Institute for Government: Nick Clegg needs more civil service support

George Parker (who once kindly described me as a "Liberal firebrand") writes about United We Stand, a new report from the Institute for Government, in the Financial Times:

Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats need more civil service and political support in government to maintain the coalition’s stability when times get tough, according to a think-tank.

The Institute for Government says the deputy prime minister has “insufficient support at the centre” and that the Lib Dems need to have more junior ministers so that they are represented in all main departments.

The report, says Parker, goes on to say the Whitehall system is designed around the assumption that the government is led by a single individual - the prime minister - and needs to be adapted to a system with two-headed leadership.

It proposes that Mr Clegg’s private office should be reinforced with a permanent secretary and other senior civil servants, to ensure the Lib Dem leader can get a grip on all aspects of government. It also says that the Liberal Democrats should have more junior ministers so they are represented in every government department.

You can download the full report from the Institute for Government website.