Ministers
Law officers
There are three UK government law officers: the attorney general, the solicitor general and the advocate general.
The prime minister needs to clarify whether he still believes in ministerial accountability
The government’s actions are calling into question the principle that UK ministers are held to account for the performance of the department they over
Gavin Williamson should go too
For the long series of serious misjudgements about schools during the pandemic, the buck should stop with the secretary of state
The UK needs a functioning system of arm’s-length governance, not a flock of handy scapegoats
Ministers too often misunderstand the role of arm's-length bodies
Getting rid of Public Health England will not make dealing with the coronavirus pandemic easier
Public Health England hasn’t had a good crisis. But replacing it with a new agency will be disruptive and may not fix the problem.
Cabinet manual
The cabinet manual is a document which sets out rules and procedures for the operation of government.
Special advisers with greater powers also require greater scrutiny
If the trend of giving special advisers new responsibilities continues, ministers cannot complain when their advisers face greater scrutiny
Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP – in conversation with Bronwen Maddox
The Institute for Government was delighted to welcome former health and foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt.
The scrutiny of special advisers
Special advisers play an essential role throughout government. But is their role about to change?
Anneliese Dodds MP – in conversation with Bronwen Maddox
The Institute for Government was delighted to welcome the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, Anneliese Dodds MP for an in conversation event.