Cover 9781785909337

Britain’s most important relationship, between civil servants and ministers, has reached breaking point. Drawing on interviews with former government ministers and Permanent Secretaries – including Vince Cable, Caroline Flint, Rory Stewart, Philip Rutnam, Simon McDonald and Una O’Brien – The Mind of the Minister provides expert guidance and recommendations for how this vital relationship can improve.

Centuries of carefully built trust and mutual understanding have been undermined and strained in recent years, not least by mismanagement at the highest level, a scorched-earth approach to constitutional norms and the testing of civil service integrity. This relationship now needs urgent attention.

Ministers, famously, begin the job with an hour’s notice and often know little about the department they’ve landed in. They bring energy, drive and optimism for change, but over time, these ambitions can be drowned by reality, accountability and crises, as well as the distractions of promotion, demotion or a changing political landscape.

Civil servants, on the other hand, serve the government of the day and remain in post while ministers come and go. They must be ready to adjust and impartially support a minister of any political persuasion or personality.

How does this partnership really work in practice? How do both sides adjust to the different chapters in a ministerial lifespan? What happens if rule makers become rule breakers without repercussions? This compelling book lifts the curtain on the minister–civil servant partnership, highlighting that this crucial relationship must improve – for the sake of our democracy.


Reviews

“At the heart of British government is the relationship between ministers and civil servants – a relationship that has reached crisis point. This very enjoyable book, which includes revealing interviews with those from both camps, is a masterful inquiry into what has gone wrong and what it will take to put it right. The Mind of the Minister should be required reading for everyone working in government.”

Iain Dale

“This is essential reading for any aspiring minister, principal private secretary or Permanent Secretary. Tom rightly identifies the critical importance for all of us of a successful relationship based on trust between civil servants and ministers, the pressures on that working partnership, and why it is continually evolving and needs further work now.”

Nicky Morgan

“The castigation of the civil service by the Conservatives, especially since 2016, was without precedent and is a black mark on their reputation. This timely book discusses how trust can be restored and Whitehall can be reformed.”

Sir Anthony Seldon
Show more

Share this book

Buy this book

  • Hardback, 320 pages
  • ISBN: 9781785909337
  • 28 November 2024
  • £22.00
Buy on Amazon

  • eBook
  • ISBN: 9781785909405
  • 28 November 2024
  • £16.99
Buy on Amazon

About our eBooks


Similar titles:

The Intimacy of Power
How to Be a Minister
How to Be a Civil Servant
The Secret Life of Special Advisers