Simon Case: Britain Needs a Deputy Prime Minister

Simon Case, the former Cabinet Secretary of Britain, stressed the necessity of appointing a Deputy Prime Minister during a session of the House of Lords Constitution Committee. He stated that in a country like Britain, there should be no doubt about who would continue responsibilities in the event of the Prime Minister's incapacity.

The Need for a Deputy Prime Minister

Case said he has gradually come to the conclusion that Britain needs a written constitution, especially due to the risk of informal constitutional conventions being ignored by rule-breakers. He noted that the idea of appointing a Deputy Prime Minister first occurred to him when Boris Johnson fell seriously ill in 2020 and his succession was at risk. At that time, Dominic Raab was recognized as the informal Deputy Prime Minister.

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The Current Status of the Deputy Prime Minister

Currently, Andy Burnham is acting as Prime Minister and has no official deputy. Louise Haigh, as the First Secretary of State, is the second-ranking official in the Cabinet and is expected to take over duties in case of any issues for Burnham. Case pointed out in this session that there should be no assumptions about the succession of the Prime Minister in crisis situations. He said: "We have a four trillion dollar economy and as a nuclear power, we should not sit here and have assumptions about who is responsible in the absence of the Prime Minister."

A Shift in Attitude Towards the Constitution and Responsibilities

Case also referred to his gradual change in views regarding the necessity of a written constitution, stating that important decisions should not be left to the whim of the Prime Minister of the day. He cited an example of the ambiguity of some constitutional rules, confirming that when Johnson faced a leadership challenge, some in his team thought he could avoid being ousted by calling for an early election. Case said: "When Boris Johnson's Cabinet ministers were resigning one after another, some uninformed people around Johnson suggested whether it was time for a general election to prevent his ousting by his party."

Case clarified that he rejected the idea of holding a general election after reviewing the principles of Lassalle, which is a letter from the King's Private Secretary in 1950. He said: "This letter has no legal status, but is now considered part of the unwritten constitution."

Case also noted that over time, he has come to the conclusion that Britain should move towards a written and codified constitution, although he believes this change will not happen soon. He concluded by saying: "We cannot assume that the resignation of a Cabinet Secretary will have the necessary impact; because today's Cabinet Secretaries are like Prime Ministers and London buses; they come and go easily."

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