If politicians come to believe that the civil service is preoccupied with speaking truth to power at the expense of doing its job, Francis Maude-type solutions will be imposed, regardless of which party is in power.
The friendliness and expertise of the IfG’s staff, and worthiness of its aims, should not obscure its desire to place the fate of ministers in the hands of mandarins.
The Party Chairman responsible for fund-raising is playing for higher stakes than he may appreciate.
The concept of ‘respect’ is all too open to abuse. In the current climate, it risks importing ‘cancel culture’ into political debate.