Starmer Sends Letter Praising ‘Brilliant’ Civil Servants Amid Whitehall Job Cuts Fallout – Guido Fawkes

Dear colleagues,

Every day, we are privileged to be surrounded by dedicated, brilliant public servants.

Service is the watchword of this Government, and it is central to the name you hold – the Civil Service.

Communities the length and breadth of the country should always be at the heart of every decision we take. We know that every day you strive to deliver for the British people in everything you do. And we know that you do so against the backdrop of global uncertainty and economic insecurity felt by too many working people.

This Government has been clear that it must restore people’s faith in the state by delivering the Government’s priorities through the Plan for Change.

The Plan for Change sets out an ambitious vision for national renewal. But it also requires a rewiring of the British state – creating a renewed Civil Service; more agile, mission-focused and more productive. It must reconnect with the very people it was set up to serve.

The Civil Service must once again become the engine room of delivery for every person in every part of the UK. Each one of you must be enabled to re-focus on your core purpose, away from the things that hamper your day to day work, delivering excellent, high-performing public services that improve people’s lives.

We know many of you feel shackled by bureaucracy, frustrated by inefficiency and unable to harness new technology. Your talent has been constrained for too long. We are determined to empower you – not through words, but action – to maximise the collective power of the state.

We will transform your work for the better, giving you clearer links between that work and its direct impact on people’s lives, improving senior leadership and strengthening our connection to our renewed communities – enabling you to live, work and develop your career across the UK.

You will be given better opportunities to develop your skills in priority areas like digital and leadership. You will be supported to do things differently, and be rewarded for delivery.

The Civil Service has always shown remarkable resilience and an ability to adapt to new challenges. We have seen this time and again throughout our careers in public service.

We know that together with your talent, commitment and ideas – we will rise to this challenge and create a Civil Service truly fit to realise and to see through our Missions and our Plan for Change.

We are proud of what you do and thank you for your continued dedication. We look forward to working alongside you to deliver the change that our country needs.
Yours sincerely,

Keir Starmer   

Chris Wormald