The Art of Delivery

The Art of Delivery ventures inside 10Downing Street at the turn of the millennium to unveil how Tony Blair'sgovernment successfully transformed the public services we value most.

Though the Blair government had a hugemandate, there remained fundamental challenges to success - not least theBlair-Brown rivalry, which manifested itself in a proxy war over the directionof public service reform. Nevertheless, over four years, the Prime Minister'sDelivery Unit, led by Sir Michael Barber, upgraded the way in which the Britishgovernment implemented improvements to the NHS and the education system. Italso represented a watershed for how Prime Ministers engage with the real-worlddelivery of their priorities.

Until now, much of this narrative hasremained untold. Based on brand-new research and analysis, Michelle Clementuncovers the full story, drawing on 600,000 words of Sir Michael Barber'sunpublished, handwritten private diaries as well as exclusive interviews andgovernment papers. Filled with revealing insider detail, this is a humanaccount of what it takes to effect change from behind that famous black door.