Anthony Barnett (London, OK): The Prime Minister has just announced his new Cabinet Committees. You can see them here (opens as pdf). Before Brown took over, Robert Hazell of the Constitution Unit argued in OK that he would need to “revive the Cabinet Committee on Devolution, and the Joint Ministerial Committee to negotiate with the new governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland”. It seems he hasn’t. There is a sub-committee on Local Government and the Regions, chaired by Harriet Harman, under Domestic Affairs (read England?) but nothing bringing together Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The Constitution committee is chaired by Jack Straw and has no sub-committees. The Prime Minister himself is chairing National Security and its sub-committees on International Affairs and on “Extremism” (not “terrorism”) as well as the intelligence committee. He is also chairing the full cabinet committee on Life Chances and its small sub-committee on Talent and Enterprise.
