There are two theories about how government works: cock-up or conspiracy. Bagehot prefers the former, on the grounds that politicians are too indiscreet and too impatient to conspire successfully. But Tony Blair's reshuffle of his government, tossing aside ministers and departments, looks as though it was a bit of both: a botched conspiracy. This could have serious implications for Labour's second term. If the restructuring of Whitehall was as haphazard, ill-thought-out and driven by personal feuds as it now appears, it is unlikely to work well.
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