Tag Archives: Civil Service

The seemingly inexorable rise of the special political adviser

This post first appeared on the Democratic Audit blog in December 2018. Every year since 2010, usually at around this time of year, the Government publishes a list of special advisers and their salaries. The latest data release, which took … Continue reading

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“To advise, warn and deliver”: Ken Clarke on the proper role of the civil service

The Conservative MP, Ken Clarke, is one of the most experienced MPs currently sitting in the House of Commons. His Ministerial career has spanned the Thatcher, Major and Cameron years, and has seen him occupy many of the seats around the Cabinet table, … Continue reading

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What is the Chancellor’s Autumn statement?

This week the Chancellor of the Exchequer will deliver his Autumn Statement. It forms part of three set-piece debates which punctuate the parliamentary year, alongside the debate on the Queen’s Speech and the Budget. It is striking that two of those, the Autumn … Continue reading

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The not-so-invisible man

An excellent essay by Andy Beckett on the role of the Cabinet Secretary, Jeremey Heywood, in The Guardian‘s excellent long read series. No blog just read the article, ‘The most potent, permanent and elusive figure in British politics’.

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Sharing the blame: tensions over Civil Service reform

I mentioned in an earlier post that proposed Civil Service reforms were likely to cause tensions between the Government and senior civil servants. The reforms which are being developed by the Cabinet Office Minister, Francis Maude, include proposals to allow Ministers to … Continue reading

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