Interview with Chair of UK PAC

[atseacliff]

Interesting insight into the work of the UK Public Accounts Committee in an interview with its Chairperson, Margaret Hodge.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/margaret-hodge-the-granny-with-sir-humphrey-in-her-crosshairs-7606811.html

Link to part of the Scrutiny of HMRC (UK tax authority) Chief Counsel (referred to in the article) attached below. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHqhVSwmdkg

[John Short]

"Trying to get a policy changed if the officials did not agree with you was well-nigh impossible.

Submissions would come up late. They would then come in a way which you didn't want. Sometimes the policy option you wanted wouldn't even be there so you'd have to go back and make them write it again.

"There was playing for delay because they knew you were transient. And that's one of the really important things – the political class is much more transient than the administrative class."

So Yes Minister/Prime Minister is true - not just the result of comedy scriptwriters!