Officials will be welcoming to the new Minister. They will show him or her into a large office, introducing the private office team that will look after them. They will then supply a large number of briefings, ask him or her to approve some difficult issues and present them with the diary of Ministerial commitments.
How the Minister responds will determine how well he or she does. A Minister’s most precious possession is time. It soon gets taken up and it is easy to waste it. So take control of the diary.
It’s a good idea to put all key dates for your family and private life in. Where these will clash with Cabinet or crucial Ministerial dates you should not avoid, explain early to the family and book out an alternative time as close as possible to the original for the family events.If it cant be the date or time they want make it a better occasion at a different time.
Get the office to put in the essential and unavoidable. Departmental Questions once a month in Parliament, Cabinet and Cabinet Committees and big events in your subject area that Ministers always attend. Any statements or announcements you want to make come with some flex for you to influence the timing. Urgent Questions and Opposition debates are not in your control and you just need to adjust when they happen. If it is really difficult a Ministerial colleague may substitute.
Then express your priorities and decline the meetings and visits the officials propose that do not work with your priorities and needs. You do need to keep in touch with the interests and sectors you regulate and promote but have plenty of choice over how to do that and who to recognise with Ministerial contact.
You will probably get too many things to decide at the beginning. Request only the urgent ones and be sceptical about them. As you read and play yourself in you can respond to others or will see they are not necessary or desirable. Officials often serve up things to a new Minister a previous Minister rightly turned down.
Don’t assume all the advice is good. Government makes plenty of mistakes and is wallowing in poor productivity. You will be blamed if you accept bad advice. Expose yourself to as much external opinion as possible , without sharing secrets outside government. People who will be affected by your actions will take trouble to brief you well on their concerns, and they may be right.
Start from Day 1 to set out your agenda to the officials, especially if the PM has stressed a particular task or aim when he appointed you. Tell your officials the priority comes from No 10 where it does as that should sharpen their interest.
If you are a junior Minister request an early long conversation with the Secretary of State to find out what delegated power you have and how you fit into the departmental aims.
Tell your officials how you wish to work. You do not have to accept their method. They are there to serve you. Ask for briefings and information where you lack basic knowledge. Ask what officials think your powers and responsibilities are. Tell them how you wish to handle errors and problems made by the department.Read the key Statutes that govern your powers.
Be courteous with officials and help them do their jobs by being clear and sensible with your requests. Do not accept sloppy work or bad advice by showing them what you want and by setting high standards for yourself.
You are there to make a difference. Always require focus on how your department serves the public. Be like a mystery shopper or consumer critic, as the department should treat people well. Be a big voice for quality and efficiency, two sides of a common coin.
September 10, 2025
Good morning.
And Cabinet reshuffles do nothing to prevent this as there has to be a ‘work-up’ period. So I see such acts, especially so soon after an election, as an admission of failure by the PM.
September 10, 2025
Indeed “poor productivity” spending 400 £billion on lockdowns and Covid Vaccines that actually both did vast net harms is. to say the least, “v. poor productivity” as is a similar sum spent pushing up energy costs with the insanity of Net Zero. Rayner’s housing bill and workers rights bill will also do vast net harms!
Day one please stop doing the many things that governments do that cost money AND do vast net harm perhaps? A win win you save money AND make things better! Get the state out of the damn way please!
September 10, 2025
“Don’t assume all the advice is good” No don’t “assume” any of the advice is good! Well not for the country or voters anyway. It might be for the civil servants convenience, job security, budgets, promotion prospects and remuneration levels perhaps!
Stopping all sick pay for the state sector, ditching net zero, ditching the Covid Vaccines (still insanely/criminally being jabbed into some older people) and demanding the release of honest statistics on the net harm vaccines, ditching the Workers Right Bill and the Housing Bill – that would be a good day one move! Would do vast net good, improve productivity, improve the UK’s ability to compete, lower living costs and energy costs and save over £1 Trillion too!
September 10, 2025
It’s been reported this week that sick leave has increased since COVID-19. Is this because of vaccine damage or because people have become lazy and entitled since lockdown, or maybe a combination of both?
The Public Sector really needs reforming to make it more efficient. The NHS is woeful with the amount of sick leave and bullying that is taking place. Get the managers out of the way and let staff treat patients.
September 10, 2025
Both seems most likely!
September 10, 2025
So Bridget Phillipson (Minister for Women and Equalities) is now the favourite to be deputy PM it seems. She read French and Modern History at Oxford it seems, and yet is daft enough to think you can be Minister for Women and Equalities at the same time!
This is the type of person she is:- Phillipson was criticised by multiple MPs after she posted on X “Our state schools need teachers more than private schools need embossed stationery. Our children need mental health support more than private schools need new pools. Our students need careers advice more than private schools need AstroTurf pitches.”
A politics of envy, bitter, wrecker of good schools and our education system.
Nigel Huddleston MP, said of it “Parents who send their children to independent schools, who pay twice on their children’s education, deserve better than to be treated with contempt by their government’s education secretary.
He is right and wrong they pay four times over. Once for others, then extra tax on the money for the fees, then the fees and now 20% VAT on top of the fees. To get £20k to the private school for your child’s education might mean you have to earn an extra £50k – £30k for the government and £20k for the school. The policy is the complete reverse of what is needed which is more and more people paying for their own children with tax breaks!
September 11, 2025
Or of course they could take up a state school place and stop working for say two days a week to fund the private school. This way the government loses the £30k of tax and has to fund the state school place for them. Then the parent might just pay for the odd extra tutor or similar. The policy will raise no tax and does huge harm to good schools and to education levels in general! The bitter and evil politics of envy from Labour!
September 10, 2025
Yesterday Mahmood was on TV saying she was in favour of digital ID Cards. No doubt briefed by 2TK all new appointees will be in favour.
The country is in s mess and this is a side show which 2TK hopes to be his legacy.
No doubt much energy will be spent on this whilst the civil Serpents continue to drive the country into the abyss.
The two most dangerous people retained their posts which shows the weakness of the PM. Reeves and Milibrain will continue with their slash and burn policies uninterrupted.
Nothing will change.
September 10, 2025
Ian, I think it would be fair to say, if the objective of this Labour administration was to destroy the economic and material strength of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, then having Miliband and Reeves at the forefront of that objective is working out very well for them.
If their destructive policies are intended to present us with such dire conditions, it makes re-joining the EU seem like a positive idea, that might explain why Starmer is urgently importing as many not UK native peoples as he can muster from Europe’s mainland and elsewhere.
We live in troubling times, as Graham Linehan recently found out.
September 10, 2025
Trotskyite Starmer would reply to you that all of his gang are doing a great job.
September 10, 2025
Sorry off topic, but can’t resist:
SWEET IRONY – — Starmer referred to the Internatinal Criminal Court over Chagos!
A happy morning for once – however temporary. We can dream…
September 10, 2025
Yes, especially as he cited the international court as the reason for giving them away in the first place.
September 10, 2025
Paying £billions for another country to take them away. Does he not have any duty to obtain market value as any company director would have? Or is he as PM just allowed to rob tax payers as he wishes! Why has Farage/Trump not intervened to stop this economic and defensive lunacy?
September 10, 2025
I am also mystified by Trump saying he does not object to Starmer’s Chagos deal.
September 10, 2025
@Peter Wood – Yes, in yesterdays Parliament debate it would appear ‘Labour has revealed the “legal threat” which it claims forced it to give away the Chagos Islands. It’s bogus…’
Shadow Armed Forces Minister Mark Francois tells Guido:
“During today’s Commons Debate on Diego Garcia, the Government’s legal case collapsed, under close scrutiny. They finally revealed that the “legal threat” to justify their £35 billion surrender deal is based on the UNCLOS Treaty – from which we in Britain already have a clear opt out for “disputes concerning military activities” in Article 298. The whole case is a sham, as Parliament has today discovered.”
But was does our loyal HoC do? Its clear the are loyal to their ‘Gang Leader’ before those that empowered and paid them. One Rule/Law for us no integrity elsewhere…
September 10, 2025
It is difficult to see the relevance of UNCLOS since the disupte is over who has sovereignty over the Chagos Is and the right of a state to move people around, or the rihgts of people not be moved around. In any case Art 298 does not give an opt out from the obligations of states under UNCLOS or international law. It provides an opt out only in respect of application of the dispute procedures prescribed in the section preceding art 298, ie narrow range of types of dispute over duties and obligations arising from UNCLOS, which as I say, has nothing to do with who has sovereignty. UNCLOS is predicated entirely on the state having sovereignty being known.
‘Military activities’ refers to the activities of warships at sea. This is not relevant to the dispute since the obligations and duties arising from UNCLOS are about the sea such as recognising the right of free passage through territorial waters, provided such passage is innocent. UNCLOS says nothing about where or whether military bases may be located within a state’s territory. Obviously the passage of a US or UK warship in the territorial waters of Diego Garcia could possibly be disputed between the state owning the warship and the state owning the Chagos (Mauritius under the influence of China) but that would depend on the treaty governing the use of the base and the activities of the warship at the time of the passage. That is clearly not relevant to the ICC case/opinion.
The ICJ does not have power over us in Commonwealth matters. There is no international law reason to give away the islands
September 10, 2025
….and yet this labour government still allowed its ‘chagos giveaway bill’ passage through parliament and its second reading yesterday
September 10, 2025
@Mark B – Yes, when your reasons to leave on foreign visits, meddle in other countries affairs dries up and you are called on to do your job, shuffling the deck is in your own mind is your get out of jail free card. Just as falling on your sword(resigning) would be our get out of jail card. Note in today’s world I had to define the general meaning of ‘falling on ones sword’ ………..
September 10, 2025
Sounds and reads like a nightmare
September 10, 2025
And if you aren’t a rabid left-winger yourself, treat your Officials as the enemy because they will seek to obstruct anything which doesn’t suit their objectives 🙂
It was good of Badenough to propose re-uniting the LibLabCON to help push through Two-Tier’s proposed welfare reform. The electorate has now been reminded that the Westminster Uni-Party creates a CONsensus in order to push through unpopular policies and deny choice.
Reply This is nonsense. Con,Lab and Reform all offer different welfare policies. CSJ ideas are the answer
September 10, 2025
@Reply – but one of the opposition leaders has just gone on record saying it is her desire to work with 2TK to create unified Uni-party welfare policy. As @Donna says it is a good idea to be reminded that with that alliance we have just shades of Socialism, the same Political entity taking the same political direction.
The Centre Ground those aligned to the mainstream of the Nation have gone AWOL, deserted the People. There may be just 10% of the HoC that sees the UK as their home and its people their future.
Reply The Conservatives offered to help KS get the welfare bill down and he rejected the advice. Hardly evidence of a uni party. Cons, Lab and Reform all have different welfare policies with Cons pro reductions.
September 10, 2025
@Reply – logic then they should say nothing publicly until they have learnt how control the Media. It would appear from what you say it was a ‘look at me!’ moment, I have ideas, can offer an agenda, that has backfired.
September 10, 2025
She’s made an offer he cannot accept as it is an offer to bypass his backbenchers in order to deliver something hopefully slightly sensible. I don’t see how that is uniparty
September 10, 2025
It seems Two Tier has a cup at his Cabinet meetings with “Sir Kier Starmer” printed on it. Are named cups for all ministers or even all who work at no 10 or just for Free Gear Keir? Who that they was a good use of public money? Must waste load of time making sure you have the right cup in the right place for the right person too! Are this people like primary school teachers & children?
September 10, 2025
@Lifelogic – yes as long as its for him and he gets someone else to pay for it it is considered above board and perks of your own religion of self.
September 10, 2025
Does he have containers in the kitchen marked Sugar, Flour, Biscuits, Oatmeal, Currents… too I wonder!
September 10, 2025
Not sure who your piece is aimed at today Sir John?
If I may, can i add.
Always be informed and seek details before advancing ideas/policy.
Be honest when speaking to everyone. When you don’t know something admit you do not know. When circumstanced prevent open honest conversation, say nothing, other than informing the interested listeners you will keep them informed when circumstances allow.
Do not project falsehoods simply to fall in line with popular misconception.
There is no climate crisis.
September 10, 2025
Keep your Line Manager informed. Be positive where possible but don’t exagerate or lie to them. They need to trust you and you them (not always easy). Treat your direct reports the same way you expect to be treated, with respect and honesty. Take care of your staff and hopefully they will care for you. You need to be respected, although you will not always be liked. Get used to it.
September 10, 2025
@Rod Evans – to sensible, you haven’t left enough scope for personal political ideology and self-esteem to trump all reasoning.
September 10, 2025
All sensible advice John.
Shame our new Prime Minister said, or was reported to have said at the time he was elected, that he wanted to make sure that he always had Friday evenings free to sit down for the family meal, a clue that he had not a clue as to the position he held, or responsibility to the task in hand.
September 10, 2025
I saw on Twitter this morning a man calling a police an a muppet and the policeman arrested him saying he was offended and it caused distress.
The policeman was easily offended. Or rather said he was offended because there was no evidence of distress.
Are we now replacing telling off somebody for saying something rude with arrest and criminal offences? Really? Because if this is the case every argument could result in a criminal record if caught on video.
This is what happens when lawyers get involved in creating laws. The only solution to every problem is an arrest and a criminal record.
Lawyers should follow the law not create it.
September 10, 2025
@javelin – the right to offend, should be on a par with all so-called human rights Laws. Ones persons challenge is what another person sees as offensive. If a Police Officer doesn’t know what a Muppet is they need re-educating.
September 10, 2025
@Javelin. Arrests for causing distress and offence is ridiculous. I hope it’s not legal (I suspect the copper knew he could use some other charge and the video was a bit misleading). If it really is legal then we should call for the arrest of about 500 MPs who are offemding a majority of the country!
September 10, 2025
Ah but….. They can take and retain DNA and fingerprints if they arrest someone. The database state.
September 10, 2025
The UK, the UK laws, the UK democracy has hit a new low
September 10, 2025
Excellent advice for managers in both public and private sectors. Clearly the voice of experience. Unfortunately, sometimes you can only learn by being thown in at the deep end but a good mentor is a wonderful blessing. Of course, you have to be willing to listen.
September 10, 2025
Remember when we thought that the marvellous series of ‘Yes Minister’ and ‘Yes Prime Minister’ were political satire but in fact they were political documentaries?
Reply I lived through funnier and more bizarre Yes Minister dramas for real
September 10, 2025
JR – you should write a book!
September 10, 2025
You advice might have been appropriate when you were last a minister, but times have changed.
Now it’s about fitting government business around child-care and the school run.
Flexible hours and WFH.
September 10, 2025
Sir John
The first few days? By now you would have thought that someone in Parliament, i.e. those that hold Minsters to account would have got the message out that repeating the same tired old mistakes over and over that we have had to endure for what must be 20 years or more now – will always repeat the same old result.
September 10, 2025
That is a very interesting expose of how a new Minister should aim to proceed. I found it telling that you put the onus on a new junior Minister to ensure that he got properly briefed by his boss. In any normal organisation, a boss would consider it essential to see for himself that his juniors were fully informed as to what he expected of them.
September 10, 2025
OfficeJob101 comfortwords and misses the real cause of ineffectiveness.
Government has lost the ability to say NO. Traditionally all frauds, mountebanks, consultants and projectors washed up at the King’s Court. New ideas and ways of currying favour with the influential found a use among the courtiers, mostly to accumulate money and power and self aggrandisement. A developed democracy has this problem writ very large and if this faction says NO then that faction will say YES. A race to the bottom – who can say the most YESes, never mind their usefulness.
That is the root cause – democracy tends to weakness dominated by YES persons.
So NO to males using lady’s lavatories and NO to ineffective Green measures. No one else will follow the Green path and Mother Nature will solve that problem – but you won’t like the solution – the politicians don’t have the power to implement the necessary measures. But Mother Nature does.
September 10, 2025
A new must have for the HoC and the ‘Blob’ – Apple’s new AirPods ‘can live-translate foreign languages’. Because they don’t understand the language of this Country, this UK, and what it is saying to them.
September 10, 2025
It would be fascinating to read the matching advice the Dame Lucy Doolittles give to ministerial staff. Any new appointee not alert to civil service tricks and manipulations is likely destined to be a cipher, also any who arrive having no clue what they seek from having ministerial powers bestowed.
Sir Malcolm Rifkind said he demanded his diary staff leave him a spare hour at some interval each day to fill as he then chose. That seemed a good idea.
(I am considering copying today’s diary together with your 2013 piece on ministerial jobs to the prime minister in the hope it helps him: I might not get approval to spend on the necessary second class postage stamp though.)
September 10, 2025
What an insightful article that should be required reading for all new ministers.
For those Labour ministers who had no experience in running anything (i.e. almost all of them), it must have been to easy to become subservient to their civil servants. That’s certainly why the government got off to such a dodgy start.
I almost feel sorry for them ! (not).
September 10, 2025
The first days of any minister would be mixed messages and confused mix of blaming Tories but not Labour’s crazy ideas and policies.
Labour use millions of our taxpayers money to
Switch off Wind turbines in windy days
Encourage millions to stay at home on benefits and not work
Encourage the unions to demand more pay and less work
Encourage productivity to decline in all public sector workers
Encourage Ministers to not think too much and grow some sanity and common sense but focus on the spin, appearance nice clothes image and photo shoots (is Angela Rayner ‘s expensive personal photographer still employed?). Just asking…
September 10, 2025
“Officials often serve up things to a new Minister a previous Minister rightly turned down.”
Fortunately Mr. Miliband has not been moved to DEFRA or he would be approving their idea to further ramp up our NDC for the forthcoming COP30 in Brazil by banning fertilisers and agricultural machinery and which will at the same time create millions of green jobs needed for our rapidly expanding population.
September 10, 2025
PMQs today and not a single question about the Chagos Islands which passed its second reading yesterday ….what a disgrace for democracy, the tory party should walk out of parliament
September 10, 2025
An interesting article based on your experience. But sadly, today’s Ministers do not have your level of intelligence or experience. I suspect most of them will be intimidated by their senior Civil Servants and struggle to get any control over them or the department. Yvette Cooper at the Home Office is a good example of that, but she gets moved sideways instead of being sacked!
But high standards, drive and energy come from the top, and that is completely missing in the PM. So, despite the reshuffle, this Labour Government will continue to lead the UK to bankruptcy, depress most people, create constant uncertainty and make all the wrong decisions. Leaving the budget to Nov 26th just creates negative speculation about what is next to be taxed! It is a shambles.
September 10, 2025
Why would you move settled Ministers after just one year? Mr Balls, Coopers husband said on his news show that Cooper was making great strides in her previous role.
To be honest one of the Tories biggest problems in the previous five years was all the switcheroos. It appeared no-one was on top of their brief.
September 10, 2025
Fun fact. As recently as 2007, you could still smoke in the Chambers of The House of Commons (and in a plane, cinema, and of course, pub).
How things have changed. I’d say more people are dying now from stress and an overly WOKE, less personality-type world we live in today.
Reply I suggest you check your facts.
September 10, 2025
Or if they’re living longer, more miserable with it ..
September 10, 2025
Governments are infamous for introducing ‘social-engineering’ laws …..but not monitoring there success i.e how many lives saved since the smoking ban, how many use cycle-lanes, how many users have brought an EV to save the planet etc etc
September 10, 2025
(as at 3:50pm the government website have failed to produce any small boat illegal immigrant crossing figures for the 9th September)
September 10, 2025
as at 4:15pm our home office reported that 674 arrived yesterday …..674
September 10, 2025
Well you certainly survived.It is all about self control and trying to keep standards up , even when you are having personal problems your self.Only tell colleagues what they can’t hurt you with,but be human enough to understand theirs.People you work with are not your friends but professional colleagues.This is sad when you have spent many years and every day with them.Out there it’s every person for themselves,even in a said team.
September 15, 2025
This should be circulated to every Secretary of State. I suspect that as few (if any) of them have had any business experience they do not have any idea how to operate efficiently.