What will the long term impact of the Cabinet Manual be? Developments in New Zealand may hold the answer

Abstract

Gordon Brown introduced the Cabinet Manual in 2011 in advance of what looked set to be a coalition or minority government in order to clarify the operation of government at a time when conventions and unwritten rules looked to be insufficient. The Cabinet Secretary at the time, Gus O’Donnell, who drew the document up, took inspiration from New Zealand – a country with similar politics and which also lacks a formal written constitution. Here, Grant Duncan describes the evolution of New Zealand politics since their cabinet manual came into force.