Welcome. This project explores the machinery of government. It's about the need for a revitalised Whitehall working with a vigorous Parliament. Not much political theatre here, I'm afraid. We need strong and responsive institutions to help formulate and deliver good policy. This site discusses how they may be made. More »

Latest posts

The Great Offices of State on TV and in reality

Posted by Richard D North under Post-Bureaucratic world / The Political Class on 1 March 2010. No comments.

Michael Cockerell’s BBC  TV shows on the three Great Offices of State are a sad and not very useful commentary on the state of national debate. Here’s a proposal. More »

A new Whitehall: rethinking the Civil Service

Posted by Richard D North under 'Power To The People!' / Dare to be dull / The Archipelago State on 10 February 2010. No comments.

Looking at the work of the Institute for Government makes me all the more interested in describing some radical changes in the way the Civil Service operates. Here goes… More »

Are all constitutional fictions dead?

Posted by Richard D North under 'Power To The People!' / Presentation or policy? on 18 November 2009. No comments.

For hundreds of years, the british have accepted some very odd fictions as being valuable to good government. As these tumble – or shake a bit – one wonders if we are being as clear-eyed as we think. More »

Government: Business or service?

Posted by Richard D North under Dare to be dull / Post-Bureaucratic world on 5 November 2009. No comments.

Making government better by making it businesslike has a certain appeal. The trick is not to confuse policy with delivery. More »

“Bring back Cabinet government!”

Posted by Richard D North under Dare to be dull / Post-Bureaucratic world on 7 September 2009. No comments.

There is fresh and useful interest in improving the way a Prime Minister should engage with the Cabinet, and through the Cabinet with the Civil Service. By the way, hardly anyone is being too nostalgic for an imagined golden yesteryear. Here are some of the signs. More »

A briefing on Parliamentary reform

Posted by Richard D North under 'Power To The People!' / Dare to be dull / Death of ideology / Post-Bureaucratic world on 6 June 2009. No comments.

Here’s a quick guide to Parliamentary Reform

It’s in two parts (after v brief remarks by MBG editor):
(1) Current proposals for the reform of Parliament
(2) Some shakers and movers on the reform of Parliament

More »

MPs have to sort Parliament – not the Government

Posted by Richard D North under Uncategorized on 1 June 2009. No comments.

Gordon Brown wants more rules and laws. Peter Hennessy wants MPs to show more character. Perhaps this is the big new divide on MPs, Parliament and The Constitution. MPs can best show character now by organising their own reform of their own House. More »

Rehabilitating George W. Bush #2

Posted by Richard D North under Rehab for Bush on 27 May 2009. No comments.

Alright, I admit it, Mr Bush’s reputation remains low. But it is fascinating to watch President Obama follow George W’s most controversial policies – the ones for which he is most reviled. More »

MPs to get more power. Great.

Posted by Richard D North under Dare to be dull on 25 May 2009. No comments.

After a few weeks of “crisis”, we’re already past the worst and into some very constructive stuff about the future of Parliament and MPs. Here’s a summary of the proposals so far. More »

MPs: fit for purpose?

Posted by Richard D North under The Political Class on 9 May 2009. No comments.

You can never have a perfect politics or perfect politicians. So what’s to be done when members of Parliament are derided when they behave very well and are despised when – as they fill in their allowance claims – they stray from nobility? More »