Labour,Thatcher and the Future of the Civil Service

Abstract

This article is primarily concerned with developments in the civil service since 1979 and the reaction to them of the Labour Party, placing the discussion in the context of the experience of the 1974- 79 Labour government and the long-term evolution of Labour Party attitudes towards the bureaucracy and the machinery of government. Three key issues are examined: the debate about the alleged politicisation of the civil service under Mrs Thatcher and the need to strengthen the political element in government in relation to the bureaucratic; official secrecy and the campaign for freedom of information reform; civil service efficiency and the Thatcher government's management reforms. Looking ahead, the article also tries to preview the possible impact of an incoming Labour government on the Whitehall machine.

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