{
  "id": 19320196,
  "title": "The blob: Inside the ‘arm’s-length bodies’ taking over government",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/10/the-blob-inside-the-arms-length-bodies-taking-over-government",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-11-10T10:57:22.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "City AM",
    "slug": "city-am",
    "url": "https://www.cityam.com/the-blob-inside-the-arms-length-bodies-taking-over-government/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "15 arm's-length bodies (ALBs) have been established in the past two years despite successive governments' pledges to curb the blob. Andy Burnham and Kemi Badenoch have criticized quangos as unaccountable. The government's commitment to reducing red tape remains unfulfilled, as 15 ALBs, including the Independent Football Regulator and Skills England, have emerged since 2024. The Policy Exchange's Mapping the Quangos series aims to assess each body's necessity, independence, and efficiency. ALBs often have limited scope, allowing for significant economic costs, such as the delay of 100,000 homes due to Natural England's nutrient neutrality advice. Additionally, the democratic deficit is evident, as ALB leaders cannot be voted out, unlike elected politicians. The ALB network has expanded significantly, with estimated numbers ranging from 307 to 500 bodies. The report recommends abolishing certain ALBs while retaining essential functions. A new government must take immediate action to reduce the ALB's influence and return decision-making power to accountable politicians.",
  "summary": "Successive governments have promised to contain the blob yet 15 arm's-length bodies have been created in the last two years.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}