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The PM’s top adviser says making government work better looks messy. But others will wonder if conflicting messages betray a power struggle

Pre-election talks with shadow ministers pose challenges for permanent secretaries – but are also an opportunity to meet ambitious manifesto commitments with an early dose of realism, says IfG's Catherine Haddon

Norman Strauss recently argued in CSW that there was a need to create a new ministry for the opposition to help change the civil service and share its expertise more widely across society. In this response, Catherine Haddon, a senior fellow and resident historian at the Institute for Government, sets out why she thinks such a proposal is flawed

Whitehall can still face tricky decisions during an election and the purdah period can create problems – as demonstrated by the High Court battle over air quality guidelines