AlamyCivil servants have been advised they should “do issues in another way” by their new boss, the cupboard secretary, on his first day within the job.
Sir Chris Wormald has promised a “rewiring of the best way the federal government works”, in a message to half 1,000,000 civil servants.
Sir Chris, who beforehand ran the departments for well being and training, has taken cost of the civil service lower than two weeks after Sir Keir Starmer claimed “too many” officers have been “comfy within the tepid tub of managed decline”.
The FDA union, which represents senior civil servants, has accused the brand new authorities of taking an “astonishing” and “actually damaging” method.
Labour officers getting into authorities for the primary time have privately complained that the Whitehall machine is bloated and outdated.
However FDA common secretary Dave Penman stated civil servants “really feel a way of betrayal” by the prime minister.
In his all-staff message, Sir Chris stated he was “deeply honoured” to take up his new job, including it was his function “to help the prime minister and authorities to ship for the nation”.
“The prime minister has been clear that he needs a re-wiring of the best way the federal government works to ship his lately introduced Plan for Change.
“This can require all of us to do issues in another way – from working far more successfully throughout departments to making the most of the key alternatives expertise supplies.
“All through my profession, I’ve seen the civil service adapt and alter to realize unbelievable issues for the folks of the UK. I do know that collectively we are going to relish the alternatives the approaching years will convey.”
Sir Chris, who’s 56, joined the civil service within the Division for Schooling in 1991, and later headed that division and the Division of Well being and Social Care throughout the Covid pandemic.
He was essentially the most skilled candidate on the ultimate four-person shortlist for the cupboard secretary job.
When his appointment was introduced earlier this month, he was praised by former well being secretaries Sir Sajid Javid, who referred to as him “good, and Matt Hancock, who described him as a “pure reformer”.
Dominic Cummings, the previous chief adviser to Boris Johnson throughout the pandemic, took a special view, saying the appointment was an indication “the Westminster system is completely decided to withstand any change and can proceed all of the issues of the previous 20 years which have pushed us into disaster”.
Sir Chris has changed Simon Case, who stepped down after simply over 4 years as cupboard secretary on well being grounds. He has been present process medical therapy for a neurological situation for the previous 18 months.
Case had at occasions been a controversial determine, going through scrutiny significantly over his function within the Downing Avenue events saga and over messages he exchanged with ministers throughout the pandemic.
Final week, a authorities supply advised the RAYNAE that greater than 10,000 civil servants’ jobs could possibly be minimize as a part of Labour’s push for five% financial savings throughout departments.
Headcount within the civil service topped 513,000 this 12 months, a 33% improve on 2016 and the eighth 12 months in a row that the whole has risen, in keeping with the Institute for Authorities.
Ministers recognised civil service numbers “have gone up and up, and in actuality that’s not going to have the ability to proceed,” the supply stated.
