Delay as Institutional Insurance: A Call for Accountability in British Politics

Wed Feb 11 2026 00:29:17 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In an open letter addressed to Kemi Badenoch, Alkiviades David highlights the dangers of political delay in addressing institutional failures, urging Parliament to prioritize accountability over reputational management.

Alkiviades 'Alki' David publicly challenges UK Minister Kemi Badenoch regarding the habitual delay in addressing systemic failures within British institutions. He argues that this delay serves as a form of 'institutional insurance,' jeopardizing public trust and equality before the law. David calls for an immediate cross-party review to address these concerns, emphasizing the need for transparency and accountability in governance.

In a provocative open letter, Alkiviades 'Alki' David calls out the British political system's tendency to prioritize reputational management through delay over genuine accountability. Addressed to Kemi Badenoch, the letter outlines how this approach can lead to catastrophic failures, as illustrated by past cases like that of Jeffrey Epstein, where real accountability was only sought after significant harm had occurred.

David argues that this pattern—deferring necessary scrutiny under the guise of procedural caution—creates a growing perception of inequality before the law, rendering institutional risk management inadequate. He poses a critical question regarding the intersection of prosecutorial caution and reputational risk: does delay become a form of institutional insurance, ultimately threatening justice?

With public trust at stake, David urges Parliament to proactively tackle these issues rather than waiting for another crisis. He insists that silence amidst these concerns equates to complicity and calls for the establishment of a parliamentary review focused on the implications of prosecutorial delay in high-risk safeguarding cases.

This urgent discussion highlights the fundamental need for Parliament to reclaim its role in ensuring genuine accountability and protecting public trust in governing institutions.