David Walker explains that although public services may be shrinking, they must get smarter

On a visit to West Yorkshire David Cameron delivered what was billed as a big, programmatic speech on the future of public services. You would be forgiven for not feeling the earth move. It was a rehash of the same old, same old (social impact bonds, free schools, digital and ‘smarter’ government), enlivened by a proposal to turn prison governors into entrepreneurs and (presumably) score a profit from inmates setting up call centres or home protection advisory services.

It wasn’t a speech on which the prime minister had consulted Lord Porter of Spalding – but the Fens aren’t ever much likely to form an ‘eastern powerhouse’ and Gary’s peerage must in some measure be compensation for marginalisation.