Gillian Keegan Shares Perspectives on Policy Challenges in Interview with Cast from Clay

LONDON, GREAT LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, June 12, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Cast from Clay, a specialist policy communications consultancy, has published an exclusive interview with The Rt Hon Gillian Keegan, the former Secretary of State for Education in the UK.

The interview, conducted by Cast from Clay’s CEO Tom Hashemi, explores the realities of influencing policy from within government and the unique pressures faced by ministers tasked with delivering complex policy agendas.

In the conversation, Keegan reflects on her experience navigating the intricate landscape of UK policymaking, highlighting the ongoing negotiation between government departments and the Treasury, and the difficulty of making sense of policy submissions as a minister.

“Being a minister is a weird old role,” Keegan notes. “You’re unlikely to have deep background on your brief, and sometimes it is impossible to make sense of it when you get submissions representing micro bits of policy being presented to you by civil servants.” She compares the challenge to assembling a jigsaw puzzle without the cover image, emphasising the importance of understanding the broader context of policy decisions.

The interview also addresses the skepticism within government about long-term policy investments and the need for robust evidence to secure funding. Keegan explains that while many cases presented to the Treasury promise future savings, decision-makers require more than theoretical arguments—often demanding pilots or randomised control trials to support proposals.

“What you’ll realise is that a lot of civil servants, as well as trying to get their policy through in difficult political circumstances, are also in this giant continuous negotiation with the Treasury,” Keegan says. “They’re making sure they’ve got enough negotiating pieces to get the money released, or keep it in the department for future use.”

The full interview with The Rt Hon Gillian Keegan is available online at: https://policyunstuck.castfromclay.co.uk/p/it-possibly-lost-me-my-seat-but-gillian-keegan

Stephen Ramotowski
Cast from Clay
email us here
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
X

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.