Where next for special advisers?
b'Dominic Cummings\\u2019s departure from Downing Street gives the government an opportunity to reassess how it uses special advisers. Will this crucial role change now that the prime minister\\u2019s chief adviser has left No.10? Should No.10 continue to have direct oversight of SpAds, or should the government return to a system of SpAds reporting directly to their secretary of state? And what else should be done to support \\u2013 and scrutinise \\u2013 the work of special advisers?\\n\\nWe were joined by an expert panel to discuss these questions:\\n\\nPeter Cardwell, former special adviser to four Conservative cabinet ministers and author of The Secret Life of Special Advisers\\nSalma Shah, former special adviser to Sajid Javid (2014-2019)\\nJohn McTernan, former political secretary to Tony Blair\\nTim Durrant, Associate Director at the Institute for Government\\n\\nThe event was chaired by Alex Thomas, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.'