Many senior civil servants feel pretty bruised after all the recent shenanigans, reporting an “end of days” feel in Whitehall in the run-up to Brexit characterised by a wariness, if not lack of trust, between ministers and those who serve them. So policy advisers, appointed by ministers, are crucial in bridging the gap behind the scenes – and key targets for policy leads and lobbyists.
It was important Gyimah (#) retained Westlake to ensure continuity on the science and innovation brief at BEIS. The energetic Westlake was a Jo Johnson-appointment but had collaborated previously with Gyimah on a report on banking reform. Westlake remains a bold, independent thinker with his latest book Capitalism without Capital praised by Bill Gates no less. Westlake is a no fan of short-term policy wheezes or political positioning – an important reality check within a minority government.
And Gyimah then won an internal battle at DfE to have another policy adviser, rare for a Minister of State. Beech, former Director of Policy at HEPI, starts this month, covering higher education policy. It’s a move widely welcomed across HE wonk-world, given Beech’s established credibility across the sector and wider questions about how much Gyimah is actually plugged into HE.