FEATURE 6 / Canadian Government Executive / Spring 2025 GOVERNMENT WHAT’S AT STAKE BY DAVID McLAUGHLIN, BA, MA, MBA Sir Robin Butler, the Cabinet Secretary, was keen to keep in touch with the Labour Shadow Cabinet and briefed them in November 1991 on the ‘Next Steps’ initiative, which involved the creation of executive agencies. However, a session with Butler did not go quite according to plan thanks to John Prescott having imbibed too much, on his own admission, at the annual Spectator Awards: “It so happened I had to go to a meeting of the Shadow Cabinet being chaired by [Neil] Kinnock, at which we were going to be addressed by the cabinet permanent secretary. The thinking was that we should know the inner workings of the Cabinet, in case we ever got elected.” Kinnock’s office tried to sober Prescott up but in he stumbled, only to proclaim: “I know I’m pissed, but I first want to ask one question – why do I want some permanent cabinet secretary telling me things? I’ll find out soon enough when we’re in government.” Prescott was then escorted out, but the episode illustrates, however crudely and unintentionally, the gap in understanding still to be bridged, and in some cases never bridged. From: “Transitions: Preparing for Changes of Government”, Institute for Government, 2009, pg. 21 TRANSITION
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