Earl's question about how the British system works.
I'd say much the same as the Japanee system except without the takotsubo. There is a stronger tie to the Mandarin's club (although they no longer all belong to the Atheneum as they used to) than to the Treasury or even the Foreign Office. All senior appointments are made by the Chief Cabinet Secretary,otherwise known as the head of the Civil Service. For example a friend who started off as a member of the Economic Service in the Minof Overseas Development, took exams to transfer to the Adminitrative Service, became Permsec (permanent
secretary) there (after a year's secondment to direct Blair's Expenditure Review)got a step up to Permsec at the Home Office, and was in line for the Chief Cabinet Secretary's job, but last year the incumbent split the job in some way I do not understand and my friend refused to do the new half-job and went to run the EBRD. The ad hoc political advisors, brought in a l'americaine in increasing numbers in the last twenty years, answer directly to the Minister, and only through the Minister, in consultation with the permsec, can influence policy. In spite of the clever and funny "Yes Minister" tv series of 20 years ago (a great hit in India too)it's still thought to be a good thing to be a civil servant. In spite of salary differentials the job is competitive with banking, and civil servants are not generally bashed by the press.ron Dore