Downing Street has appointed a Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, creating a fresh layer of authority whose first duty is discovering which existing layer is currently responsible for authority.
Darren Jones will report directly to the Prime Minister, attend Cabinet and work across government to drive progress on key policy areas. The role will oversee delivery of the Prime Minister’s priorities and the Plan for Change, which is excellent news for anyone who feared delivery might otherwise escape without a responsible adult.
Baroness Shafik has also been appointed Chief Economic Adviser, bringing substantial experience in public policy, academia, the IMF and the Bank of England. She will support the Prime Minister on economic affairs, while the Chief Secretary presumably supports everyone who has already been supporting the support.
Downing Street says the appointments bolster its operation. Furniture has been rearranged to accommodate two strategic chairs, a second tray of strategic biscuits and a whiteboard showing nine arrows converging on a box labelled Definitely No 10. The box is understood to be monitoring the arrows.
The Chief Secretary will work collaboratively across government. Departments can therefore expect a meeting asking how the previous meeting advanced the delivery plan, followed by a smaller meeting to establish whether the delivery plan has been briefed to the meeting responsible for advancing it.
“Every chief requires clear oversight,” explains Peregrine, Director of Senior Seniority. “Without supervision, chiefs may deliver laterally, become principals or accidentally complete something without first requesting a framework.”
The appointment resolves a serious administrative problem. Ministers were previously expected to oversee their own progress while being overseen by the Prime Minister’s priorities, leaving nobody obvious to ask whether the oversight was aligned with the oversight strategy. That gap has now been filled by a person who can ask the question in a more senior room.
Baroness Shafik’s expertise will add an authoritative voice to discussions about growth and living standards. Her presence may also help the government calculate how many advisers it takes to move an economy from promising to under review.
Government is now entering a new era of coordinated delivery. A Deputy Assistant Chief of Dechiefing will monitor whether the system has become too chief heavy, then report to a panel of chiefs recommending a Chief of Dechiefing Oversight. At last, the country will have someone senior enough to prevent action from happening without a proper appointment.
Real story: Prime Minister's Office.
