UK Ministers Push to Slash Consultations and Legal Delays in Whitehall Reform

In a letter circulated to every minister, Chancellor John Healey, First Secretary of State Louise Haigh and Attorney General Ellie Reeves warned that the UK’s "consultation culture" has become an industry of delay. They instructed departments to limit formal consultations to cases where the law requires them, where fairness would be conspicuously compromised, or where ministers deem external input essential. The ministers also urged a systematic review of statutory consultation and reporting obligations, recommending repeal by default and retention only as an exception.

This initiative follows earlier promises to curb consultancy spending, which have been undermined by large contracts awarded to firms such as Deloitte and PA Consulting. The government will also relax the standard legal caution, allowing ministers to proceed when a "tenable legal argument" exists despite high risk assessments, with revised guidance for lawyers due shortly. Finally, reforms to limit judicial review of major infrastructure projects are set to be extended beyond energy schemes to transport, water and other sectors.