Lack of training for new ministers is madness
6th May 2010The Institute for Government's (IfG's) lessons for a new government – whatever that may be following the election – appear in both today's Guardian and Telegraph.
Guardian Political Editor Patrick Wintour, writes: "It is madness that incoming ministers are not given detailed training about running government departments, the Institute for Government thinktank said today in freshly prepared advice for the new government.
"The institute, drawing on the work of serving and former civil servants, also proposes that the incoming Prime Minister should take his time to announce key cabinet appointments, saying: 'There is unusually strong mentality in British Politics that politicians – despite being exhausted from the campaign – must make a series of career defining announcements'"
In the Telegraph, Christopher Hope writes: "One former Cabinet minister told the institute: 'The largest thing I’d run before this was my constituency office of four people – now I have a department of tens of thousands and a budget of billions.'"
The articles cover seven lessons that bring together the IfG's studies on international comparisons, views from the civil service and conclusions from some of our expert-lead events.
For more, see:
- the Guardian article - Lack of training for new ministers is madness, says thinktank
- the Telegraph article - General Election 2010: ‘madness’ to let untrained ministers to form Government, says thinktank
- the IfG's advice in full: - Better government at less cost: key advice from the Institute for Government
