Abstract
Since devolution, the United Kingdom has evolved not only in terms of political representation but also in terms of the relationships between civil servants in each of its regions and nations. In this paper, we present an analysis of the distinct professional and educational backgrounds of elite civil servants in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Using a new database of professional biographies of top officials across all four jurisdictions, we assess the extent to which devolved civil servants in these UK regions and nations are organizationally and professionally distinct from one another and from those in the UK-wide departments. We conclude that despite organizational change, the recruitment, demographics, and career structures of top officials in the four jurisdictions are actually quite similar. Comparing our findings to earlier studies by others, it seems that this is because the Cameron government appears to have overseen a resurgence of traditional civil servants.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
