Mediation matters: Can ministers adopt a mediators' mantra?

‘Look after the small things and the big things will take care of themselves.’

It’s a mantra that mediators often use in the course of their daily duties with separating couples.

When it comes to the causes of the big rows in a divorce it’s not who gets the house the pensions or the boat that creates the biggest conflicts. It’s more likely where the record collection ends up or who gets to keep the coffee machine. Mediators know that if those apparently smaller issues can be resolved then agreement on the ‘bigger’ things will follow.

And this is a concept that has come to mind on more than one occasion in recent weeks since our new Prime Minister took up office. Mr Johnson has been keen to make an impression on the public with a series of policy announcements and promises.

More investment is pledged for ‘big’ issues: policing education and the NHS. It’s a given that all these areas have been under-resourced for a number of years.

Yet there’s a long-standing government myopia that seems to prevent Ministers of various political colours seeing...

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