About

This is my third attempt to write,“about” .  But I have just watched Katie Razzall interview one of my heroes, David Hockney—two of my other heroes are politicians: William Marshall and Edward Hyde. You’ve probably never heard of them, as I hadn’t till relatively recently —though “recently” could be before you were grown up. But I do relate to David Hockney, as he is an observer, just as I am an observer of politicians and managers and those who shape history.

A force de forger on devient forgeron.  By observing and analysing I have become a public policy analyst.  I didn’t realise that till I sent a paper of mine to someone and felt I needed to explain in some way how I had come to write it.  What am I exactly? Or even approximately? 

So what makes a public policy analyst: someone who operates, reviews and wishes to shape public policy? Working in government helps of course; and as an accountant, this was very wide-ranging.  But a lifetime of studying history, politics and management helps as well.  And being a Christian for 50 years gives a structured moral and spiritual dimension.  Learning French and Italian and some Japanese adds another dimension; as do international friendships and travel. Growing up in Wembley  and working in London, studying history in Bristol, and spending over 8 years in Liverpool and Teesside, means I do understand a little of life beyond the south-east.  

In more recent years, my wife and I have have been involved in running charities.  For me it was the UK branch of an international Swiss children’s charity and the Winchester Young Carers’ Project.  But we both also ran hobby groups, mine international.  We hosted Japanese students, and spent over 2 weeks of our lives literally travelling to and from New Zealand on 8 visits to our daughter.  Even now we add to our international friendships here in Winchester: Muslim, Austrian, Nigerian and Chinese.  

So my approach to public policy is nationwide, international, cultural, religious, ethical, social, financial, managerial, political, constitutional, and I have a smattering of economics.  And I have a sense of history, which, despite the common view, isn’t bunk after all. 

Our families were committed Christians.  But my father also took huge enjoyment in the nonsense and hypocrisy of religion.  His side of the family were habitual jokers.  And to understand public policy or anything serious in life, then if you don’t laugh, you will cry.  I am sure God laughs—he could hardly create laughter and not laugh himself, now, could He?  My book on Trump has a laugh on every page, and even my Journal of a Plague Year is not without its laughter.  Likewise these essays. 

But Hockney also gets to the essence of things—and if it is a portrait, to the essence of you.  There’s your soul in lurid colours on the canvas.  And what I aim to do also is to get to the heart and essence of issues of public policy.  But always in his paintings, beneath the skin is Hockney’s chuckle. 

Finally, art and politics are matters of passion and determination.  All passion was indeed not spent with Hockney, and also not with me.  

So warts and all, the way is open to these conjectures —which I hope you will find helpful and will enjoy. Bonne lecture.