Whitehall
DCMS permanent secretary Jonathan Stephens to leave post
Jonathan Stephens, permanent secretary at the Culture, Media and Sport department, has today announced he is moving on, after a cross-Whitehall effort to shift him, I have learned. Stephens, who… Continue reading
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Ministers nudge policy unit into private sector
The government’s ‘nudge unit’ has always been regarded as radical – or a bit wacky, depending on your outlook – and now this Cabinet Office division, officially known as the… Continue reading
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War in Whitehall or plumbing problems?
Is there really war in Whitehall? Tensions between ministers and civil servants have certainly spilled over at some departments, but there has, as you might expect, been a backlash over… Continue reading
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The View from 22: Obama, the Pacific president
On this week’s View from 22 podcast, the Spectator’s assistant editor Freddy Gray discusses his cover feature on Barack Obama, who he argues is becoming the pacific-centric president. Although America… Continue reading
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The Whitehall watershed moment
Those pushing for reform of the civil service have been heartened still further today by the number of interventions from politicians of other parties on the need for change. Yesterday… Continue reading
12 Comments Hostilities deepen in Whitehall Wars
‘The relationship between my civil servants and me is summed up by trust and understanding. I don’t trust them and they don’t understand me,’ one Secretary of State likes to… Continue reading
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The gumming up of Whitehall
Tony Blair is paying a visit to journalists in the Commons this week for a festive lunch. Last week, David Cameron complained to lunching hacks about the ‘gumming up’ of… Continue reading
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Jeremy Heywood, just call him very influential
The main topic of conversation in Whitehall today has been The Guardian’s profile of the Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood. One particular passage has raised some eyebrows in several ministerial… Continue reading
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Whitehall’s mistake over BAE and EADS
There have been some sharp responses to the demise of the proposed BAE EADS merger. My personal favourite is John Redwood’s pithy: ‘Several of you wrote in expressing dismay at the… Continue reading
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Danny Alexander’s real enemy
Danny Alexander, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, is to drop his normally conciliatory voice to attack the Tories at the Lib Dem party conference in Brighton. So what? you… Continue reading
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Letwin fails to consult about the consultation on consultations
Oliver Letwin’s decision to launch a consultation on reducing the amount of time that government has to spend on consultations has sparked controversy in Whitehall. Sticklers for procedure are complaining, in a… Continue reading
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Consulting on consultations
We’re approaching that point in the government’s life cycle when ministers begin to worry about whether they’ll be able to get things done before the next election. One Tory was… Continue reading
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The strains on the Cameron-Hilton relationship
I suspect that ‘Weekend secrets of the “chillaxing” Prime Minister’ (£) is one of the last headlines that Number 10 wanted to see this Saturday. It is acutely sensitive about… Continue reading
25 CommentsThe unions versus the Department for Education — continued
Oh dear, seems that the one of the union officials behind that presentation I posted earlier isn’t happy that it made its way on to Coffee House. Here’s an email… Continue reading
11 CommentsThe unions’ lazy opposition to schools reform
ATL ASCL Presentation to Edu Forum 16May12 Now here’s a peek behind the Westminster curtain that you’ll find either amusing or dispiriting, depending on your mood. It’s a presentation delivered… Continue reading
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What good would an annual National Strategy do?
Another set of bad notices for Cameron & Co. this morning, chief among them the Public Administration Select Committee’s report into government strategy. It basically says that there is none:… Continue reading
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The trade mission delusion
David Cameron has returned from what was a bit of a war-and-peace tour of East Asia. Taking arms dealers to Indonesia one day, posing with Aung San Suu Kyi the… Continue reading
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Cameron must take on Whitehall
I doubt that, come the election in 2015, many voters will remember the row about putting VAT on pasties or Francis Maude’s advice to fill up a jerry can with… Continue reading
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Downing St plans to boost construction
In the last few months, there’s been a distinct change in the attitude of the Tories at the heart of government. They are now far more cognisant of just how… Continue reading
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Hilton’s return hinges on Cameron’s radicalism
It is a sign of the influence that Steve Hilton has on the Cameron project that there have been more column inches devoted to his departure from Downing Street than… Continue reading
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