As I told @christopherhope.bsky.social, government works well when civil servants are there to offer ministers impartial, evidence-based advice. That only works if they are hired based on what they know, rather than what they believe.

As I said to @kateemccann.bsky.social, imagine working in the Home Office where a Home Sec got a free pass despite bullying staff, where policy after policy failed & though trying to make it work, ministers blamed you as part of an activist blob & you're now told you have a defeatist attitude.

As I told @kateemccann.bsky.social, Nick Timothy's report fails to look at the root cause of the problems that exist within parts of the Home Office - it's not listening circles that have caused chaotic immigration policy, it's unstable political leadership.

As I told @listentotimesradio.bsky.social, the premise that the civil service isn’t impartial because its inclusive and doesn’t discriminate against the LGBT+ community doesn’t stand up to scrutiny.

When does a commitment to treat people equally become political?

Do Reform UK really think surrounding ministers with believers, people who will only reinforce their ideas, is the best way to govern? Rather than a minister being challenged by evidence from civil servants.

Last night on @listentotimesradio.bsky.social I discussed Reform UK's civil service "plan"

As I told @nickferrarilbc.bsky.social, are Reform UK really saying that their government would come in and sack 20,000 civil servants and recruit 20,000 more and test them for their 'belief' in Reform policies?

This is a completely impractical way to think about complex policy issues.

The FDA's grown by over 60% in the past 10 years - that's down to our reps and members.

@paulnowaktuc.bsky.social can't support them and do what he does best, represent working people across the country, if running for election every 5 years. That won't grow the movement, it'll paralyse it.

Great to speak to @listentotimesradio.bsky.social about union's relationship with govt last night. We try to influence govt to do what we think is in the best interest of working people & the country. At times, govt will make decisions that disappoint us, and we have to be grown up about that.

We’ve just seen a weekend of high political drama, which meant our motion at TUC Congress 2025 on standards in government was more prescient than expected.

As I told @kateemccann.bsky.social the civil service has the lowest sickness rates in the public sector & the rates dropped last year. There is no evidence to back up accusations of laziness. Most civil servants deal with the public which can lead to higher rates of short term illness.

The civil service has made a lot of progress in improving its diversity, but as I told @shelaghfogarty.bsky.social it has further to go, particularly on socioeconomic backgrounds.

That requires a range of tactics, these changes to the summer internship programme aren't enough in isolation.

As I told @ayeshahazarika.bsky.social, attempts - including changes to the summer internships - to increase the number of working class people entering the civil service is welcome, it is also about improving progression up through civil service grades.

A spending round is all about priorities.

You can't just look at one side of the equation on numbers, those have to match what government's commitments are. The civil service needs a clear plan on how it will deliver the government's programme with the resources it's allocated.

As I told @lewisgoodall.com, much like the spending rounds for central government, cutting public spending and public services is about political priorities. There are no mythical billions to be saved just by doing things differently.

As I told Alex Phillips, the civil service needs stability and a plan that matches commitments to resources. That way we will get a slimmed down, more efficient and more effective civil service.

As I told @tomswarbrick.bsky.social, while it is welcome to have a government that accepts independent pay body recommendations, what we really need is a long term plan to address systemic pay issues.