New development: Policy tsars—Whitehall's expert advisers revealed

Abstract

The number of tsars in government acting as external experts has been steadily growing. Policy tsars are mostly businessmen and retired public servants. They are left free to work as they wish, so their practices vary greatly. In consequence, issues of propriety (since these are public appointments) and effectiveness (since they advise ministers very directly) arise.

Keywords:

• Effectiveness
• expertise
• outsourcing
• propriety
• tsar

Notes

^* Some tsars have multiple characteristics so quoted percentages throughout do not always total 100%.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ruth Levitt

Ruth Levitt is a visiting senior research fellow in the Department of Political Economy, King's College London, UK.

William Solesbury

William Solesbury is a visiting senior research fellow in the Department of Political Economy, King's College London, UK.