This is the Speaker’s Lecture delivered by Francis Maude on the subject of ‘The Future of the Civil Service’.
I’m going to start with two quotes. One is from a leading civil servant; the other from a politician. First:
Our system of a permanent politically impartial Civil Service is one of the jewels in Britain’s crown.
Second:
On one occasion he believed he had negotiated a compromise between civil servants from two departments concerning a programme related to both, only to have one tell him that his Minister had rejected the arrangement. “It never was the Minister,” he said, “but the bloody civil servant winding him up. It was so annoying you lost the will to live at some points in this process.”
Which was which? The first was me shortly before becoming Minister for the Cabinet Office in 2010 with responsibility for the Civil Service. The second was Sir Bob, now Lord, Kerslake, shortly after stepping down as Head of the Civil Service in 2014.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in