Inside View

What difference does a minister make to a department's effectiveness? The question posed by the Institute for Government's timely report The challenge of being a minister (see below) sheds light on an area of Whitehall debate traditionally left to the shadowy recesses of gentleman's clubs. Given the rash of Freedom of Information requests seeking details on the daylight lunching habits and restaurant preferences of permanent secretaries, we should be grateful to former Times stalwart, Peter Riddell, and Zoe Gruhn for opening the debate. Some departments have proved too tough for even the biggest beasts of the cabinet to cope with. In its ‘not fit for purpose' heyday, the Home Office possessed the ability to chew up and spit out the seemingly-uneatable, making short work of twin-courses David Blunkett and Charles ‘two pizzas' Clarke. Despite receiving brickbats at the recent Police Federation Conference, the general absence of concerned headlines is a clear sign that present incumbent, Theresa May, is in quiet command of her department. Sturdier departments have been able to cope with ministerial bricks made of straw. Famously, Foreign Office mandarins shepherded George Brown, for whom the phrase ‘tired and emotional' was coined, from calamity for nearly two years in the mid 1960s after Harold Wilson had created the Department for Economic Affairs especially to keep him in check. Careful stewardship of their charge and the difficulties he would often leave in his wake included managing the infamous diplomatic incident at Lima. At a grand reception, the foreign secretary slouched towards an imposing figure attired in red and requested the pleasure of a dance, only to be given a refusal in three parts: ‘First, you are drunk. Second, the band is not playing a waltz, but the Peruvian national anthem. And finally, I must inform you that I am the Cardinal Archbishop of Lima.' Emerging from the jungle of ministerial life, where once promising careers often terminate abruptly, Lord Heseltine swings from the vine as the heroic model of an inspirational can-do minister. Brought back to serve as chair of the £1.4bn regional growth fund, Lord Heseltine is remembered for his derring do from the 1980s in bringing forward council house sales and inner-city regeneration. So, what made Tarzan a ‘dream minister'? Senior officials cited his clear vision, failure to be distracted and an ability to translate priorities into action. His charismatic leadership style may have derived from his background as an entrepreneurial publisher, but he was always a politician first. From business, however, he brought to Whitehall a great, and rare interest in the detail of things. Overseeing the implementation of policy often saw him cross the dividing line into management and the fiefdom of permanent secretaries. To succeed, it seems, ministers need to maintain a clear vision while managing the intricate mechanics of government– no mean feat.

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WHITEHALL

Inside View

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