Inside Story: How Coalition Government Works

Despite the political strains which have affected the coalition in recent months, the Constitution Unit’s research on how the coalition works shows that it has functioned very well in its first year. Viewed from inside, the ructions which have dominated the headlines have not destroyed the coalition’s effectiveness.

The Unit’s first year report, Inside Story: How coalition government works, is based upon 90 interviews with senior people in Whitehall and Westminster. The mutual trust and close working relations developed inside the government should help as it faces tougher times ahead.

“People feared that coalition government would be weak, quarrelsome and divided” said the Unit’s director Prof Robert Hazell. “But in the first year the coalition has been remarkably stable and united. Everyone we interviewed in Whitehall says how much more harmonious the coalition is compared with the rivalries and infighting of the Blair/Brown years”.

“Maintaining that unity in government while demonstrating the distinctiveness of the two parties is the key challenge going forward” Prof Hazell added. “This is particularly difficult for the Lib Dems as the junior partner. Instead of spreading themselves thinly across the whole of government, they need to prioritise their effort on areas where they can clearly have an impact”.

“An interesting development is the Lib Dems’ backbench committees” said the project’s lead researcher Dr Ben Yong. “It is a sign of how stretched the Lib Dems are for resources that these have been created. But it is also a way of preserving their distinct identity, and gives backbenchers regular contact with the frontbench. Conservatives we interviewed have been rather envious, and they have now started their own backbench policy committees”.

The report’s findings and recommendations include:

• The Lib Dems did well in the coalition negotiations, with 75% of their manifesto items going into the coalition agreement compared with 60% of the Conservative manifesto. But in any future coalition, they should focus as much on the division of office as the division of policy. It is through ministerial leadership that coalition partners have visible impact.
• By going for breadth over depth in their selection of ministerial posts, the Lib Dems risk spreading themselves too thinly. They may have achieved hundreds of small policy wins, but their influence is invisible to the public
• Cabinet committees deal mainly with interdepartmental issues. Coalition issues are resolved in half a dozen informal forums, and are dealt with before they reach the formal machinery of government.

Notes for Editors

• This is an initial report from a 12 month study of how the coalition works, funded by the Nuffield Foundation. The project runs until December.
• Access to Whitehall interviewees has been authorised by the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and Sir Gus O’Donnell. So far the project team have interviewed 90 officials, ministers, special advisers, parliamentarians and outside groups.
• Robert Hazell is available for interview this weekend, tel 020 7679 4977.
• Browse the coalition government project pages

Media

• Robert Hazell on the Record Review (10.06.11)
• Number 10 happy with civil servant advisors Guardian 09.06.11
• The Prime Minister's for u-turning: why David Cameron's first year has been full of flap, fudge and failure Mirror 09.06.11
• What happened to collective responsibility? Dan Corry in Public Finance 05.06.11
• The Independent View Robert Hazell's piece in Liberal Democrat Voice 05.06.11
• Robert Hazell on BBC Radio 4 Today 04.06.11
• The phone calls that shape Britain's future: How Cameron and Clegg make key decisions during regular Sunday night chats Daily Mail 04.06.11
• Cameron and Clegg's Sunday night phonecalls BBC Politics 04.06.11
• How David Cameron and Nick Clegg decide policy - by phone Telegraph 04.06.11
• Lib Dems and Tories get on better than Blair and Brown Epolitix 03.06.11
• Deputy PM's Office ineffective, report on coalition government finds Guardian 03.06.11