Ministers ‘should appoint civil servants’
By politics.co.uk staff
Ministers should be able to appoint civil servants and hold them accountable for policy delivery, according to a thinktank.
A report by Reform casts aside concerns about the politicisation of the civil service – a key tenant of the Westminster system – arguing that the Australian system, whereby the prime minister appoints senior civil servants after consultation with ministers, works well.
“Successive governments have put Whitehall reform on the back burner, only to realise that the levers of power don’t work,” said Greg Rosen, co-author of the report.
“Ministers and aspirant ministers need to realise that Whitehall reform is a precondition for success in other areas.”
The report also calls for the incentivisation of civil servants, with demands that they be held responsible for formulating policy and then implementing it, rather than hiding behind the minister in charge.
Speaking at a seminar organised by Reform Cabinet Office minister Liam Byrne warned against politicising the service.
“Obviously there are questions to ensure how we safeguard against politicisation of the civil service, which is a constitutional principle that has to be preserved,” he said.
