Central Policy Review Staff

Last updated

The Central Policy Review Staff (CPRS), nicknamed the "Think-Tank", was an independent unit within the Cabinet Office of the United Kingdom tasked with developing long term strategy and co-ordinating policy across government departments. [1] It was established by Edward Heath in February 1971 but was later disbanded by Margaret Thatcher following the 1983 general election. [2]

The CPRS was created in response to The Reorganisation of Central Government white paper published in October 1970. [3]

It had four directors over its 12-year lifetime; Lord Rothschild (1971–1974), Sir Kenneth Berrill (1974–1980), Sir Robin Ibbs (1980–1982) and John Sparrow (1982–1983). [4]

Three of the Directors worked in the commercial sector; Rothschild was head of research at Shell, Ibbs was a director of Imperial Chemical Industries and Sparrow was a banker at Morgan Grenfell. Berrill had spent twenty years as an academic economist at Cambridge University before working for the Treasury. [5]

The unit was always small, intentionally, never being more than 20 in number plus support staff. The average secondment was two years although a small number stayed longer. Its composition was a mix of academic, Whitehall civil servants and business (particularly the oil business, all from Shell or BP) [6]

Three of the four Prime Ministers served by the CPRS felt it did a worthwhile job.

Edward Heath believed the CPRS was an important part of his government. "Their work was invariably thoroughly researched and well presented. I regard the CPRS as one of the best innovations of my years at No. 10. As a group which advised ministers collectively, it helped to maintain the cohesion of the government." [7]

Harold Wilson had a positive view of the CPRS and he commented in his book The Governance of Britain "It was set up by our predecessors but we have found it very valuable and have continued it." [8]

Equally James Callaghan thought well of the unit saying in his autobiography; "To my regret, and I believe to her loss, the unit was disbanded by Mrs Thatcher." [9]

Margaret Thatcher had a rather different view of the CPRS by 1983. "The CPRS had originally been set up by Ted Heath as a source of long-term policy advice for the Government at a time when there were fewer private think-tanks, fewer special advisers in government and a widespread belief that the great questions of the day could be resolved by specialized technical analysis. But a government with a firm philosophical direction was inevitably a less comfortable environment for a body with a technocratic outlook." [10]

Upon its abolition, some of the functions of the CPRS were transferred to the Downing Street policy unit. [2]

The Review of Overseas Representation

The most controversial report by the CPRS was The Review of Overseas Representation published in August 1977.

The concept of the review was initiated by the CPRS in late 1975 and was taken up by the Foreign Secretary, James Callaghan, who asked for the review to be extended to the BBC and the British Council. Callaghan also asked the CPRS to undertake the review. However, according to Joe Haines (Press Secretary to Prime Minister Harold Wilson) even before the proposals were shown to Callaghan the Foreign Office intervened: "the document he eventually saw, and approved, was modified – or doctored – on the way to his desk. The original proposals were not acceptable to senior F.C.O. officials, and the head of the C.P.R.S., Sir Kenneth Berrill, was asked to make deletions before it was put to the Secretary of State. That was agreed. The document placed before Jim Callaghan was not the original one." [11]

The report was written by June 1977, shown to Ministers and published in August. There had been a mixed response from the Foreign Office during the review, the most notable and possibly most critical came from Sir Nicholas Henderson the Ambassador to France, although Anthony Parsons in Tehran was more supportive of the CPRS's work. [12]

Its conclusions and recommendations were radical and on publication met with a barrage of criticism from supporters of the various organisations being reviewed. There was a debate in the House of Lords in November 1977 with contributions from members with connections to the British Council, the BBC as well as the Foreign Office. A House of Commons Select Committee also investigated the review and published their findings. [13]

The orchestration of a critical campaign against the Review and the CPRS by the Foreign Office had started before its publication and is indicated by Bernard Donoughue in his diary entry for 7 February 1977: "Had lunch with The Economist journalist Richard Leonard – who told me that somebody from the FCO (Foreign and Commonwealth Office) had got the editor (Andrew Knight) of The Economist to 'doctor' an article so it was savagely critical of the (still unfinished!) CPRS report on the FCO. The machine is absolutely unprincipled in defending its interests." [14]

Related Research Articles

Margaret Thatcher Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990

Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was a British stateswoman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. She was the longest-serving British prime minister of the 20th century and the first woman to hold that office. A Soviet journalist dubbed her the "Iron Lady", a nickname that became associated with her uncompromising politics and leadership style. As prime minister, she implemented policies that became known as Thatcherism.

Edward Heath Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1974

Sir Edward Richard George "Ted" Heath, was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1974 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1965 to 1975. Heath served for 51 years as a Member of Parliament from 1950 to 2001. Outside politics, Heath was also a world-class yachtsman and a talented musician.

James Callaghan Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979

Leonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff, was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1976 to 1980. Callaghan is the only person to have held all four Great Offices of State, having served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1964 to 1967, Home Secretary from 1967 to 1970 and Foreign Secretary from 1974 to 1976. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1945 to 1987.

William Whitelaw, 1st Viscount Whitelaw British politician

William Stephen Ian Whitelaw, 1st Viscount Whitelaw,, often known as Willie Whitelaw, was a British Conservative politician who served in a wide number of Cabinet positions, most notably as home secretary. He served Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher throughout her leadership of the Conservative Party as deputy party leader.

1979 United Kingdom general election General election held in the United Kingdom

The 1979 United Kingdom general election was held on Thursday 3 May 1979 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. The Conservative Party, led by Margaret Thatcher, ousted the incumbent Labour government of James Callaghan with a parliamentary majority of 43 seats. The election was the first of four consecutive election victories for the Conservative Party, and Thatcher became the United Kingdom's and Europe's first elected female head of government. Unusually the date chosen coincided with the 1979 United Kingdom local elections. The local government results provided some source of comfort to the Labour Party (UK), who recovered some lost ground from local election reversals in previous years, despite losing the general election. The parish council elections were pushed back a few weeks.

Thatcherism British conservative ideology

Thatcherism is a form of British conservative ideology named after Conservative Party leader Margaret Thatcher. The term has been used to describe the principles of the British government under Thatcher from the 1979 general election to her resignation in 1990, and continuing into the Conservative governments under John Major and David Cameron. Proponents of Thatcherism are referred to as Thatcherites.

Winter of Discontent Winter of 1978–79 in the United Kingdom

The Winter of Discontent took place during 1978–79 in the United Kingdom. It was characterised by widespread strikes by private, and later public, sector trade unions demanding pay rises greater than the limits Prime Minister James Callaghan and his Labour Party government had been imposing, against Trades Union Congress (TUC) opposition, to control inflation. Some of these industrial disputes caused great public inconvenience, exacerbated by the coldest winter for 16 years, in which severe storms isolated many remote areas of the country.

Reginald Maudling was a British politician who held several Cabinet posts, including Chancellor of the Exchequer. From 1955 until the late 1960s, he was spoken of as a prospective Conservative leader, and he was twice seriously considered for the post; he was Edward Heath's chief rival in 1965. He also held directorships in several British financial firms.

Peter Carington, 6th Baron Carrington British Conservative politician (1919–2018)

Peter Alexander Rupert Carington, 6th Baron Carrington, Baron Carington of Upton,, was a British Conservative politician and hereditary peer who served as defence secretary from 1970 to 1974, foreign secretary from 1979 to 1982, chairman of British General Electric Company from 1983 to 1984, and secretary general of NATO from 1984 to 1988. In the first government of Margaret Thatcher, he played a major role in negotiating the Lancaster House Agreement that ended the racial conflict in Rhodesia and enabled the creation of Zimbabwe.

William Waldegrave, Baron Waldegrave of North Hill

William Arthur Waldegrave, Baron Waldegrave of North Hill, is a British Conservative politician who served in the Cabinet from 1990 until 1997, and is a life member of the Tory Reform Group. He is now a life peer in the House of Lords. Since 8 February 2009, Lord Waldegrave has been the Provost of Eton College. Additionally, he was inaugurated as Chancellor of the University of Reading on 9 December 2016.

Tessa Blackstone, Baroness Blackstone

Tessa Ann Vosper Blackstone, Baroness Blackstone, PC is an English politician and university administrator.

Ian Gilmour, Baron Gilmour of Craigmillar British politician

Ian Hedworth John Little Gilmour, Baron Gilmour of Craigmillar, was a Conservative politician in the United Kingdom. He was styled Sir Ian Gilmour, 3rd Baronet from 1977, having succeeded to his father's baronetcy, until he became a life peer in 1992. He served as Secretary of State for Defence in 1974, in the government of Edward Heath. He also served in the government of Margaret Thatcher, as Lord Privy Seal from 1979 to 1981.

Robert Carr British politician

Leonard Robert Carr, Baron Carr of Hadley, was a British Conservative politician who served as Home Secretary from 1972 to 1974.

Hugh Scanlon

Hugh Parr Scanlon, Baron Scanlon was a British trade union leader.

The National Economic Development Council (NEDC) was an economic planning forum set up in 1962 in the United Kingdom to bring together management, trades unions and government in an attempt to address Britain's relative economic decline. It was supported by the National Economic Development Office (NEDO). Both were known as Neddy. Economic Development Committees were set up for particular industries.

Bernard Donoughue, Baron Donoughue

Bernard “Nursey” Donoughue, Baron Donoughue is a British Labour Party politician, academic, businessman and author.

First Thatcher ministry Thatchers first ministry

Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 4 May 1979 to 28 November 1990, during which time she led a Conservative majority government. She was the first woman to hold that office. During her premiership, Thatcher moved to liberalise the British economy through deregulation, privatisation, and the promotion of entrepreneurialism.

Shadow Leader of the House of Commons

The Shadow Leader of the House of Commons is a member of the Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet responsible for working with the Leader of the House in arranging Commons business and holding the Government to account in its overall management of the House. The Shadow Leader also responds to the Business Statement of Leader of House each Thursday, though the Leader of the Opposition exercised this role until the late 1980s. The office is roughly equivalent to the Leader of the Opposition in the House of Lords.

The Honourable William Julius Lowthian Plowden was a British political science academic and government advisor.

Sir Adam Nicholas Ridley is a British economist, civil servant, and banker.

References

  1. ↑ Pope, Rex; Pratt, Alan; Hoyle, Bernard (1986). Social welfare in Britain, 1885–1985. Taylor & Francis. p. 108. ISBN   978-0-7099-4001-2.
  2. 1 2 Harrison, Brian Howard (1996). The transformation of British politics, 1860–1995. Oxford University Press. pp.  285–286. ISBN   978-0-19-873121-4.
  3. ↑ "Select Committee on Public Administration; Second Report". London: House of Commons of the United Kingdom. 22 February 2006. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 16 October 2009.
  4. ↑ Greenwood, John R.; Wilson, David Jack (1989). Public administration in Britain today. Routledge. p. 58. ISBN   978-0-04-445195-2.
  5. ↑ Tessa Blackstone and William Plowden (1988) Inside The Think Tank – Advising the Cabinet 1971–1983 ISBN   0 7493 0302 6 Preface
  6. ↑ Tessa Blackstone and William Plowden (1988) Inside The Think Tank – Advising the Cabinet 1971–1983 ISBN   0 7493 0302 6 p27
  7. ↑ Edward Heath (1998) The Course of My Life ISBN   0 340 70852 2 p316
  8. ↑ Harold Wilson (1976) The Governance of Britain ISBN   9780060146764 Appendix V p.203
  9. ↑ James Callaghan (1987) Time and Change ISBN   0-00-637395-X p.404
  10. ↑ Margaret Thatcher (1993) Margaret Thatcher The Downing Street Years ISBN   0 00 255049 0 p.30
  11. ↑ Joe Haines (1977) The Politics of Power ISBN   0 340 22275 1 p37
  12. ↑ Tessa Blackstone and William Plowden (1988) Inside The Think Tank – Advising the Cabinet 1971–1983 ISBN   0 7493 0302 6 Ch. 8
  13. ↑ Tessa Blackstone and William Plowden (1988) Inside The Think Tank – Advising the Cabinet 1971–1983 ISBN   0 7493 0302 6 p168-9
  14. ↑ Bernard Donoughue (2008) Downing Street Diary Vol Two ISBN   9780224073806 p.142
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.