfs/ukpga_20020009_en.pdfLocal Government Act 1972: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1972/70/pdfs/ukpga_19720070_en.pdfModern Slavery Act 2015: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2015/30/pdfs/ukpga_20150030_en.pdfOnline Safety Act 2023: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/50/pdfs/ukpga_20230050_en.pdfPost Office Horizon IT Inquiry: https://www.postofficehorizoninquiry.org.uk/Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Act 2024: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2024/14/pdfs/ukpga_20240014_en.pdfThe Gazette: https://www.thegazette.co.uk/Andy Burnham: https://www.gov.uk/government/people/andy-burnhamOctopus Energy Group: https://octopusenergy.group/BlackRock: https://www.blackrock.com/corporate/about-usVanguard UK: https://www.vanguard.co.uk/uk-fund-directoryState Street Investment Management: https://www.ssga.com/us/en/about-usFabian Society: https://fabians.org.uk/about-us/Rupert Lowe MP: https://members.parliament.uk/member/5158/contactDale Vince: https://dalevince.com/the-dale-vince-story/Dr Aseem Malhotra: https://doctoraseem.com/Anthony S. Fauci, M.D.: https://www.niaid.nih.gov/about/anthony-s-fauci-md-bio