Guy Aitchison (London, OK): Last week I reported on Government plans to abolish the territorial departments of state and replace them with a new devolution "super department". I argued that this move should have been carried out long ago since it would have provided for a more ambitious, creative and coherent government policy on devolution as well as a more formalised, and hence more effective, system of intergovernmental relations. Some of our commenters were more suspicious of the proposal.
Writing in today's FT, George Parker provides more details on the re-structuring, now expected to take place late September. Contrary to earlier speculation, government officials have said that the new department will not have any responsibility for the English regions. There will be no Department for the Nations and Regions, then, but a single central Department focussing on work presently carried out by the Scotland, Welsh and Northern Ireland offices.
Shaun Woodward, the current Northern Ireland Secretary (highly articulate and once a Conservative MP, said to be much-admired by Brown), is rumoured to be promoted to a "wide-ranging role presenting government policy" in the forthcoming reshuffle. The Secretary's role in Northern Ireland will be complete once policing and justice powers are devolved to Stormont - a move which may happen sooner rather than later now that the DUP and Sinn Fein have reached an agreement on the contentious issue. Under the agreement a single department of justice would exercise justice and police powers headed by a minister needing cross-community support to be elected. Who will take the post is the subject of ongoing talks.
For many these proposals will undoubtedly bring to mind desperate images involving deckchairs and a certain trans-Atlantic cruiser. But it's worth remembering that Brown's ship hasn't sunk just yet. After all whoever is appointed to head the new super-department will face the unenviable task of making the Brownite case for Britishness and taking on the SNP; including, if the government lasts until 2010, in the run up to a possible referendum on Scottish independence. And whoever this may be (the FT speculates it will be Europe Minister, Jim Murphy) it's hard to imagine them doing a much worse job than current Scotland Minister, Des Browne (who also has the small matters of Iraq and Afghanistan to deal with).
Once the territorial departments of state have been abolished by Brown it's inconceivable that they would be resurrected under Cameron. The departments were originally established to provide a limited form of administrative devolution for Scotland and Wales and so head off native clamour for Home Rule. The devolved assemblies, which have now superseded them, were created with the same aim in mind. Is it possible to imagine a Tory "Department for the Nations" succeeding where they have so obviously failed?
