16 h. ago Minister says Labour ‘won’t take a chainsaw to the civil service’ amid cuts backlash

The man described as ‘Keir Starmer’s unofficial deputy prime minister’ insists he has not set targets in slashing the number of civil servants as he unveils reforms

Politics

16 h. ago Civil servants told to deliver or leave as Labour overhauls Whitehall

Highest-paid mandarins at top of organisation will face stricter performance monitoring

Events

17 h. ago Could Labour's reform proposals see more civil servants based in Scotland?

The UK Government is to set out proposals to reform the civil service.

Politics

20 h. ago Underperforming civil servants could be incentivised to leave roles under new reforms

Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden has said that ‘the state is not match-fit to rise to the moment our country faces’.

Politics

24 h. ago John Swinney’s officials met fossil fuel firms and lobbyists more than 100 times in first six months as FM

Civil servants held 112 meetings with oil and gas operators in John Swinney's first six months as First Minister

Politics

28 h. ago Civil servants 'will be paid to quit' under plans to save costs as Keir Starmer wages war on The Blob

The Prime Minister is set to unveil proposals to sack under-performing mandarins as well as link the pay of some top officials to specific work targets.

Events

64 h. ago Witness in Alex Salmond trial appointed top civil servant in Scottish Government

Joe Griffin has been announced as the next Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Government.

Politics

66 h. ago Trump is concentrating power. A key faction of judges supports the idea | Jan

The ‘unitary executive’ theory – backed by some conservative lawyers – is largely bogus. But it could wreak havoc on democracyWhile Democrats are dithering and debating with consultants about which anti-Trumpian strategy to adopt, courts are confronted with an unprecedented power grab by the president. Donald Trump and Elon Musk are simply not spending money appropriated by Congress, which in turn is unwilling to play its constitutional role and assert the power of the purse. Entire agencies are de facto dismantled – which is also unconstitutional – and civil servants protected from removal by a president keep getting pink slips.The illegality of it all seems so obvious that one would think defenders of democracy could relax and trust judges to do the right thing. But it’s not just that some judges seem to be in the president’s pocket – as evidenced by Trump, after his address to Congress, patting the supreme court’s chief justice on the back and thanking him for a favor he won’t fo...

Politics

4 d. ago Scotland's top civil servant blames SNP Government's financial woes on 'economic shocks'

The outgoing permanent secretary of the Scottish Government has blamed a lack of financial sustainability on economic “shocks” he branded “unprecedented”.

Economics

5 d. ago Labour is accused of placing its relationship with Beijing over national security

Labour has been accused of placing its ties with authorities in Beijing over its national security interests after government chose to leave China off its updated register of foreign influence.

Events

5 d. ago Exclusive HMRC helpline for MPs and royals answers in minutes while public waits hours

The ultra-exclusive Public Department 1 (PD1) helpline allows ministers, top civil servants, and members of the Royal Family to have their tax queries dealt with quickly

Politics

6 d. ago Civil servants should be sacked in major crackdown on the £250billion annual cost of crime, report urges

A study by the think tank Policy Exchange, backed by former home secretary Sir Sajid Javid , proposed dismissing all senior managers in the Ministry of Justice and HM Prisons and Probation Service.

Economics

6 d. ago Hundreds of Scottish civil servants avoid paying higher income tax by living elsewhere

Conservative MSP Jamie Greene said the figures should be ‘a source of embarrassment’

Economics

7 d. ago Hundreds of Scottish Government civil servants dodge SNP's 'harsh' tax regime

The Scottish Government has confirmed 241 of its employees do not pay the Scottish rate of income tax because their main residence is not in Scotland.

Politics

1 week ago Hundreds of workers in Angela Rayner's housing department could strike over working just THREE days a week in the office

Angela Rayner is facing embarrassment as civil servants in her department consider going on strike.

Events

1 week ago ‘Losing hope with every day that passes’: torment of the ships’ crews abandoned at sea

Thousands of seafarers are left on board their vessels in foreign waters, unpaid, with scant supplies – and no way of getting home When Vihaan* set off from his home in Tamil Nadu, south India, to work on a vessel crossing the Bay of Bengal into neighbouring Bangladesh, he told his family he would be gone a few months. After delivering his cargo of stone to Bangladesh’s Kutubdia Island, the marine engineer was due to head home in March 2024 to disembark at Thoothukudi port, India.But that month, the rusting tug, the Navimar 3, which was being operated by Middle East Marine (MEM), was detained by the authorities in Bangladesh due to unpaid fees. For almost a year, Vihaan has become a virtual prisoner on board, he says, forced to work without pay to keep the vessel safe, amid strong currents where it is anchored off the island in the cyclone-prone bay. His passport and certification documents are being held by a local agent for the Dubai-based company. With no means of getting home, n...

Politics

1 week ago Civil servants face disciplinary action in crackdown on Whitehall credit cards

Less than two weeks after Rachel Reeves was facing questions over her own company credit card spending in a previous job, the government has issued a threat across departments over abuse of its cards

Events

1 week ago Labour launches crackdown on Government credit cards amid fears civil servants are 'taking the p***' with spending on lavish meals, 'escape rooms' and crystal glasses

Cat Little, the top official at the Cabinet Office, has written to the bosses of all Whitehall departments to demand they rapidly review their outgoings.

Politics

1 week ago Civil servants claim they work less well when they are forced into the office three days a week, report reveals

The survey by the trade union for Whitehall mandarins found that three-quarters of respondents believe the mandatory attendance requirement has been a failure.

Politics

2 w. ago Cost of paying civil servants in Angela Rayner's departments balloons by £20 MILLION in five months

The total spent on staff in the Housing Ministry and its associated quangos has gone up by £20 million since Angela Rayner took over the department.

Economics