Downing Street’s growing problem

In answers to questions following his statement in the Commons on Monday, Boris Johnson let drop an interesting statistic. He said that, ‘on busy days’, more than 400 officials work in 10 Downing Street. This figure explains a lot — why so many staff there got Covid, why, after long hours in overcrowded conditions, they might want to open bottles of wine, why factions struggle for mastery and leak against each other, and why the heart of government suffers from clogged arteries. With 400 rabbits in that warren, how can most of them know the Prime Minister personally, how can they feel much esprit de corps? The numbers are four times bigger than they were 30 years ago, to little visible benefit. In her report, Sue Gray says:

The number of staff working in 10 Downing Street has steadily increased in recent years. In terms of size, scale and range of responsibility it is now more akin to a small government department than purely a dedicated Prime Minister’s office. The structures that support the smooth operation of Downing Street, however, have not evolved sufficiently to meet the demands of this expansion. The leadership structures are fragmented and complicated and this has sometimes led to the blurring of lines of accountability. Too much responsibility and expectation is placed on the senior official whose principal function is the direct support of the Prime Minister. This should be addressed as a matter of priority.

She is right in her assessment, but officials and politicians immediately devise the wrong remedy. In his Commons statement, Boris promised the creation of an Office of the Prime Minister, with a permanent secretary to head it. That would only compound the problem, because it would further disempower cabinet ministers, making the Prime Minister even more of a chief executive.