The government has announced plans to cut up to 91,000 civil service jobs within three years, aiming to return to 2016 staffing levels. Cabinet Secretary Simon Case confirmed the target in a letter to civil servants, acknowledging the challenge but emphasising the need for a leaner, more efficient service. Downing Street has not ruled out recruitment freezes or compulsory redundancies to achieve the reductions.
The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union condemned the plan as 'ill thought-out' and warned that strike action is 'very much on the table'. General Secretary Mark Serwotka accused the prime minister of using the cuts as a smokescreen for broader government failings. Meanwhile, HMRC's permanent secretary apologised after staff learned of potential job losses through the media.
Cabinet Office minister Jacob Rees-Mogg described the projected £3.75 billion annual saving as 'realistic', attributing the need for cuts to pandemic and Brexit-driven staffing increases. He said natural departures would account for most reductions, but declined to specify which departments would be affected. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has given ministers a month to submit their plans for shrinking their workforces.
The civil service grew from 384,000 in 2016—its lowest since World War Two—to 475,000 by the end of 2022, largely due to Brexit and Covid-19 demands. The government faces mounting pressure over the cost of living crisis, with critics arguing that cuts will worsen service delays and undermine public sector morale.
