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Like most people, the Heywood Quarterly team was taken by surprise last month when the UK Prime Minister called a general election for 4th July. The unexpected, however, can present opportunities – so we approached four distinguished public servants who have a better idea than most about how the UK’s electoral process works, what threats we need to look out for, and what roles those working in the public sector should play over the coming weeks.
In the resulting mini series, marking the launch of our new publication, Gus O’Donnell (ex Cabinet Secretary) provides a range of useful tips for civil servants preparing for the next occupant of No.10; Edward Young (former PPS to HM The Queen and former joint PPS to HM King Charles) reveals some of the mysteries of the ‘Golden Triangle’ linking the Sovereign, the Cabinet Secretary and the Prime Minister, as well as the benefit of the “unarticulated ellipsis”; Ciaran Martin (ex head of The National Cyber Security Centre) explains what’s being done to protect our democracy against malign actors, and Vijay Rangarajan (Head of the Electoral Commission) describes what his organisation is doing to promote public confidence and ensure the integrity of the poll. We are extremely grateful to them all for their willingness to share their insights.
Amid the sound and fury of party slogans and electioneering, we hope you enjoy this insider’s guide.
