Former Chief Ministers Tony Brown and Howard Quayle have offered sharply contrasting views on whether Cabinet Office’s expanding role helps or hinders effective governance.
The two former leading lights of Manx politics were giving evidence to a Tynwald committee looking at the function and structure of government.
Mr. Brown was unequivocal in his criticism, calling the Cabinet Office a “bureaucratic nightmare” that had grown too powerful.
“It’s become a bureaucratic nightmare. It’s massive, and lots of these responsibilities were with departments, and a minister had a clear responsibility,” he said.
“We now have a minister without portfolio to help the Cabinet Office, really.” He argued that the centralisation of functions had gone too far, adding that “it’s given a status that far outweighs what it actually should be”.
Break Down Silos
However, Mr Quayle defended the Cabinet Office’s growth, saying it helped break down silos between departments.
“If it’s well run, the Cabinet Office isn’t too big, because it’s got a really important function,” he said. “By centralising something and having people who do that for everyone, you’re getting a better outcome.”
He cited pensions and pay negotiations as examples where central expertise improved efficiency.
The debate also touched on ministerial accountability.
Mr Brown questioned whether the current structure—with three ministers linked to the Cabinet Office—was necessary.
Mr Quayle countered that the Chief Minister should retain oversight of the Cabinet Office, hinting at confusion over its legal status.
Both agreed that effectiveness ultimately depends on leadership. “If it’s well run, no,” said Mr. Quayle of concerns over size, while Mr. Brown warned: “It’s impacting how effective government can be because it’s too broad in its influences.”
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