Labour’s Cabinet Office spokesman is on a charm offensive. Winnie Agbonlahor reports on his plans for Whitehall reform
Michael Dugher, Labour shadow Cabinet Office minister, has criticised the “negative caricature painted of the civil service by some ministers that officials are constantly trying to block ministers’ desire for change”.
Speaking about Labour’s ideas for civil service reform at the Institute for Government (IfG) on Monday 8 September, Dugher said that “contrary to what you might believe from some ministers in the current government and some media reports, the civil service is far from broken.”
While Dugher said that reform is needed, he added that the civil service “remains an incredible institution and one that I have huge admiration for, [as] it lives and breathes the core values of integrity, honesty, impartiality, and objectivity.” The “defining feature of the civil service is its willingness to help drive change and make things better,” he said, adding that officials are “often the strongest advocates for reform.”
If Labour wins the 2015 general election, it will seek to “instil a new culture of respect between ministers and civil servants”, he said, adding that “only a motivated, committed and well-led civil service can achieve what you want them to” and “implement vital reforms that the country needs.”
To maintain the civil service’s status as “one of the best in the world”, he said, Labour would carry out a “refreshed capability plan within the first year of government” and “a full audit of all capabilities within the civil service”, while strengthening the civil service professions.
Dugher criticised the coalition for scrapping the PM’s Delivery Unit and for its “weak centre”, and promised that Labour will “introduce reforms to set up a new delivery performance regime at the heart of government to drive through key priorities, ensure better coordination and bring in more commercial expertise.”
Increasing diversity would be another priority, achieved by “two major reforms”. Dugher said Labour would open up the civil service Fast Stream to “more people from non-traditional backgrounds, in particular ethnic minorities and working class graduates.” And it would set new diversity targets for the senior civil service: “We want women to make up at least 45% of all SCS and BME staff at least 8% of the SCS by 2020.”