Senior government minister Darren Jones is set to deliver a robust defence of the civil service, warning that officials have too often been made 'scapegoats for political failure'.
A Shared Frustration with the Pace of Change
In a major speech outlining his vision for Whitehall in 2026, the Prime Minister's Chief Secretary will argue that civil servants share ministers' deep frustration with the sluggish speed of government. Mr Jones, seen as Keir Starmer's right-hand man, will state that hard-working officials are eager to be 'doers' but are hampered by systemic delays.
"I know from working with many brilliant civil servants every day, working long hours, that they are just as frustrated at the system and how long it takes to get things done," he will say. "They want to be the doers. Too often they have been scapegoats for political failure."
Reforming Bonuses and Promoting 'Doers'
The speech follows recent criticism from within the Labour Party. Health Secretary Wes Streeting recently hit out at an 'excuses culture' where some blame civil servants for setbacks.
Mr Jones will announce concrete plans to overhaul the civil service, focusing on promoting 'the doers, not the talkers' in its senior ranks. A key element is reforming the bonus scheme. While the total funding pool will remain unchanged, the government confirmed that larger rewards will be targeted at top performers. Currently, 55% of senior civil servants receive some form of bonus.
The 'Vaccine Taskforce' Model for Peacetime
Mr Jones will point to the success of the Covid vaccine roll-out as a blueprint for future government efficiency. He will argue that the innovative, fast-moving approach used in crises must become the norm.
"Too often this approach of moving fast and fixing things is only applied in a crisis," he will state, citing the Passport Office's recovery and the Vaccine Taskforce. "So today, I’m announcing that we will apply the Vaccine Taskforce model in ‘peace time’ – not just in a crisis." The vaccine programme saw almost 120 million doses administered across the UK within a year.
Further initiatives include new taskforces to boost recruitment, cut red tape, and encourage more risk-taking. Mr Jones will also champion a 'new digital state' to modernise public services, closing the gap with the private sector. He will criticise decades of stagnant productivity, rising costs, and poor public experience, pledging to shift Whitehall's focus from internal debates to direct delivery for the public.
