“When governments go through difficult patches you’re looking for who you can blame. so the issue comes up: ‘Well, let’s try blaming the civil service.’ It doesn’t usually work and I don’t think it’ll work this time either,” he told BBC Radio 4.
He added that being an ex-cabinet secretary has given him more freedom to defend the civil service, which he said is a “global public good” and “revered around the world.”
O’Donnell also admitted that he is considering applying to become governor of the Bank of England.