Going public: The left's new direction for public services

This report is about how public services can ‘go public’ – how they can involve the public in everything they do; how they can deliver value for the public; and how they can embody a special public character and spirit.

It presents a positive agenda for the future of public services based on three interlocking principles: strong public character, trust and empowerment, and performance and value, which form an alternative to the two core principles of ‘New Public Management’ – top-down control and market reform – adopted by New Labour and by the coalition government.

These principles should be applied at every level, from Whitehall down to frontline relationships between citizens and public service employees.