to want to re-start government from Square One?

[grovel]

I am, of course, because it can't be done.

I look at so many apparently intractable problems discussed on MN and think "well, I wouldn't start from here".

Our tax and benefits systems are ridiculously convoluted, over-engineered and expensive to administer.

We've got academies, grammars, sec moderns and comprehensives. Why?

We've got hospitals in the wrong places doing the wrong things.

Etc.

But if we went back to first principles and rationalised all this there would be too many vested interests in too many areas. So we tinker and make things worse. Sad.

Might be an idea to start with a written constitution.

There is an excellent book about why improving things gradually is a good idea - its called Obliquity. Starting from scratch was tried after the Russian Revolution, with mixed results. One idea was that all babies should be taken away at birth and raised in massive children's homes - so much more rational and efficient :-)

We haven't had secondary moderns since the early 1970s.

I think the biggest problem is that everyone in power has their own agenda and it seems it's rarely to genuinely do the best by the rest of the country.