Tony Blairs calls for end of “compensation culture”
Link: Tony Blairs calls for end of “compensation culture”
Speaking to the Institute of Public Policy Research, Prime Minister Tony Blair called for an end to compensation culture in the UK, saying it put undue pressure on public organisations. He said that there should be a more realistic attitude towards risk.
The comments were part of a speech on the need for a “sensible debate” on risk in public life. Mr Blair said that compensation culture placed undue pressure on policy making in government, public services and across parts of the private sector, to eliminate risk in a way that was out of proportion to the potential damage.
Mr Blair said that it was impossible to eliminate risk and that it was sometimes necessary to accept that no-one is to blame.
The Prime Minister commented on excessive regulation by the European Union, which affected businesses and the lives of individuals. He gave the example of a Cotswold village pulling up a seesaw because it was judged a danger under EU regulations, even though there had not been any accidents.
He told the Institute that reducing EU red tape would be central to Britain’s European presidency, which starts in July. He said that too much regulation would result in the loss of business to countries such as India and China, which were prepared to accept higher levels of risk.
