Thread by @TheEconomist

Britain’s government isn’t working well. But Boris Johnson’s party has the wrong ideas for how to fix it. Thread 👇 (1/9) econ.st/3kON2mb

A Conservative counter-revolution is underway against restraints imposed on ministers in the past 40 years. Those involved want to unchain Britain's executive, limiting judicial power and reforming Whitehall (2/9) econ.st/2KnHSAZ

Dominic Cummings, Boris Johnson's ousted chief adviser, was an architect of this transformation. He reckoned the British state was rotten and the only solution was to tear it down and start again. Instead, as @1843mag reports, he lost his job (3/9) econ.st/2UKQsf8

Plenty about Britain needs to change. The Tories are right to advocate constitutional reform, but their proposals would take the country in precisely the wrong direction (4/9) econ.st/3kON2mb

For example, the civil service does need more expertise. But Conservatives' actions would undermine the independence that gives Whitehall the confidence to sometimes say "No, minister" (5/9) econ.st/3kON2mb

Furthermore, weakening devolution will not make the union stronger. City mayors should have more resources and responsibility (6/9) econ.st/3kON2mb

As for Boris Johnson's cabinet, it is stuffed with timid loyalists. The executive lacks internal checks and balances, and "its alarm bells don’t ring”, says one constitutional historian (7/9) econ.st/2KnHSAZ

It's time for a change in direction. Boris Johnson should start by replacing incompetent ideologues with some of the talented, experienced MPs who have been excluded from the cabinet just because they are not Brexiteers (8/9) econ.st/3kON2mb

In order to strengthen British democracy and improve government's ability to get things done, the state needs to be revamped. Our cover in Britain this week explains how this can be done (9/9) econ.st/3kON2mb