Sir Bonar Neville-Kingdom, Technology Outreach Czar
[Dave Birch] Sir Bonar Neville-Kingdom is Permanent Secretary at Large with especial responsibility for efficiency, globalisation and customer insight throughout Whitehall and beyond. He reports directly to the Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and was recently appointed the PM's Technology Outreach Czar. He is acknowledged among the senior Civil Service as a moderniser and one of the most articulate proponents of technology in its various forms and ramifications. He has gained vast experience in a widely varied career across the Cabinet Office, including a secondment in the Ministry of Defence. He is generally credited with authorship of the seminal "Nodiss" memo. He's also a keen gardener and occasional author. In this podcast, the 100th in the Consult Hyperion series, he describes his vision for identity management in the context of transformational government.
You can download this and other podcasts in both iPod (MP4) and MP3 format from the Consult Hyperion podcast page, where you can also subscribe to the podcast RSS feed. If you have iTunes, you can find the podcasts in the iTunes Store: just search for "Consult Hyperion" in the podcasts area and you can click and subscribe. Alternatively, you can click on this iTunes link.
Hurrah! This should set back the case for the National Identity Scheme by a few years. Unbelievable!
The examples of transformational government are ridiculous!
In response to questions about public concerns he trots out the 10 myths created by the IPS. Nothing to hide, nothing to fear. Gold standard of identity.
He is patronising beyond belief - "Blackberry girl" (as the technology czar you would think he could read his own email).
As for his closing statement I was lost for words "that's why we need to know everything about everyone"
Were you as exasperated as you sounded Dave? You were masterful in your self-restraint.
Posted by: FishNChipPapers | 25/07/2008 at 08:16 PM
Brilliant! It's worrying that I actually thought this wasn't very cleverly constructed satire.
Posted by: FishNChipPapers | 26/07/2008 at 09:10 AM
It must be satire. I can't believe he said all these things on the record:
"There won't be one giant database under my desk ... at least not yet."
"Yellow briefcases used to transport personal data..."
"Medical details could be outsourced to India..."
"Details of people you email ... and your car movements ... will be held on different gov't databases..."
"If you lose the card, and don't pay the fine for not reporting this, you will go to prison..."
"We need to spend this money to boost British jobs..."
"The Olympic budget can pay for the card..."
"I have nothing to hide & therefore have nothing to fear."
"As a Christian nation we need to become equal..."
Posted by: Barry | 07/08/2008 at 11:56 PM
That said, if they'd left out the over-the-top yellow briefcases & slightly hysterical Christian nation segments, it would be almost indistinguishable from satire!
(The tracking of car movements, and the outsourcing of sensitive data overseas, are already realities at least...)
Posted by: Barry | 08/08/2008 at 12:08 AM