Civil service reform? Burnham is rearranging deck chairs Opinion Politicians are finally discovering what taxpayers have known for years: the civil service is too big, too expensive and too slow.
Top civil servant calls on lawyers advice over Mandelson vetting dismissal Legal Sir Olly Robbins, who is set to answer MPs’ questions over Lord Peter Mandelson’s appointment, is reportedly taking legal advice after he was ousted over the vetting scandal. Last week, Robbins, the Foreign Office permanent under-secretary, was dismissed after it emerged that the disgraced Mandelson had been denied clearance in a security vetting process. Mandelson [...]
Reeves vows to halve consultancy bill, but government can’t track its spending Prof Services Despite the government setting an ambitious target to halve overall spending on consultants, a new report suggests, the lack of consistent data hinders efforts to track progress toward spending targets. Rachel Reeves has set targets to halve the UK government’s overall spending on consultants in 2025-26 and to save £550m in 2024-25, aiming for £700m [...]
Over 100 civil servants set to be axed in cull of security teams August 10, 2025 More than a hundred jobs could be cut from the organisation in charge of vetting people for security clearance as the Government looks to slim down the Civil Service. The Cabinet Office has proposed reducing the staff at UK Security Vetting (UKSV) to 780 full-time roles, down from its current level of just under 900, [...]
Secure Trust Bank taps Labour donor tied to cronyism scandal as new boss June 17, 2025 An ex-Treasury director who was at the heart of Labour’s “cronyism” scandal has been tapped to take the helm at specialist lender Secure Trust Bank. Ian Corfield, who also spent nearly a decade as chief commercial officer of New Day, will replace retiring chief executive David McReadie. Corfield stepped down from his civil servant role [...]
Quango crackdown as Starmer reportedly set to slash civil service jobs March 12, 2025 The Prime Minister is reportedly planning to slash thousands of civil service jobs amid a crackdown on quangos, as he aims to radically overhaul the British state. Sir Keir Starmer will deliver a speech on Thursday, in which he will set out plans to cut thousands more Whitehall jobs than expected, according to the Guardian. [...]
Massive civil service office complex approved for Manchester February 24, 2025 A huge new tech-focused Government office complex in Manchester has been given planning permission. The 5.5 acre project, which could support as many as 7,000 civil service jobs in the city, will bring together a range of government departments with a focus on technology. “The new digital campus plays to Manchester’s strengths. We have fostered [...]