Possible Clues:

• Management skill
• Being in charge – he lip-reads (anag.)
• Head honchos, collectively
• Management requires author's following to change sides initially
• The German follows girl on board running party
• First vessel runs the party
• The bosses phrased lie deceptively
• Government's in vogue following newspaper editorials
• Had replies (anag.)
• Authority of captain providing songs heard on vessel