Starmer: Civil Service reforms will ‘maximise collective power of the state’

Sir Keir Starmer promised to free officials from the shackles of bureaucracy as part of the Government’s sweeping Civil Service reforms, which will see an increasing focus on digital and data work.

In a message to all civil servants the Prime Minister and cabinet secretary Sir Chris Wormald said they wanted to see a “rewiring of the British state”.

The Civil Service must be “more agile, mission-focused and more productive”, they said.

The message is an attempt to win support from civil servants for a programme which will see radical changes to their roles and potential job losses.

The reforms will mean the Civil Service becoming smaller, with more of the remaining jobs moving outside of London.

Sir Keir and Sir Chris said the Government’s “ambitious vision for national renewal” will require “a rewiring of the British state – creating a renewed Civil Service; more agile, mission-focused and more productive”.

They said: “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.”

Ministers have already set out plans which would see senior officials have pay linked to performance, while a new “mutually agreed exits” process would incentivise civil servants to leave if they are not up to scratch.

As part of the reforms, the Government has vowed that one in 10 civil servants will be employed in a digital or data role by 2030.

Currently, around 5% of the Civil Service workforce is employed in one of these jobs, officials say, equating to around 25,000 employees.

In their message to staff, Sir Keir and Sir Chris said: “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.”