News

In the first of his occasional opinion pieces on issues that matter to officials, former permanent secretary Sir Leigh Lewis takes aim at the  civil service grading system 

Former Department for Work and Pensions permanent secretary Sir Leigh Lewis calls for rethink of the "crazy" civil service grading structure

Former minister for the Cabinet Office takes on the digital and culture brief in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Brexit secretary David Davis says "the most brilliant people in Whitehall" are looking to work for his new department

Common Agricultural Policy fines continue to hamper Defra accounts, while National Audit Office also points to the Ministry of Defence's non-compliance with international accounting standards

Amid all the drama of last week’s arrival of a new government, it was easy to miss the launch of the Civil Service Workforce Plan. But, as Suzannah Brecknell explains, it’s a document that could have major implications for the future of the organisation as it grapples with the big challenges ahead

“The civil service has to be free to make whatever preparations it considers necessary and it should not be constrained by instructions from the government," says Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee chairman Bernard Jenkin

Cameron's decision to reward Spads at the same time as the civil service faces cuts in redundancy pay will stick in the minds of many civil servants, says CSW's deputy editor Matt Foster

With Matt Hancock leaving the government as part of new prime minister Theresa May's frontbench shake-up, CSW's colleagues on Dods People have put together a profile of Ben Gummer, the man who replaces him as minister for the Cabinet Office

New prime minister brings former Home Office Spads Fiona Hill and Nick Timothy back to the fold

Former special adviser to universities minister David Willetts says moving higher education policy to the Department for Education creates an "extra layer of uncertainty" at a time when institutional memory is needed

Negotiating fresh trade deals in the wake of Britain's departure from the European Union will be a mammoth task – and the civil service must step up its efforts to assemble the right team of experts for the job, says headhunter David Archer

Ex-Cabinet Office minister defends lack of contingency planning – but acknowledges dearth of trade deal expertise

One-month boost to exit packages for all outgoing Spads who were reappointed in 2015 comes as Cabinet Office seeks to reduce civil service redundancy pay – and triggers request for ministerial direction from the department's most senior official, John Manzoni

Sir Andrew Cahn says seismic shifts in departmental structures risk significantly delaying crucial post-EU referendum policy work.

Hancock replaced by ex-junior health minister Ben Gummer in key job determining civil service policy

The new prime minister Theresa May has triggered a major overhaul of Whitehall. CSW has full the details on what the merger of the energy and business departments will mean for staff and policy

Folow all the latest developments as new prime minister Theresa May initiates what looks set to be a major reorganisation of Whitehall departments

Former FCO chief insists old department will be "absolutely at the heart of" new prime minister's task of quitting the European Union

Cabinet Office minister Oliver Letwin, who was leading the civil service's Brexit work, is out of the government

Cabinet secretary gives nod to existing Brexit unit as he calls on civil service "to ensure everyday business of government and providing public services goes on"

Former Border Force director general Tony Smith spent four decades in Theresa May's old department, the Home Office. Here he tells Matt Foster that while Britain's new prime minister is a demanding boss who does her homework, she's also willing to stick up for her civil servants when push comes to shove

David Davis is secretary of state for exiting the European Union – while Liam Fox will head up new Department for International Trade

Outoing PM says spirit of public service is one of Britain’s “most remarkable qualities”