Report of the Committee on the Political Activities of Civil Servants*
| Published date | 01 December 1949 |
| Date | 01 December 1949 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9299.1949.tb02708.x |
Report
of
the
Committee
on
the
Political
Activities
of
Civil
Servants*
In February
1948
the Chancellor of
the Exchequer announced that, follow-
ing representations by the Staff Side of
the National Whitley Council on political
activities by civil servants, the Govern-
ment recognised that there was a case
for considering whether the present
rules required modification.
So
that the
Government might have the advice of an
independent body
of
opinion he set up a
Committee under the chairmanship of
Mr.
J.
C.
Masterman with the terms
of
reference
:-
To
examine the existing limitations
on the political activities (both national
and local) which may be undertaken
by civilian Government staffs, and
to make recommendations as to any
changes which may be desirable in
the public interest.
Quite apart from the Staff Side request
for greater freedom, there was good
reason to look at the matter afresh.
The Macdonell Commission had
reviewed the difficulties involved, but
the consequences
of
two World Wars-
the increasing concern of government
with the day-to-day life of the citizen
and the citizen’s increased interest in
the processes of government-had
materially altered the scope of the pro-
blem. Between the wars some of the
ground had been covered by the Blanes-
burgh Committee, but that Committee
was primarily concerned with actual
candidature for Parliament or municipal
bodies and only dealt indirectly with
the broader question
of
“
political
rights ”-i.e. the right to engage in such
political activities as belonging to a
party, canvassing for it, holding office
in its organisation, and appearing on the
platform or speaking at its meetings.
The evidence which the Masterman
Committee received has not been pub-
lished, but its wimesses included senior
officials
of
the principal Departments
of State, Staff Side repreEcntatives and a
number of authorities
on
public affairs
(among them the Institute’s President,
a
Vice-president and a Council member).
Written evidence was obtained
from
associations of local authorities and from
the Governments of a number of cither
countries inside and outside the Common
wealth. Students
of
public administra-
tion will regret that the Committee
did not follow, the precedent set by the
Blanesburgh Committee which pub-
lished lengthy excerpts from the memo-
randa it obtained to describe the rules
applicable to the Civil Services of other
countries.
The Committee’s report was pub-
lished on 28th June,
1949.
At
the
moment
of
writing, a final announcement
about the action thac the Government
will take has not been made. On the day
of publication the Chancellor told the
House of Commons that the Government
accepted the Committee’s recommenda-
tions
;
detailed arrangements to carry
them into effect were under considera-
tion and would be promulgated as soon
as possible. There was no indication
in the Chancellor’s statement that the
Government expected the report to be
received otherwise than favourably by
the Staff Side, but
in
a short time it
became apparent that neirher the Com-
mittee’s views nor the Government’s
plans to give them immediate effect
commended themselves
to
the staff
associations.
A
special meeting of the
National Whitley Council was held
on 22nd July. After
it
an official press
announcement disclosed that the Staff
Side had expressed great concern that
they had not been consulted about the
Committee’s recommendations j the
Official Side had undertaken to report
the Staff Side’s representations to
Ministers and, in the meantime, action
to
implement the recommendations was
suspended. During the adjournment
debate in the Commons on 30th July
members
on
both sides
of
the House
urged Ministers to defer
a
decision until
further time had been allowed
for
discussion
;
the Government
spokes-
-
--
-.
-
.-
*
(Cmd.
7718)
H.
M.
Stationery
Office.
Pp.
42.
9d.
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