David Cameron’s assertion in his spring conference speech that his officials are
“enemies of enterprise” has aggravated the Sir
Humphreys of this world. Paul Waugh, Ben Brogan and James Kirkup all have excellent spin-offs from Sue Cameron’s account of the smouldering atmosphere at a recent meeting of permanent secretaries. And Iain Martin puts it
succinctly on Twitter:
Beyond Iain’s point about inept ministers, this incident also seems typical of Number 10’s frequently faulty communications strategy, which so exasperates departmental special advisors. Attacking senior civil servants is ‘courageous’ to say the least, especially when the government is intent on delivering manifold reforms at once.‘Duff politics attacking civil service, down the ages a lazy excuse for ministers not mastering their depts.’
It’s also a reminder of how divisive Cameron and his immediate circle can be, recalling their sometimes voluble contempt for underperforming ministers and the leadership’s often sour relations with the backbenches. Cameron is already working to address this last point by appointing Edward Timpson to Downing Street’s political unit. Tim Montgomerie argues that this is designed to improve relations with the recalcitrant 2010 intake and the backbenches in general – Tim adds that Cameron is doubling the time he spends with Tory backbenchers. From the government’s perspective, it’s good to see that the grand reorganisation in Downing Street is underway, as well as Cameron’s rapprochement with his occassionally neglected party.
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