How Westminster Works . . . and Why It Doesn't

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As a scene setter, Dunt chronicles the events and the points of failure of Chris Grayling’s attempted privatisation of probation services. This provides a relatable real-world context for what follows, one example of the harm caused when Westminster doesn’t work. Democracy gets off to a bad start

So this is one where my rating for the book doesn’t necessarily reflect my enjoyment for it. Usually I’d have dropped a star for that but I truly think everyone should read this. The book covers the whole political system in the UK and why basically we’re totally f***ked at being able to get anything done long term. It’s easy to read it as a criticism to the current government (of which I am not a fan) but the book is actually neutral in covering the system itself and why no party really has a chance atm. (But it doesn’t help that some total knob heads are in charge!). Purchasing a book may earn the NS a commission from Bookshop.org, who support independent bookshops The book is at its most illuminating when it focuses on one of the least scrutinised power blocs in the UK: the civil service. Dunt cites the example of Antonia Romeo, the civil servant who carried out Grayling’s ruinous probation reform, which was cancelled in 2018 after offences spiked, costs spiralled and probation providers went bankrupt. Romeo was nevertheless promoted. “No one lost their job, or was penalised, or even rebuked,” Dunt writes, echoing Dominic Cummings’s fundamental criticism of the civil service, that promotion bears no relation to performance. the first past the post and two party systems mean that no major party has any interest in changing the status quo because that means giving up power, and prime ministers, ultimately, are all about power.There are no adverts for prospective parliamentary candidates and no job descriptions. Any interviews are unlikely to be objective enough to ensure that the best candidate for the role is selected and are more likely intended to probe for party loyalty. the House of Lords is a corrupt and antiquated relic of a bygone age. However, due to the corrupt and autocratic nature of the elective dictatorship, it actually functions as a restraint on power. It's cap, it's just that the governing party is much, much worse. that the drafting of new laws to replace the outdated ones after the bodged decision to leave the EU provided an opportunity for the government to give itself legal blank cheques and potentially unlimited powers without any scrutiny or or due process.

A subject as complex as how the British Government works and what is functionally wrong with it is a bewilderingly dense subject. However, I feel that the author has done a brave, well researched, methodical and clearly explained effort to do this.First, there is Chris Grayling’s 2013 privatisation of the parole service purely in the interests of his own political advancement. Experts queued up to explain that his reforms wouldn’t work but Grayling just didn’t care. From his perspective, he needed to implement a policy change swiftly, showing his own right-wing credentials, to position himself for a promotion in the next reshuffle. The consequence of Grayling’s privatisation was a breakdown in the capacity of the probation service to keep tab on probationers, resulting in a spike in reoffending. Human misery on an epic scale for the sake of one unimpressive man’s ambition. Thrilling, searing and scathing, but ultimately hopeful that our political system can be rescued from the quagmire that it currently is. How Westminster Works is as gripping as it is brutal -- ADAM RUTHERFORD The Prime Minister is at the same extremely powerful (being able to replace ministers at will and immediately, to the detriment of understanding the subject matter and good policy decisions), but also somewhat weak, due to limited own capacity for policy, as they have only the small staff that can be fitted into Number 10 Downing Street - a building unfit for modern work of government. Recruitment for ‘normal’ jobs typically starts with a public advertisement of the role and a job description. Candidates are carefully shortlisted against required and desired skill sets before being invited to an interview where their skills and experience can be assessed using criteria and competency-based questions.

But crucially it looks at what is going wrong, what actually happens instead of what should in theory happen, and lastly what can be done about it. This is an in-depth, unpartisan, searing expose of how the British political system works - or, rather, how it barely limps along in a dysfunctional mess. It dismantles a lot of the myth and deliberate obfuscation around the different parts of the political machine and how they're set up in nice, plain English so it's easy to understand (and then go "what? That's really how it works?") At the end of this book, author Ian Dunt is asked why he wrote it. And he sums it up in one sentence, really. 'I wanted people to know how politics works in this country'.Dunt dissects the various components of the Westminster system, from the role of Parliament and the executive to the complex web of party politics. His attention to detail ensures that readers gain a thorough understanding of the intricate mechanisms that shape the British democratic process. Meticulously researched, this book gives the reader a deeper understanding of the Westminster bubble. The problem is not that the politicians are corrupt or lazy; it's that the system is simply not fit for purpose Many people who are new to engaging in politics are listening to podcasts and may know of Ian Dunt through one of the podcasts he co-hosts ( Oh God, What Now? (formerly Remainiacs) and Origin Story). If so, in audio format, this book is a great gateway to the next level – think of it like an accessible podcast series. The book lays out, clearly and concisely, the reasons why our government has failed us so spectacularly. And the worst thing is that it is an utterly open secret amongst all concerned.