Newscast The ‘Not Fit For Purpose’ Department - Part 1
11 snips
Apr 4, 2026 
David Normington, long‑serving senior civil servant and former Permanent Secretary, gives institutional context. Danny Shaw, former BBC home affairs correspondent and adviser, brings journalistic and policy perspective. Hannah Guerin, former special advisor to Priti Patel, shares insider operational experience. They probe repeated failures, IT and staffing gaps, small boats and Rwanda, policing relations and whether reform or talent fixes can make the department work.
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Same Structural Failings Recur Over Decades
- The Home Office repeatedly struggles with the same structural problems: inadequate IT, weak leadership, poor systems and processes across decades.
- David Normington and Hannah Guerin both note these faults persisted from 2006 into recent years despite reform attempts.
Modernise Tech And Embed Tech Talent
- Modernise technology and integrate tech talent into the Home Office to reduce paper-based, slow processes and enable faster delivery.
- Hannah Guerin recommends better commercial and tech capability and deeper front-line engagement to boost efficiency.
Huge Programmes Are Chronically Late
- Major Home Office transformation projects are years behind schedule and over budget, signalling systemic delivery failure.
- Examples include the Emergency Services Network (10 years late), Police National Computer replacement (LEADS) and the Biometrics Programme (years late).