Cast from Clay Publishes New Policy Unstuck Edition Featuring Danny Kruger on Reforming the British State
The interview, conducted by Tom Hashemi of Cast from Clay, covers Kruger's thinking on reforming the executive centre, restoring cabinet committee decision-making, confronting the challenge of the House of Lords, and redefining what "rule of law" means in practice.
Kruger argues that the Northcote-Trevelyan model of an impartial professional civil service, while admirable in principle, no longer functions as intended. He describes the Cabinet Office as "bloated and incoherent" and says ministers — particularly the prime minister — are unable to give effect to their decisions within the current system.
The interview draws a pointed lesson from the Starmer government's early struggles. Kruger suggests that Starmer believed he could simply "switch on the Rolls-Royce machinery" of government, only to find it didn't work — even for a government sympathetic to the civil service. For a Reform government with policies most senior civil servants would object to, Kruger says the challenge will be far greater, making advance preparation essential.
On the House of Lords, Kruger raises the practical question of how a Reform government — which currently has no peers — would prevent its manifesto commitments from being "endlessly delayed or frustrated altogether." He questions whether the Salisbury Convention and Parliament Act would be sufficient.
The interview also addresses the expansion of arm’s-length bodies over recent decades, which Kruger characterises as "unaccountable bureaucracies" that lack proper ministerial and parliamentary oversight.
In a direct challenge to the charity and third sector, Kruger calls on organisations to engage with Reform in good faith, stating: "I challenge the sector to engage in good faith with a party that has 30% of the popular support." He warns that those who "sit on the sidelines with a cross look on their face" risk missing the opportunity to shape policy while it is still being developed in opposition.
Kruger concludes by promising that a Reform government will "start with a bang," delivering structurally meaningful action from day one — and that the resulting opposition from established powers will itself demonstrate the scale of change underway.
The full interview is available at: https://policyunstuck.castfromclay.co.uk/p/how-reform-will-take-back-control-danny-kruger
About Cast from Clay: Cast from Clay is a research and policy communications consultancy. Policy Unstuck is its interview series exploring how policy is made, implemented, and reformed. Previous guests include Lord Sumption, former Justice of the Supreme Court.
Stephen Ramotowski
Cast from Clay
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