Leading in an emergency: cabinet secretaries and crises
We talk to three former cabinet secretaries about the kinds of crises they faced.
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Crises are a huge test of government. During wars, terrorist attacks, floods and pandemics, vital decisions must be made under intense pressure and in quick time – and the wrong decisions can have grave consequences. At the heart of government in every crisis is the cabinet secretary, the UK’s most senior civil servant. They play a vital role in coordinating the machinery of government, advising the prime minister and ensuring the civil service delivers on plans and policies in the most difficult of circumstances.
In this event, we talked to three former cabinet secretaries. What kinds of crises did they face? What pressures – political and personal – did they deal with? How well did officials, and politicians, cope? What did they get wrong? What needed to change once the crisis was over? And as the government responds to the coronavirus crisis, what lessons can it learn?
To discuss these issues, the Institute for Government was delighted to welcome:
- Lord Butler, Cabinet Secretary from 1988–98
- Lord Wilson, Cabinet Secretary from 1998–2002
- Lord O’Donnell, Cabinet Secretary from 2005–11
The event was chaired by Dr Catherine Haddon, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government.
- Topic
- Civil service Brexit Coronavirus
- Keywords
- Civil servants
- Position
- Cabinet secretary Permanent secretary
- Administration
- Thatcher government Major government Blair government Brown government
- Department
- Cabinet Office
- Publisher
- Institute for Government