civil service

Thatcher: explaining the chemistry

19 April 2013 | Jill Rutter

Much has been made of Margaret Thatcher’s status as the country’s first woman prime minister. But she was also the only scientist to become PM, and Whitehall remains a largely science-free zone. How so? Read more

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Whitehall’s permanent revolution

30 January 2013 | Josh Harris

Trust between ministers and mandarins is at a low ebb. But it’s important that progress is made on the way permanent secretaries are appointed  Read more

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G4S and the Olympic blame games

20 July 2012 | Tom Gash

G4S has been criticised for being unaccountable, and yet it has suffered financially and reputationally over the Olympic security fiasco. Would the failings have been as visible if the recruitment role had stayed with central government? Read more

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Civil service blame games

14 May 2012 | Colin Talbot

Who should take responsibility for civil service underperformance? Judging from past experience, ministers will just blame the infantry Read more

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Whitehall woes revisited

27 April 2012 | Colin Talbot

The Jeremy Hunt debacle raises again the issue of Whitehall reform. Our reputedly ‘Rolls Royce’ civil service actually has deep flaws in its institutional make-up and needs to be modernised Read more

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Whitehall: new buzz words, old woes

24 January 2012 | Colin Talbot

Will the new civil service regime be any better at ‘implementation’ than its predecessor was at ‘delivery’? It seems highly unlikely Read more...

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Sir Humphrey’s leadership lesson

18 October 2011 | James Page

The retirement of Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O’Donnell is an opportunity for the civil service to review leadership across Whitehall and develop a more powerful sense of corporate direction Read more

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Servants of the politicians?

23 June 2011 | Colin Talbot

Prime ministers should always avoid taking on the military in a war of words.  It is the duty of public servants – civil and military – to speak ‘truth unto power’ Read more

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Get real on Whitehall policy-making, by Jill Rutter

19 April 2011 | Jill Rutter

We all have an interest in policy being made well-made – poor policies cost money, damage the economy, force people to suffer from bad public services and ultimately undermine  faith in government and the political process.
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