The book explores the way in which government in the UK seeks to translate policy into practice. It draws heavily on my own experience but is not, I hasten to add, a politician’s diary. There are already too many, of which only a few shine out. Among those the diaries of my former colleague Chris Mullin deserve special mention. I could not and do not hope to emulate Chris’s acute observation of the personal foibles of those engaged in the political process, which makes his volumes such compulsive reading. Instead I seek to explore how and why particular policies find their way into the political arena, and what are the main factors contributing to their success or failure. In doing so I highlight some of the weaknesses (as well as the strengths) of the administrative and parliamentary systems that we operate currently, and suggest changes that would, in my view, help to improve the quality and effectiveness of government in the UK.

firmly believe that this is fundamental if we are to address and overcome the widespread public disenchantment with politics and politicians, which represents a seriously corrosive threat to our democracy. Because of the particular responsibilities I have held, the main illustrations I have used come disproportionately from England, but I hope and believe that a number of the conclusions that emerge are relevant to the whole of the UK, and indeed may have wider relevance.

This book could not have been written without the help of many others. It spans a period of more than 40 years, during which time I have worked with and discussed the themes covered in the following pages with a huge number of people, far too many for all to be acknowledged. To those who will recognise some of the events described and be aware of their own contribution, but whose names do not appear in the following pages, I can only offer my sincere apologies. Limitations on space have inevitably restricted the number of people whose work, advice, guidance and support are openly acknowledged. All of these have contributed actively to the preparation of this book, sharing their memory and interpretation of events, offering views and critiques of my analyses, correcting errors and suggesting improvements in the text.