Catherine Haddon

A street lost in fog

There will be no MPs to tread the corridors of the Palace of Westminster during the 25-day election campaign. In departments across Whitehall, however, civil servants remain in post, ministers in office, and the government continues to govern.

But this is anything but business as usual. Once the campaign kicks in, restrictions are put in place that mean ministers must “observe discretion” when announcing policies, resources must not be redirected into political activity and major decisions must be held back. Civil servants will also be thinking about the future and how their own roles might change—within hours—after the election result is announced.

At the highest levels of Whitehall, scenarios are played out for a range of outcomes. Where would a returning Tory government focus its energies? How might Labour redeploy Whitehall’s resources? What combination of policies might kick in if we see another minority government or coalition? The top official, Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill, has to prepare for every eventuality—and consider what advice to give party leaders and the Palace if a messy hung parliament ensues. He will prepare a document for both a returning and an incoming PM setting out immediate decisions to be taken by No 10.