It is important not to mistake the salience of high-profile controversies as a sign that the system is failing; indeed it often is the exact opposite. As a sign of the effectiveness of the current regime, look no further than the premiership of Boris Johnson.
Still less are civil servants paid to do so rather than getting on with the job – which taxpayers fund.
If politicians come to believe that the civil service is preoccupied with speaking truth to power at the expense of doing its job, Francis Maude-type solutions will be imposed, regardless of which party is in power.
Or has PMQs become, like those wrestling bouts shown on the telly, a bit of a put-up job?
Our political constitution rightly puts our representatives, not the permanent bureaucracy, in the driving seat.
The Party Chairman responsible for fund-raising is playing for higher stakes than he may appreciate.
The key remains the behaviour of the Prime Minister and government and the lead they give to others. There is only so much that regulators and Codes can achieve.