The Week, 29 July 2022

Having been trailed for weeks, the Government has officially?launched its review?into governance and accountability in Whitehall — the biggest move it has made since a?Declaration on Government Reform?that was published more than a year ago. And, as predicted, Lord Maude is in the driving seat, bringing the key architect of civil service reform plans during the coalition years back for one last(?) mission.

Maude is an intelligent appointment, for an unenviable job. He brings with him considerable experience of grappling with the machinery of government, and he has recently?spoken quite openly?about the barriers that his efforts faced, reporting both disinterest and “active hostility” from the Treasury, passive?and?active obstruction from civil servants themselves, and an overall failure to promote the development of better policy continuity and expertise by reducing staff churn.

This has not prevented Lorde Maude from plunging back into the fray now, however, and the?newly published terms of reference?for his review suggest that there is considerable scope for radical proposals. His remit extends far enough that he could recommend changes to ministerial involvement in the way that civil servants are appointed and dismissed; the function of Non-Executive Directors (NEDs) and the information that they have access to — and more.

Strikingly, Maude is set to report by the end of September — surely not adequate time for a broad consultation process, particularly since the lion’s share of the work will have to happen during sleepy August. If policy wonks and experts aren’t completely distracted by their buckets, spades, and airport novels, they may well still have their heads turned by the carnival surrounding the selection of the next prime minister.

It may be that this is the consideration that has resulted in this speedy review. Both remaining Prime Ministerial candidates will, like most new PMs, be interested in machinery of government reform — and it seems that this report will arrive in their inboxes just as they are unpacking their bags and deciding which walls to put their pictures of Margaret Thatcher on.