This paper makes the case for narrative as a governing tool. It argues that a growing consensus over public service reform that is preventative, more relational, and less shaped by centralising instincts, is stalling for want of a story. The paper examines why reform stalls, setting out five hurdles the narrative must help overcome. It then makes the case for putting respect at the heart of public service design and delivery, defining the agenda and setting out how to put it into practice. 

For most people, the real test of whether a government is doing its job is simple: can the state get the basics of everyday public services right, from booking a GP appointment to dealing with your child’s school or sorting out problems with your housing or council tax. People want to be listened to, to be told the truth, and to be able to access the services they need. Too often in recent years, their experience has been the opposite. 

The paper argues that a political story is more than a set of slogans. At its most powerful, it provides a shared diagnosis, a theory of change, and, perhaps most importantly, the legitimacy that those who administer the system need to reimagine it. The paper offers a new version of that story, an offer to voters and public servants to end the fight in public services that hampers delivery by making respect the driving principle for service design and implementation. A system built on respect between state and citizens will both improve outcomes and restore trust.