Should the PM alone decide all public appointments?  

The controversial re-appointment of Trevor Phillips as Chair of the Equalities Commission raises important questions that go wider than the issue of equality of treatment in Britain. It is certainly significant that resignations from the Commission had already occurred prior to the re-appointment, which might have been expected to act as a clear warning sign of serious discontent within the organisation at the autocratic management style of the Chairman, and in addition junior ministerial concern had also been made public beforehand. Nevertheless, all this unease was brushed aside and Phillips was re-appointed last week. That led to the resignation on Friday of the forceful disabilities rights campaigner, Baroness Campbell, and now two further senior resignations, of another disabilities rights campaigned and a human rights academic. Thus a third of the board of 16...