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Burnham’s plan to ‘end neoliberalism’ includes involvement of US firm linked to Gaza aid site massacres
Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s government has hired Boston Consulting Group (BCG) to provide a consultant for its 10-year plan, which Burnham has said is intended to “end neoliberalism”. The appointment has drawn criticism because BCG worked with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an aid organisation whose distribution sites were associated with deadly shootings of Palestinians seeking assistance.
BCG helped establish the foundation and supported a related security company before distancing itself from the work. The article reports that BCG was paid more than $4 million for a seven-month project and modelled a proposal under which more than 500,000 Palestinians might leave Gaza with packages worth $9,000 each, about $5 billion in total. BCG later said the projects had been run secretly, expressed shock and outrage, and began an internal investigation; Labour MP Clive Lewis and Green Party leader Zack Polanski have also criticised the government’s choice.
In short
- Burnham’s 10-year plan will receive input from BCG.
- BCG’s past Gaza work has prompted criticism.
- The firm modelled $5 billion in proposed relocation packages.
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The case for
The government can argue that hiring a consultant for a defined planning role does not endorse every past project the firm has undertaken. BCG has since distanced itself from the Gaza work, expressed shock and outrage, and investigated it; the government may judge that its expertise can still help develop a long-term plan, while assessing the appointment on its present purpose and safeguards.
The case against
Critics can argue that BCG’s reported role in establishing the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, supporting a related security company and modelling a proposal for large-scale Palestinian departures raises serious questions about its judgement and accountability. Appointing the firm to help shape a national plan risks lending it public legitimacy, and the government should explain why its expertise is worth that reputational and ethical cost.
Explained simply
Neoliberalism is a term often used for policies that give markets and private businesses a large role in public life, though people use it in different ways. A 10-year government plan is intended to set long-term priorities, and consultants may be hired to advise on how to develop or carry it out.
Boston Consulting Group (BCG) is a US-based consultancy that advises governments and businesses. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distributed aid in Gaza, where its sites were associated with fatal shootings of Palestinians seeking assistance. BCG has said it was shocked by aspects of its work connected to the foundation and that it investigated the projects.
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