How Westminster Works . . . and Why It Doesn't

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Ian Dunt, though, thinks this is unfair, since Grayling is actually “a completely standard example of the quality of the ministerial class in Britain”. They were required to attend weekly meetings with Cummings in No 10 to receive instructions and were used by No 10 to by-pass civil servants who were regarded as too independent of party politics. But more important is change to the voting system, which is at the heart of Westminster’s weakness, since first-past-the-post ignores the preferences of the majority of voters and eliminates the need for compromise which is central to the coalition governments resulting from PR voting, encouraging better government and longer-term thinking. In almost every stage of the parliamentary process, it acts to stifle debate, limit scrutiny, close down avenues of interrogation, reduce independent thought and strengthen the power of the political parties. The book is at its most illuminating when it focuses on one of the least scrutinised power blocs in the UK: the civil service.

How Westminster Works … and Why It Doesn’t by Ian Dunt review

An unfortunate absence from the book is any discussion of the constitutional role of the legal system. Hence, they rejected the advice of the independent Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), which they normally respect, for big investment in education to compensate for deprivation due to COVID-19. Deputy Tory chief whip Chris Pincher resigned in 2022 following allegations he had sexually assaulted two men.

Then, Thatcher rejected criticism of government policies and regarded all public service professionals as self-satisfied, inward looking, and out of touch with modern needs. Dunt is skilled at disentangling the minutiae of political process and explaining who actually gets to wield power when.

Westminster is broken - New Statesman Westminster is broken - New Statesman

He decided to drive through the change from an ideological conviction, shared by the leaders of his party, in the superiority of the private over the public sector. Their recommendations are assisted by outside experts and members gain expertise which they contribute to debates. Chapter 4 describes how Ministers also have been increasingly constrained by prime ministerial control since Thatcher, concerned that disagreeing with the PM will lead to their transfer to another department or dismissal.Dunt then proposes that the performance of MPs should be improved by reducing their workloads, including by providing more support for their constituency work, and more support and advice on parliamentary business including for understanding and scrutinizing proposed legislation. If the situation is desperate enough, they’ll sometimes resort to trying to manhandle MPs into voting for the party line. He describes how MPs rarely stand up to governments with a clear majority—the whips take care of that. The need was revealed by the failure of civil servants to anticipate or always to understand the international financial crisis from 2007. The recent book by journalist and author Ian Dunt provides a detailed and critical account of many aspects of the UK’s political system, including political parties and elections, parliament and the legislative process, the work of ministers and civil servants in Whitehall, and the role of the media.