BRITISH GOVERNANCE IN TRANSITION: A CASE STUDY OF THE NORTHERN IRELAND CIVIL SERVICE

ABSTRACT

In comparisons of the internal governmental arrangements within states, the United Kingdom (UK) is ordinarily categorised as a unitary state conforming to the ‘Westminster model’. However, this article contends that the changing nature of British governance over the last two decades means that the UK is better viewed as a ‘union state’ that conforms more readily to a ‘differentiated polity model’. Nowhere is the reality of differentiation more clearly exemplif ied than in respect of the British civil service. To illustrate the extent of differentiation, the article presents a case study of the characteristics and trends in the civil service of Northern Ireland for, while the politics of the Province have received great attention, its system of public administr ation has been chronically under-reported. The article considers the changing structures, policy process and impact of public management reforms as well as the restoration of devolved government. Finally, it summarises how the evidence from Northern Ireland informs theoretical understanding as well as its implications for the rest of the UK and beyond.

Acknowledgments

I am also grateful to senior officials within both the Northern Ireland Civil Service and the Northern Ireland Office, both serving and retired, who assisted in the completion of this research. These included: Sir Kenneth Bloomfield, Sir David Fell, Sir John Semple, Gerry Loughran and Joe Pilling. Any responsibility for inaccurate interpretation or reporting of their remarks rests with the author.

Notes

Author's note: This paper offers a summary of research on the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) that has been undertaken as part of an ESRC-supported project (no. R000237035) examining the changing nature of civil services throughout the British Isles since 1970. I am grateful to the helpful comments of colleagues on earlier drafts of the paper, though responsibility for any mistakes rests solely with me.

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