ACOBA is dead. The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, born in 1975, died aged 50, quietly in October 2025. Few mourned, or probably even noticed, its passing. It was rarely news-worthy, except in failure, especially in its later years due … [Read more...] about Farewell to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments
On 29 January, a vacancy appeared on the government’s public appointments website which stood out from the list of otherwise rather unremarkable job adverts. The Judicial Appointments Commission is seeking a new chair. The next day, the JAC’s own … [Read more...] about Who Appoints Our Judges? Inside the Judicial Appointments Commission
As another Budget Day comes around, the media focus is inevitably on its contents. But, despite this frenzy, the constitutional and conventional context of the Budget remains poorly understood. This is perhaps understandable as the processes and … [Read more...] about The Budget – getting and spending
The role of ministers in the making (and unmaking) of appointments to senior public offices has attracted increased attention lately. Speculation has focused on institutions such as the Civil Service, the BBC, Ofcom, and the Electoral Commission. The … [Read more...] about Protecting integrity in public appointments
A review in light of recent events Public bodies have been much in the spotlight in the last few months. Courting controversy and concern is nothing new for the many organisations which conduct public functions at varying degrees of remove from … [Read more...] about Public bodies and the constitution
