Isn't it great to hear Chloe Smith has made a commitment to bring about change in central government procurement so that it is easier for SME's, particularly in the construction sector, to gain business.Not so great that no-one actually briefed Chloe that what was being said had little new. Not so great that Chloe wasn't briefed that much of what was being championed had been committed to in the 2001 'Smaller Supplier ... Better Value? Not so great that Chloe wants local government to follow her example, without having been made aware that many council's have already signed the 2005 Small Business Friendly Concordat.
What we really need Chloe to tell us, isn't the old, old story of commitment to ..., but a new story of accountability for implementation, what's going to change to ensure her commitment is acted upon, and whether the Government are prepared to be measured against this commitment in May 2015 election.
Hey! I co-wrote "Smaller Supplier, Better Value" with Sue Hurrell of OGC all those years ago! It all goes round in circles Gordon. Even some work that was done in 2009/10 post the Glover Review in terms of SMEs seem to get forgotten post election. I think when there's a change of government you have to assume a "Year Zero" effect unfortunately.
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