"The phrase 'not fit for purpose' was written in a private memo to the Home Secretary, John Reid, just after he had arrived. It was me saying, 'This is what the Home Office is like.'"
"With me sat beside him, I tried to rearrange my face as he described all 70,000 civil servants in the Home Office as not fit for purpose. That was a difficult moment."
"The trouble was it was my phrase. The civil service said to me: 'Well, why don't you stand up and tell him it's not true?'"
"Since its popularization, 'not fit for purpose' has become a universal by-word for state incompetence, used in debates on various issues."
The phrase 'not fit for purpose' was coined by Sir David Normington in a private memo to Home Secretary John Reid in 2006. This phrase described the inefficiencies within the Home Office, particularly after foreign-born prisoners were released without deportation considerations. Since then, it has become a common expression in British politics, symbolizing state incompetence. The phrase has been used nearly 3,000 times in parliamentary proceedings since its popularization, reflecting its widespread application in discussions about various governmental issues.
Read at www.bbc.com
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