After the election, we suggested five ways of securing the Party’s electoral position. Eight months on, how is the Government doing?
These are the same elected representatives the whom we insisted should “step back and trust the professionals”.
The NHS employs 1.75 million people and is too monolithic. The number of civil servants has risen to 460,000. This is territory which the Chancellor needs to examine in detail.
Hoyle and Fowler are deeply opposed to the move, but Labour voters in the North of England like the sound of it.
He may move out of Number Ten altogether for work and into the Cabinet Office at 70 Whitehall.
Constantly circulating officials around Whitehall has its downsides – but might the alternative be deeper departmental biases?
“One of the things that we want to do is to make sure that we distribute the range of Civil Service jobs… more equitably across the whole United Kingdom.”
In that sense, his speech could easily have been given by a much more fitting figure for the Ditchley Foundation: Tony Blair.
The big picture is that Johnson is dashing for growth. We devoutly hope it works but the precedents aren’t promising.
Three cheers for three reforms: of the civil service, of Ministers and of one that this Government tends to avoid – of public services.
“Now we must listen to ideas on transforming government itself…because the machinery of government is no longer equal to the challenges of today.”
Reshaping Whitehall must be sanctioned by the Prime Minister, but he can empower the Government’s proven reformer, Michael Gove, to drive change.
“The new Sue Gray” – responsible for policing propriety and ethics – may yet be asked to rule whether Johnson’s adviser has behaved improperly.
Jacob Rees-Mogg also gives his view on “marvellous” Priti Patel and the role of the civil service. Plus: does he think his Grenfell comment was a mistake?
Competitions for major public works can bring in private capital and bolster innovation – but the Civil Service must learn to let go.