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Whitehall reform

  • Monday, 9 December, 2024
    News in-depth
    Labour minister echoes Cummings with call to shake up civil service

    Government officials appear to share some of the analysis of maverick former No 10 adviser

    Pat McFadden
  • Friday, 11 October, 2024
    UK politics
    Race to lead UK civil service ‘more open’ after Sue Gray’s departure

    Several female candidates are well placed to succeed Simon Case as cabinet secretary

    Sue Gray and Simon Case
  • Tuesday, 8 October, 2024
    Inside Politics
    Starmer’s missions need the government machine to run better

    Previous governments have attempted the Whitehall silo-busting needed by Labour to achieve its five big aims

    Prime minister Keir Starmer making a statement in the House of Commons
  • Tuesday, 20 August, 2024
    Civil Service UK
    Labour defends handing senior civil service role to political appointee

    Jess Sargeant joining Cabinet Office prompts fresh criticism that new government is undermining Whitehall impartiality

    Jess Sergeant
  • Friday, 5 July, 2024
    Camilla Cavendish
    Starmer’s next challenge? Bending Whitehall to his will

    The new prime minister must apply the ruthlessness he showed in reshaping Labour to the task of governing

    Illustration of a podium with a ship’s wheel attached to it in front of Number 10 Downing Street’s black door
  • Thursday, 30 May, 2024
    The State of Britain
    Fixing Whitehall comes second to big, brave decisions needed to fix Britain Premium content

    Keir Starmer pledges to reboot government operations; plus, UK skills training falls far behind peer countries

    Keir Starmer
  • Sunday, 10 March, 2024
    UK Government
    Former UK prime ministers call for reform of ‘centre’ of government

    Machinery of state ‘weak’ and ‘not capable’ of holding Whitehall accountable for delivery, says IfG report

    Ministers round a table at a cabinet meeting
  • Friday, 29 December, 2023
    Keir Starmer
    Starmer takes aim at UK civil service ‘churn’

    Labour leader seeks to address ‘pernicious’ impact of rapid turnover of senior officials ahead of general election

    Keir Starmer
  • Monday, 13 November, 2023
    Work & Careers
    Whitehall seeks to turbocharge recruitment from the private sector

    Attracting external staff to Britain’s civil service is part of the plan to boost productivity

    A portrait of Cat Little outside the Treasury in Whitehall
  • Friday, 10 November, 2023
    Civil Service UK
    Whitehall mandarin Alex Chisholm to leave UK civil service

    Permanent secretary at the Cabinet Office will not seek a further term

  • Monday, 31 July, 2023
    OutlookLucy Fisher
    MPs are stuck as UK parliament crumbles around them

    The decaying state of the Palace of Westminster has become a symbol of the wider inertia in Whitehall

    Ongoing restoration works at the Houses of Parliament are pictured in August last year
  • Tuesday, 7 February, 2023
    UK politics
    Sunak breaks up business department to refocus on energy and science

    Greg Hands appointed as UK Conservative party chair to replace Nadhim Zahawi

    Rishi Sunak outside 10 Downing Street
  • Tuesday, 7 February, 2023
    News in-depthUK politics
    Whitehall overhaul fraught with risk, say former ministers

    Sunak’s departmental shake-up is unlikely to achieve much and will only cause upheaval

  • Wednesday, 14 September, 2022
    UK Government
    Truss seeks to allay fears of civil service purge but lines up changes

    Senior officials say new UK prime minister planning further Whitehall moves in coming months

    Whitehall street sign
  • Monday, 1 August, 2022
    Conservative party UK
    Truss vows to take on Whitehall ‘establishment’ in Tory leadership bid

    Foreign secretary targets civil service pay and refuses to rule out breaking up Treasury

    Penny Mordaunt greets Liz Truss
  • Monday, 18 April, 2022
    UK Government
    Civil servants under pressure to get back to desks

    Jacob Rees-Mogg tells ministers to make sure office space is full again now Covid restrictions are ending

  • Sunday, 16 January, 2022
    Boris Johnson
    Tory party chair signals Whitehall shake-up as anger towards Johnson builds

    Conservative MPs publicly calling for PM’s resignation rises to six as inquiry continues

    Oliver Dowden
  • Monday, 1 November, 2021
    UK politics
    Beefed-up UK ethics rules may target pensions of ex-ministers and officials

    Anti-corruption watchdog says lobbying ban for serious breaches of rules should be extended to five years

    Jonathan Evans
  • Sunday, 11 July, 2021
    UK government must ‘reform itself or fail’, commission reports

    Replace permanent secretaries with chief executives and a new prime minister’s department among proposals

  • Sunday, 11 July, 2021
    Hancock affair highlights opaque world of Whitehall non-execs

    Ministers usually make final decision on appointments, despite part of role being to scrutinise government

  • Sunday, 23 May, 2021
    UK Government
    Michael Gove backs shake-up for UK’s top civil servants

    Tenure should be conditional on performance, says report that advocates wide-ranging reform

    A street sign showing Parliament Street and Whitehall in London
  • Wednesday, 14 April, 2021
    Greensill Capital
    Senior civil servant held Greensill role while still in government

    Labour steps up call for inquiry into finance group after revelation about procurement chief Bill Crothers

    Bill Crothers
  • Wednesday, 31 March, 2021
    Greensill Capital
    Ex-senior civil servant took Greensill job without telling watchdog

    Bill Crothers started role 8 months after leaving Whitehall but failed to get advice from Acoba

  • Sunday, 21 March, 2021
    The FT ViewThe editorial board
    Policing the revolving door for ex-ministers

    David Cameron’s lobbying for Greensill raises questions on transparency

  • Thursday, 12 November, 2020
    UK politics
    Senior Johnson aide quits in Downing Street power struggle

    Cummings decides to stay after communications chief Lee Cain resigns and No 10 descends into chaos

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