File under Benn, Quotes, Democracy, Patrick Kidd and Times
In the Times Diary of 30/12/14, Patrick Kidd recalled a story told by the late Tony Benn which will raise a laugh in sheds everywhere …
The NHS held a boat race against a Japanese crew and after Japan won by a mile, a working party found the winners had 18 people rowing and one steering while the NHS had eighteen steering and one rowing. So the NHS spent £5 million on consultants, forming a restructured crew of four assistant steering managers; three deputy managers and a director of steering services. The rower was given an incentive to row harder. They held another race and lost by two miles. So the NHS fired the rower for poor performance, sold the boat and used the proceeds to pay a bonus to the director of steering services.”
