While Burnhamites discuss splitting the Treasury in two there are plans – led by Cabinet Secretary Antonia Romeo – to push ahead with a project to split up the Cabinet Office. The dysfunctional behemoth department which runs government has caused headaches for successive political leaders. Just have to get Andy on board…
A government source tells Guido there have been discussions over the proposal, pushed by the Institute for Government among others, for some time. Decisive progress was parked by a succession of political crises which then toppled Keir Starmer…
Prominent machinery of government watchers say the Cabinet Office should be split into its management and ‘delivery’ parts. That means expanding No10 (which technically sits in the CO) into a Prime Minister’s Office to run policy and govern from the centre, while creating a department for Civil Service management, shared services, estates, and Whitehall business in general. The Cabinet Secretary would have to decide which one of these to run. If the plan goes ahead Romeo is seen as likely to lead the PMO while promoting a senior mandarin to run the slimmed down Cabinet Office and take on the Civil Service management role…
Efforts have been made to clear out the senior leadership of the Cabinet Office which have also seen a go-slow thanks to political turmoil. A Downing Street source tells Guido: “We all hope Burnham tells her to proceed with the plan ASAP – he needs it to be refocussed. It seems James Purnell already gets that too.” An ambitious Chief of Staff and CabSec could push through the creation of a new PMO alongside the ill-fated ‘No10 North’ which Burnham wants to construct in Manchester…
Lord Khan in the Telegraph: “I hope, and I say this in a non-pompous way, that the public service I do will bring rewards in this world and the hereafter,” he says. “I’m hoping the work I do is earning me Brownie points.”