Foreign Affairs

International Development Committee gives broad backing to UK's new aid strategy – but warns DfID not to lose sight of poverty focus as other departments take on responsibility for spending development assistance funds

Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee chair Bernard Jenkin writes to prime minister David Cameron to complain about social media conduct of adviser Daniel Korski

FDA general secretary Dave Penman says lack of cabinet unity on EU referendum is a headache for civil servants – but insists campaigning rules don't need to stifle debate

Cabinet secretary tells the public administration and constitutional affairs select committee that "nobody's having any difficulty with my guidance on the ground", as eurosceptics hit out at curbs on civil service support for ministers in favour of Britain leaving the European Union

It now seems as though civil servants are being told to block information to ministers in favour of leaving the European Union, despite the fact that the same ministers are constitutionally accountable to parliament for the conduct of their departments. Today's hearing with the cabinet secretary must provide answers

Much of the debate over civil service support given to ministers in favour of Brexit is simple sound and fury. But the issue of the relationship between senior civil servants and ministers is unlikely to go away

Eurosceptic employment minister Priti Patel escalates row over civil service impartiality in the run-up to the European Union referendum – but former cabinet secretary Lord O'Donnell says guidance issued by his successor Sir Jeremy Heywood last week is "pretty well right"

"There are always ways to make government better, always ways to make sure that the taxes of people are better spent," says chancellor, against gloomy global economic backdrop

Cabinet secretary will be questioned by the Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee on Tuesday, after ministers in favour of leaving the EU question guidance on use of official resources

Cabinet secretary writes to perm secs to confirm that pro-Brexit ministers will not have access to civil service briefings on the referendum

After better-than-expected Spending Review settlement, Foreign Office perm sec says new review to make FCO "more flexible" will not be ignored

Former Border Force head Tony Smith sets out scale of the challenge Brexit would pose to management of Britain's borders

Prime minister still trying to thrash out solutions to other member states’ concerns about EU renegotiation

When good ideas emerge, the public sector should seize on them, give them money – and publicise the civil servants who have dreamed them up. 

Christian Turner reflects on his time as Kenya’s high commissioner, and what his experiences taught him about the art of diplomacy

David Cameron’s dilemma over the EU referendum bears striking similarities – and some notable differences – to that faced by Harold Wilson in 1975, says Robin Butler

Interim agreement would allow Britain to restrict in-work benefits to EU migrants for up to four years in the event of "excessive pressure on the proper functioning of its public services"

Downing Street hails move as "further sign of progress" as David Cameron pushes for renegotiation of Britain's place in the EU

Former diplomat named as successor to Charles Farr at Home Office section

With the path from Whitehall to Davos well-worn, Adrian Brown suggests how delegates at this week's event might turn pledges into reality 

Former cabinet secretary says civil servants will be informally working on preparations for British exit from the European Union in spite of official assurances

Prime minister says it would not be  "appropriate or permissible for the civil service or individual civil servants" to support ministers who diverge from the official government line on European Union membership

With the end of 2015 in sight, we asked Whitehall's top officials to review the year, set out their priorities for 2016 – and shed some light on their festive plans. Mark Lowcock, permanent secretary of the Department for International Development, takes part in our biggest-ever perm secs' round-up series...

Foreign Affairs Committee chair Crispin Blunt welcomes “better outcome than had been feared” for the FCO