Special advisers : who they are, what they do and why they matter / Ben Yong and Robert Hazell.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Yong, Ben, author.

Contributor:

Hazell, Robert, editor.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Government consultants.

Great Britain.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (304 p.)

Place of Publication:

Oxford ; Portland : Hart Pub, 2014.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

"Viewers of The Thick of It will know of special advisers as spin doctors and political careerists. Several well-known ministers have been special advisers, among them David Cameron, Ed Miliband, Jack Straw and Vince Cable. People also know about the public relations disasters involving Jo Moore, Damian McBride and Adam Smith. But what is the reality? What do special advisers actually do in government? Who are they, where do they come from, and what do they go on to do? This book is the most detailed study yet carried out of special advisers. The Constitution Unit's research team, led by Dr Ben Yong and Professor Robert Hazell, assembled a comprehensive database of over 600 special advisers since 1979. They conducted written surveys, and interviewed over 100 special advisers, ministers and officials from the past thirty years. They conclude that special advisers are now a permanent and indispensable part of Whitehall, but are still treated as transient and temporary. The book concludes with practical recommendations for increasing the effectiveness of special advisers through improvements to their recruitment, induction and training, support and supervision, and strengthening their accountability."--Bloomsbury Publishing.

Contents:

1. Why Study Special Advisers?

Ben Yong

2. Special Advisers and British Government

3. Who are Special Advisers?

4. What Special Advisers Do for Ministers

David Laughrin

5. Special Advisers and the Policy-Making Process

Peter Waller

6. Special Advisers and Communications

7. The Regulation, Accountabilities and Responsibilities of Special Advisers

8. The Comparative Experience of Political Staff: Westminster Jurisdictions and Ministerial Cabinets

9. Improving the Performance of Special Advisers

Robert Hazell

10. A Profession Comes of Age

Appendix 1: Methodology

Max Goplerud

Appendix 2: Further Work on the Distribution and Tenure

of Special Advisers

x Contents

Appendix 3: The Post-government Career of Special Advisers

Anna Sellers

Appendix 4: Biographies

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781509913886

1509913882

9781474201032

1474201032

9781782254287

1782254285

OCLC:

1154941602