The Treasury has removed numerical reasoning tests from its recruitment process after deeming them 'racist', sparking accusations that the civil service prioritises diversity over competence. The change, revealed via a Freedom of Information request by The Spectator, led to a decrease in 'adverse impact' on candidate diversity in the 2020 campaign. The Treasury insists it is 'complete nonsense' to say standards were lowered, but critics argue the move exemplifies a wider culture of woke madness draining taxpayer funds.
Treasury Drops Numeracy Tests Over Diversity Concerns
According to the FOI response, the Numerical Reasoning Test was removed due to 'evidence of the test having adverse impact on candidate diversity'. Subsequently, 'the levels of adverse impact decreased in the 2020 campaign'. The Treasury maintains that the change does not represent a lowering of standards, but the decision has been met with scepticism. Sam Lister, writing for the Express, notes that the civil service, with 524,000 full-time staff—the highest in two decades—seems more focused on 'flexing its Be Kind muscles' than on effectiveness.
DWP Paganism Network and Other Special-Interest Groups
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has established a Paganism Network to support staff practising Wicca, allowing them to bring their 'whole self' to work. The DWP also hosts a vegan network, where dietary choices are discussed in a formal group setting. These networks provide a 'safe space' and allow colleagues to 'come together and share lived experience'. Each network has two co-chairs and up to five committee members, receiving a 10% time allowance—around 25 hours per week per network. Critics argue this represents a significant cost to taxpayers for activities unrelated to departmental missions.
Foreign Office Dysfunction Exposed
Ameer Kotecha, a former Foreign Office diplomat who quit in March after a decade, revealed that on the day Kabul fell to the Taliban, thousands of officials were invited to mark World Afro Day with a panel discussion featuring a director of national security. Staff working on foreign aid refused to regularly attend the office, citing a reluctance to work in a 'colonial' building. Kotecha's account highlights a culture of misplaced priorities and waste within the department.
Survey Reveals Civil Service Underperformance
Reform MP Danny Kruger, preparing for a potential general election win, conducted a survey of civil servants to uncover the true state of Whitehall. While acknowledging the respondents were self-selecting, the results were damning: 69% reported that underperformance is 'rarely or never addressed'. One respondent admitted: 'I do f*** all. I sit and game all day. The civil service breeds low productivity. The targets are far too achievable.' Another called it a 'disgrace and an embarrassment' that Foreign Office staff had worse spoken English than foreign diplomats. Kruger has promised a Reform government would sack incompetent staff and recruit talent.
Broader Impact on Public Services
Despite the record number of civil servants, public satisfaction with services like HMRC remains low. Dominic Cummings previously railed against 'The Blob' during his time under Boris Johnson, but left before implementing reforms. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, initially optimistic that a non-Tory government would improve relations, complained within six months that 'too many people in Whitehall are comfortable in the tepid bath of managed decline'. The article concludes that whoever wins the next election must fix the civil service to mend broken Britain.
