The latest ‘new’ administration — The Consultation Institute

Published on October 25, 2022 by Rhion Jones

The Institute opened its doors in 2003. Since that time, we have witnessed ten changes of administration for the UK Government. Five of them have arisen following General Elections in 2005, 2010, 2015, 2017 and 2019. A further four have occurred when successively, Gordon Brown, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, and Liz Truss took over mid-term. Rishi Sunak becomes the fifth.

On each occasion, we have published or promoted the idea that the new regime should consult meaningfully, and usually, been able to make a strong case that the mood of the moment required significant public engagement. When David Cameron formed the Coalition in 2010, and despite a hastily-crafted Programme for Government, the need to compromise between Conservative and Liberal Democrat Ministers suggested the need for extensive consultation. Instead, the previous Government’s demanding 2008 Consultation Code of Practice was swiftly jettisoned by an over-eager Oliver Letwin and replaced with an amateurish set of loosely-worded principles which had to be improved some years later.

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About the Author

Rhion Jones is considered a leading authority on Public Engagement and Consultation. A founding Director of the Consultation Institute, he is co-author of “The Art of Consultation” (2009) and “The Politics of Consultation” (2018). He has delivered over 500 training courses and Masterclasses and is a prolific writer on the subject, having written over 350 different Topic papers and over 50 full Briefing Papers for the Institute. Since 2003 over 15,000 person-days of training based on courses he invented have been delivered. Rhion is in demand as an entertaining Keynote Speaker and Special Adviser, particularly on the Law of Consultation, and its implications for Government and other Public Bodies. In 2017, he was awarded the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’.