Labour’s new advisor to the party's policy review on industrial strategy, Lord Adonis, tells Heather Spurr all is not well between Downing Street and Whitehall.
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Labour’s new advisor to the party’s policy review on industrial strategy, Lord Adonis, tells Heather Spurr all is not well between Downing Street and the mandarins
Lord Adonis this week warned Number 10 is in a “state of warfare” with Whitehall, just weeks before sweeping civil service reforms are announced by the government.
Adonis, appointed Labour’s industrial strategy adviser last week, said the government was becoming “deeply unpopular” in Whitehall because of its “anti-civil service rhetoric”, while ministers felt a “deep sense of frustration” with public officials.
The coalition is expected to announce far-reaching reforms to the civil service within the next month. It follows reports David Cameron’s former chief adviser Steve Hilton wanted to slash the number of civil servants by 90 per cent.
Adonis said:
“It’s not a good idea to have a state of warfare between the government and the civil service – which appears to be happening at the moment…
“The government is becoming deeply unpopular in Whitehall by its anti-civil service rhetoric and I deeply regret that because it’s possible to be in favour of civil service efficiency whilst also supporting the professionalism of the civil service.
“I deeply regret the attacks on civil service moral which are taking place at the moment. I don’t quite understand it either because at the end of the day, if the government wants its programme delivered, they need the civil service because no one else is going to do it.”
Until last January, the former transport secretary was head the Institute for Government, which seeks to improve efficiency in the civil service.
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When asked why he thought hostility exists between Whitehall officials and government, Adonis answered:
“There is clearly a deep sense of frustration about how things are going in Whitehall at the moment – which the government holds. I don’t think it’s justified. I was a minister for five years, I worked in Whitehall for 12 and I was constantly impressed by the professionalism of the civil service.
“There’s a need to improve efficiency and that is taking place – but I’’s all the more important when you’re improving efficiency that you support the integrity and the professionalism of one of the best administrative systems in the world.”
Damaging civil service moral would have a negative impact on Whitehall, Adonis added, explaining the government “needs to demonstrate” further cuts “are not going to harm essential public services”.
Earlier this month, the Telegraph revealed civil servants will be “rated” on their performance at work as government ministers, from the prime minister down, grow increasingly frustrated with institutional failures.
34 Responses to “Adonis: There’s a “state of warfare” between Number 10 and Whitehall”
Anonymous
Of course, your lot have stolen vast majority of the money from the productivity growth since the mid 70’s, funnelling it into capital rather than wages. That’s a *little* more than 20k over the years.
You are working very very hard to steal people’s pensions so you won’t have to pay your share, still. Typical feral 1%.
Andy Buck
Cameron v the civil service … Can't think of bigger own goal given all else that's going wrong for him. http://t.co/HC9j2y17
GiftedPhoenix
MT @Andrew_Adonis: Significant intervention: There's a state of warfare between Number 10 and Whitehall http://t.co/vKxxFbLO via @Andy_Buck
cameronsfollys
Adonis: There’s a “state of warfare” between Number 10 and Whitehall http://t.co/n4wbhQJE
Awtanner
The Telegraph revealed how civil servants will be ‘rated’ on their performance at work as government ministers, from the PM down, grow increasingly frustrated with ‘institutionalised failures’.
The civil service admits it has over 40,000 poorly performing civil servants, knowing a little about public sector spin, I would guess the real figure to be around a 100,000.
Are we going to see further billions wasted on useless ‘training providers’ who have learned the art of government contracting without producing the goods, improving ‘poor performing civil servents’ has always been a lost cause – training up public sector staff can be seen as a scam area.
Get the inept out – and for gods sake introduce a better calibre of public servant, otherwise people will be taking to the streets as the ever-growing thousands of inept officials are guaranteed to get even larger.