Cliff Notes
- The number of quangos in the UK has decreased by over 50% since 2010, yet more than 300 remain operational.
- The Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition eliminated nearly 300 quangos to enhance accountability and reduce costs.
- Despite plans for quango reduction, the Labour government has established over 20 new bodies since taking office, including Great British Energy and the Border Security Command.
Could Keir Starmer’s regulation shake-up mean a ‘bonfire of the quangos’?
The number of quangos has fallen by more than half since 2010 but there are still more than 300 across the UK.
Under the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition nearly 300 were axed – dubbed the “bonfire of the quangos” – in an attempt to improve accountability and cut costs.
Despite Sir Keir indicating he would also like to reduce the role of quangos, the new Labour government has set up more than 20 since winning power.
These include Great British Energy, which will invest in renewable energy to help meet the government’s clean power goals, and the Border Security Command, which aims to tackle small boat crossings.
Asked earlier this week if the government was planning another “bonfire of the quangos”, Downing Street said the PM wanted to see a more “active and agile state”, rather than “outsourcing” decisions to other bodies.