Eddie Barnes: Sir Peter Housden did not help himself in one ill-judged comment
This colourful mandarin exemplifies all that is British in our very British civil service, writes Eddie Barnes
SHOULD he ever choose to write them, Sir Peter Housden’s memoirs would be an excellent read. Thanks to the regular leaking of his internal blogs, which have included subjects such as his yoga class and visits to the opera, we know the Scottish Government’s Permanent Secretary has an engaging writing style.
And with his fly on the wall view of the SNP government, the content wouldn’t be bad too. Given his conflicting role at such a time, a suggested titled might be “Man in the Middle”.
On one level, his job is straight-forward. It was explained by Sir Bob Kerslake, the head of the UK Civil Service, in a meeting with Scottish civil servants last week. Asked about the constitutional conflict between London and Edinburgh, he noted that “we’re well used to serving elected ministers of the day, whether in the Scottish Government or the UK government”.
Civil servants should do that with “integrity and openness, giving honest and direct advice and professional support”, he said.
All so orderly. But these are not ordinary times. One Scottish civil servant, discussing the matter internally last month, noted: “This is an issue unlike any other we have had to grapple with in terms of our position as citizens and our impartiality as civil servants.”
It isn’t, in other words, about pushing the case for banning smoking.
Led with iron discipline by Alex Salmond, his circle of advisers, and the cabinet, St Andrew’s House is now focused entirely on a two-year long political campaign selling the case for independence. In certain cases, those civil servants who have found that their “honest and direct advice” is not that convenient have decided to find alternative employment. Others, including Sir Peter, are relishing the challenge.
Yet, the critics complain, he is employed by the British Civil Service....why is he seeking to hasten its end? Inevitably, he has fallen foul of claims he has “gone native”.
Sir Peter did not help himself in one ill-judged comment that the UK government’s Scotland Bill proposals were “lost in the mists of time”.
But he can console himself that, as he seeks to retain his balance as he walks this tightrope, just about anyone would have come in for pelters.
Furthermore, there is the counter-factual point. The storm whipped up by the SNP at the weekend over the BBC “ban” on Alex Salmond opining about the Scotland v England rugby match offers a glimpse of the row that would be wrought if the British Civil Service also were to be viewed as obstructing the case for independence.
Under Sir Peter’s leadership, that charge most certainly cannot be made. To the contrary, it seems that the arguments for and against independence have been deemed less important than ensuring the survival of the Civil Service’s reputation for fairness. How very British.
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Comments
There are 11 comments to this article
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kindergarten visitor
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 08:11 PMAll this nonsense is the result of a halfhearted approach to Devolution. A parliament needs its own civil service. You cannot have civil service reporting to two parliaments as the Scottish civil service does. It is a guddle. But so is the organization of government across the UK.
Neil Waugh
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 02:43 PMThis is a bizarre and ludicrous situation. You can't have one swivel servant answering to two masters who, as the pressure builds toward the referendum and beyond, are going to be increasingly in conflict and suspicious of each other. Because the Scottish independence issue ain't going away regardless of the vote's outcome. The Scottish government should be in complete control of the folks who advise and administer the programs on behalf of the Scottish people.
Brond
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 11:04 AM#7 DanielRober the civil service are tasked with implementing the policies of the government, not those of the opposition, or those as yet unidentifiable policies which may one day coalesce and become a federal option.
Alicia Murray
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 10:56 AMScotland has never been run as well in my almost 60 years as it is now. So our civil servants and government are doing something right - so ignore the members from corrupt political parties that berate you.
Danielrober2
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 10:03 AMIf the full Civil Service resources of the Devolved Scottish government are devoted to separation over the next two and a half years two questions come to mind. 1, is this fair of those supporting a stronger Devolved or Federal Scotland within the UK and EU. The deployment of extra millions of government money and tens of thousands of hours of Civil Service time, backing up the single SNP option seems very unfair, if not biased. 2, what about the rest of the country and its governance. If all hands are manning the guns ready for the a fight on separation, a fight only the SNP want, what about all the other aspects of government. Will other less exciting departments and tasks of government become even more neglected? A simple standard naw it wont, from a SNP spoke person, is not quite what is required. A more clear and dedicated plan of action, for continued government.
Brond
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 09:06 AMOops. Sorry for the double post. Lord Foulkes I recall attacked Sir John Elvidge in the same manner and asked Sir Gus O' Donnell to judge the situation - it did not go in Lord Foulkes' favour. So, he tried again last October with Sir Peter Housden. Sir Gus O' Donnell's response was: “It is right and proper that civil servants working to their respective administrations undertake the relevant work to support their ministers to pursue their aims, whether or not these aims are the subject of political controversy.”
Brond
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 09:03 AMThis letter from Sir Bob Kerslake and Sir Jeremy Heywood appeared in the Telegraph earlier:_______________ "SIR – We fear your article is wide of the mark (“Whitehall staff shun Scotland in talks on break-up”, report, February 7). The civil service is a far more collegiate organisation than you give us credit for. Far from being shut out, Sir Peter Housden, the permanent secretary for the Scottish Government, is a very experienced and valued member of the top team who regularly attends the Wednesday morning meeting of Whitehall permanent secretaries._____________________We have also recently asked Sir Peter to sit on the new Civil Service Board which will provide strategic leadership for the Civil Service: reaching a collective view on key issues affecting the Civil Service, providing collective advice to ministers and where appropriate, taking decisions on behalf of the Service._____________________Our visit to Scotland reflected our ambition to get out of Whitehall and get a wider view of what is happening in the country. It is worth saying that we are also scheduled to visit Wales shortly. The debate on independence will no doubt be a lively one. But we are a single civil service, and we will continue to support our respective administrations through this period according to our core values of honesty, impartiality, integrity and objectivity."
Brond
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 08:59 AMComment removed by moderator
Bradged
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 08:31 AMLooking at Sir Peter Housden's CV, it seems he's not really a civil servant after all. He's a teacher and local government administrator who has only worked in two jobs in the civil service. In local government it's normal for senior officials to get close to the political leaders. Perhaps he has carried those norms into the civil service? That would explain his unguarded use of language in his various memo's to staff.
Family guy
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 07:36 AMJust think Yes Minister or Yes Prime Minister. It is the closest explantion of mandarin and minister relationship there is and where the real politics lie. Top mandarins offering advice to fulfill Minister ambitions whilst remaining impartial and neutral.
gus1940
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 07:17 AMThe obvious answer is an Independent Scottish Civil Service. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Regarding last weekend's Great Gauleiter 'Scandal' a picture can be accessed in one of yesterday's Coments on N-----t showing Eck sitting on Anne's right as I surmised in my Comment 21 on this episode in last Sunday's SoS. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The BBC's cameras at the Cup Presentation were positioned so t hat Eck was not in shot..
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