Douglas Carswell's Blog

Six suggestions to help put things right

David Cameron will make a statement to the House of Commons in a few minutes about the 'phone hacking saga and its fall out. Here are six changes I’d like to see him announce to begin to put things right.

1.  Downing Street Head of Communications to be appointed via confirmation hearing

Had Andy Coulson been required to appear before a Parliamentary confirmation hearing before being made Downing Street spokesman, I doubt he'd have got the job. If he had, then I suspect the appointment would have only gone ahead on the back of public assurances that were apparently given in private.

There needs to be a formal government position of Head of Communications, Downing Street. Going forward, the Prime Minister should nominate whoever he wishes to fill the role, but - crucially - his candidate will only be able to take the formal position after a confirmation hearing by a relevant Commons select committee.

About the only good thing to come out of this sorry episode is a new, revived House of Commons.  Both Keith Vaz and John Whittingdale's Commons committees have distinguished themselves, asserting their right to summon witnesses and questioning them intelligently.  Such committees are up to the task of formal confirmation hearings and should be given it.

2. & 3.  Ditto Political Secretary and Head of Policy

Precisely the same process described above should be followed for a formal role of Political Secretary and a Head of Policy. Incidentally, requiring the incumbents, such as Craig Oliver, Steve Hilton and Ed Llewellyn, to go through such a process as soon as the summer recess is over, would strengthen confidence in the Downing Street machine.

4.  Director of Public Prosecution subject to confirmation hearings 

Eclipsed by what was happening next door, the Home Affairs committee hearings suggest to me that something was serious awry at the Crown Prosecution Service.  The extraordinary duff advice the CPS gave the police about the illegality of phone hacking perhaps explains a great deal of what went so wrong, for so long. The prospect of a confirmation hearing for the next head of the CPS would focus some of the bizarrely unfocused legal minds in that organisation.

5. Open diary

The Prime Minister should today announce that his weekly diary - and that of his Cabinet colleagues - will be made a matter of public record.  With minor exemptions for family life and meetings with government officials, every other engagement should be in the public domain. 

If you feel uncomfortable with folk knowing that you'll be hob knobbing with zillionaires and media people on Friday night, don't go.

6.  Open postbag

Finally, open up the PM's postbag - they do it in Sweden and the sky has yet to fall in.  A record of all correspondence sent to Downing Street should be public information. Making openness and transparency the default not only ensures high standards from public officials. It makes it less likely that those with an agenda will try to cosy up to you in the first place.

Each of these suggestions seeks to make government more outwardly accountable – government to Parliament, ministers to the people. The alternative set of proposals being recommended are based on more upward accountability – reforming the ministerial code, more top-down rules. 

Google government or 1950s thinking? Which direction the government takes today will reveal a lot. 

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