"simon"  wrote:
>
>"Tom Barry"  wrote in message 
>news:CUICk.101619$O51.66097@newsfe23.ams2...
>> As an aside, sometimes the mark of a leader is not in what talents they 
>> have but who they appoint.  In British politics (and management generally) 
>> leadership is overestimated, efficient delegation underestimated, 
>> generally to the detriment of things.
>>
>> Tom
>
>It always amazes me that every polititian but especially the PM is expected 
>to be able to discuss at great length in great detail such a wide range of 
>topics. Complex economics to detailed requirements of the armed forces. No 
>wonder they lie and spew out soundbites and dont answer any questions with 
>relevant answers.
>
>Were it me asked about the current fashionable topic would just say thats an 
>interesting point, I have read a suitable summary and discussed this with 
>staff and decisions will be forthcoming. However, please ask the relevant 
>minister who can then refer your question to someone that actually knows 
>something about the subject.


It is the responsibility of civil servants in the Cabinet Office,
working with colleagues in relevant Government Departments, is to
ensure that the PM is kept fully briefed on all current issues that
he/she is likely to be quizzed about.

A capable Minister has to be able to master their brief.  Every
evening they take home a red box which is filled with briefing notes
for the following day, or days if they are on a trip.  The notes cover
all the issues that are expected to come up, plus a few that might
come up.  The intention is that the Minister is never short of a
correct answer.  Of course the onus is on the Minister to read and
recall the briefing that has been given, and officials need to tailor
the briefing to suit the Minister's style and way of working.  

That is particularly difficult when it is the Prime Minister and the
briefing is drafted by officials in Departments other than the Cabinet
Office.  Only the Cabinet Office officials know the PM's preferred
style so it is usual for briefing to go to and fro between the Cabinet
Office and the Department concerned while it evolves into something
that suits the PM's style but still conveys the Department's desired
message.

The most capable Ministers are able to think beyond the confines of
their briefing notes and answer questions on other subjects.  They
might ask their officials for briefing on subjects additional to those
that the officials considered relevant, or they might take the
hazardous route of expressing their own views without consulting
officials.  In that case, officials have to be prepared for damage
limitation, sometimes on quite a wide scale.

It is often excruciating to have to listen to Ministers reciting the
notes that they have been given, particularly for those who researched
and drafted them.  Ministers often get it wrong, but the hope is that
they get the gist of the issue and the general principles right, and
that any mistakes are small and confined to issues of detail.  Detail
is normally kept fairly thin in order to avoid getting it wrong, but
sometimes it has to be included.

The main reason why answers given by Ministers sometimes do not relate
fully to the question asked is that officials failed to anticipate
that particular question and the briefing notes do not adequately
cover the subject.  Politicians like to give an answer rather use a
delaying tactic, which causes a lot more work and takes up valuable
time, so they will usually choose to give what they think is the
nearest answer from those in the briefing notes.

Some Ministers are easier to work with than others.  I was lucky in
that the Ministers I worked for were, with one exception, very able,
and the one who wasn't didn't last too long.  The Junior Ministers
were usually less pressured and working for them was generally much
more enjoyable.