What the Libyan debacle reveals about the Civil Service

The headlines about Nick Clegg forgetting that he was running the country and the botched evacuation of British nationals from Libya have combined to make the coalition look rather incompetent, the most dangerous thing for a government to appear as. Certainly, the effort to get British people out of Libya has been a national embarrassment.

The whole evacuation debacle is, though, more a tale of bureaucratic incompetence than anything else; a painful reminder that the Civil Service machine, upon which the government relies, is in bad repair. I hear that William Hague has already carpeted senior officials in the department over the whole episode. But there is still no word on how those British nationals in the desert will be brought to safety   

This shaming failure to get Britons home has policy implications. This country can’t do anything until it has secured the safety of its own citizens. If Cameron announced his support for a non fly zone now, Gaddafi could well respond by taking those Brits there hostage.