The Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) is responsible for holding government and civil servants to the highest standard. In December 2024 they held an inquiry into a core aspect of our democracy, the holding of elections.
We’ve launched an inquiry to review the administration, process and conduct of the 2024 General Election and look at how they could be improved for future elections. https://x.com/CommonsPACAC
Later that month they moved on to examining the role of the Cabinet Office, the body most closely associated with the heart of government. They are also the only committee with responsibility for scrutiny of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) a body otherwise ‘independent’ of government. On 14 January they went for a visit to the PHSO Manchester Office to familiarise the new committee members with the work of the Ombudsman’s office. Why they didn’t just walk along the road to the London office at Millbank Tower is another question.
As I looked at those eager faces and started to read the political biographies of the new committee members I could not get the image of the Wallace and Gromit Norbots out of my mind.
Of the 11 members, nine were newly elected in July 2024. They are guided by Simon Hoare (Conservative) who is hardly a veteran having been elected in 2015. The only other member of parliament who has any idea of how things actually work in Westminster is John Lamont (Conservative), who was elected in 2017. The seven Labour MPs are all newcomers, as are the two Lib Dems. Does this committee have the gravitas to ‘do the job’ I asked myself.
When it comes to scrutiny of the Ombudsman they have been pretty tardy. Simon Hoare was elected as Chair on 11 September and it took until 18 November to form a new committee. Consequently, there has been no annual scrutiny of the work of the Ombudsman which usually takes place in November or December each year. That made things a little easier for Rebecca Hilsenrath who is only interim Ombudsman due to the decision of Rishi Sunak not to pass on the previous committee’s preferred candidate as you can see here.
At least the old committee realised the gravity of this breach of protocol with the then Chair of PACAC, William Wragg referring to the event as ‘somewhat irregular’.
It does indeed bring into question the true independence of the Ombudsman when the PM can sit on any recommendation he doesn’t agree with. When Dame Jackie Doyle-Price took over the role of Chair on 8 May, she wrote to the PM clearly stating that the selection process could take up to six months and a new Ombudsman would need to be appointed by 31 March 2025.
The new committee members have not shown such urgency and a commitment to following protocol. It looked like they were happy to proceed without initiating a new selection process then on 9 January this advertisement was spotted on Gatenby Sanderson with a closing date of 10 February.
The nifty Norbots will have to reduce a six-month recruitment process to just six weeks. Let’s hope that the chosen candidate is free to take up the role on 31 March as Rebecca Hilsenrath is prohibited by legislation from extending her term of office, unless of course …
phsothetruestory 
The deadline of 31 March will not pose a problem; rules don’t apply if they become an inconvenience for those with power and influence. The PHSO’s “independence” from the government is another empty word among a plethora of whitewash and cover ups pervasive among the public sector. Anyone remember the covid rules broken by Ms Hilsenrath which make her a criminal? But just like NHS Executive management, dishonesty, corruption and fraud are rewarded with promotion and bonuses, as I too found out:
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The Ombudsman should be a person of the highest integrity, but then they might actually start holding people to account and that just wouldn’t do.
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Thanks for updating about the ongoing recruitment of the Ombuds.
One would think PACAC could visit the London base or zoom rather than traipse up country just to link up. Besides, who is there to see face to face? Since 2019 they have had a Flexible Working Policy in place.
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Perhaps some ‘private’ talks took place.
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My Labour MP, Noah Law, is a young chap and I spoke with him before the GE 2024. From that interaction I was able to establish that he was a ‘yes’ man. Dead behind the eyes, one who would follow orders no matter what. He’s voted in favour of every bill put forward by Sir Keir and cabinet. So it looks like asking pertinent questions to those in high office is being quashed. The fact we keep being told that these regulatory bodies are all independent of government is a joke. Censorship is in full swing and it’s getting scarier by the minute.
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I’m currently at odds with my (new) (Labour) MP Gen Kitchen. She promised to write personally to the Home Office for me and then reneged. When I challenged her with the transcript of our phone call her caseworker attempted to deny that the promise had been made.
Why could this be? Perhaps because Gen is an Assistant Whip? Or perhaps because until the GE she was a Shadow Parliamentary Private Secretary to … Yvette Cooper!
When it comes to being an individual constituent, seemingly, you are better off with an Opposition MP, or at least an MP lacking in political ambition.
Interestingly though, my former MP, the much-maligned Peter Bone, was always willing to take action against his own Ministers and was in every way, as far as I was concerned, an excellent constituency MP.
Funny old world, innit?
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She probably got the tap on the shoulder.
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Why am I not surprised? The whole system is looking scary at the moment. My Labour MP Noah Law is a young chap, I spoke with him at the GE Hustings, I knew from that interaction that he was a YES man, and he’s continually voted in favour of every single Bill that Sir Keir and Ms Reeves have drawn up. The word ‘independent’ in relation to these government bodies is laughable. We are witnessing censorship at the highest level. No one is allowed to ask real questions or hold anyone in public office to account. We thought the ‘system’ to hold public officials to account was toothless before, looks like we ain’t seen nothing yet!
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I agree. It’s getting a lot worse!
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I am intrigued as to why they needed to go to Manchester in the first place when the Ombudsman also has offices just round the corner from Westminster. It will be interesting to see how much the travel costs were.
This follows on from the recruitment process to find a replacement Ombudsman which started in 2023 and the selected candidate was not recommended to His Majesty by then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. That process wasted over £53,000.
There is a clear disconnect between politicians and the people who put them in place when it comes to spending public money. I accept these sums are a ‘drop in the ocean’ to the politicians, but to many individuals the sum is the whole ocean.
Chancellor of the Exchequer take note!
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Good point. has Rachel from accounts approved this spending!
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Without wishing to detract, from the worthiness of others’ finely worded comments…the PHSO is a pile of crap. ‘Nuff said. Sufficiently pithy and trenchant, do we think? I also resent the fact that someone who broke Covid lock down rules, thereby endangering other people’s health, should ever have made it this far – acting Ombudsman.
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Yes indeed Keith. She seems to have resigned from the EHRC in order to avoid the full force of the Commission’s investigation of the COVID breaches. We don’t know what she told the PHSO about that because her pre-appointment declaration has been conveniently “lost”. We do know what she said about it when applying to be PHSO CEO however – she tried to downplay it and claimed it was a mere technicality.
I hope the ICO will soon force the EHRC to release details of the disciplinary process at the EHRC – and I hope this happens before the new PHSO is appointed!
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It very much looks like these Labour newbies have been specifically chosen to not rock any boats with hard-hitting questions. Lloyd Russell-Moyle used to represent Labour at PACAC and regularly asked curveball questions. He was deselected at the last election in what looks like a coup with a gagging order attached if you read this article. https://labourlist.org/2025/01/lloyd-russell-moyle-brighton-kemptown-labour-investigation-dropped/
Labour’s John McDonnell also sat on the previous committee. One of the most experienced members of parliament. We are quickly becoming a ‘big brother’ state when all those who question are sidelined and all those who agree are promoted.
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Della can put in touch with me anyone interested in seeing my correspondence with the PHSO about misconduct by Hilsenrath going back to 2021. This includes Judicial Review correspondence with PHSO lawyers.
The PHSO Board and senior management simply do not care, and the PACAC has effectively washed its hands of the entire affair.
The next big question will be whether Hilsenrath applies for a full seven year term, but we’ll probably never know, unless of course she is appointed in March. If that happens I may not have the resources to “unleash hell” but I shall certainly continue to apply pressure wherever I can.
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Excellent blog Della.
Here we go again, with dishonesty being the order of the day. It has been said time and time again, what actual use is the PHSO? It does nothing for individuals seeking some sort of truth or improve the quality of care in this country. PACAC is ineffective, as I have personally witnessed, and that is not going to change by the looks of things. Not a bad salary and all the perks that go with it for the Ombudsman! So pleased that I can contribute towards that via my taxes!!!
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So with a new team at PACAC and that includes their ‘clerks’. I suspect the only people who know what has been examined in the past and what ‘evidence take,’ and not acted on are… PHSO the facts.com members.
I think we can expect the merry go round to come round again…what fun!!! Well not for those who expect a fair hearing from the ‘last bastion of justice’….PHSO.
The ‘independence’ from government, as those using this service know… is a false premise. As Quintin Hogg said. PHSO is a Swizz.
It should be done away with and the money put to better use like the national debt.
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