Douglas Carswell's Blog

The mandarinate are the Coalition's biggest problem

Several times over the past year or so, I’ve suggested (here and here and here and here) that the biggest problem for any Cameron-led government was going to be the civil service. It’s good to see the commentariat starting to see this. 

Even ministers now clock the fact that they might "pull the levers, but nothing happens".   

So how will the elected part of government respond to the realisation that the unelected part is often dysfunctional? 

Will they make Whitehall officials yet more upwardly accountable to Downing Street and the Cabinet Office?  Will they bring in key performance targets, micromanagement and all the paraphernalia of mid-90s management blah blah?  I'd not be surprised if Sir Gus and the Institute for Government were already trying to sooth ministerial angst with such snake oil.

Instead ministers must grasp that the simpler answer is to make the mandarinate answer outwards.  If ministers worry that Sir Humphrey isn't doing what is asked, and is finding excuses not to make the Coalition agenda happen, bring in Commons confirmation hearings, annual approval of departmental budgets - and P45s for those top mandarins who fail to deliver.

Outward accountability would have the added advantage of realigning the mandarinates’ own agenda to that of the taxpayer.

Back to all posts