Keir Starmer has told civil servants they have his “confidence, support and respect” in a clear effort to differentiate his leadership style from his predecessors.
In the video message, sent to officials yesterday afternoon, the prime minister said delivering the aims of his new government would “require a different way of working: one of openness, of collaboration and transparency in everything we do”.
“But from the get go I want you to know that you have my confidence, my support and, importantly, my respect,” he said.
Starmer, who was director of public prosecutions from 2008 to 2013, said his experience in the civil service had shown him “just how hard you work, how much you believe in what you are doing for our country”, adding: “And it taught me a huge amount about what public service really means.”
“That spirit is not just critical for the work ahead. It will define the success of this government,” he said.
The message sets a clear tone of cooperation and respect between ministers and civil servants, after years of increasingly frayed relationships between the two.
Officials’ trust in ministers has been damaged in recent years by members of successive administrations briefing against civil servants both anonymously and on the record in the press.
Unions have described their members feeling scapegoated on issues such as flexible and home-working arrangements, Brexit and diversity initiatives.
While Starmer's tone in the message was more conciliatory than ministers in his predecessor Rishi Sunak's regime, it has yet to be seen how ministers will handle civil service home-working arrangements.
Asked whether he intended to remove the controversial requirement brought in under Sunak that civil servants spend 60% of their week in the office, Jonathan Ashworth, then shadow paymaster general, said last week that "want to see civil servants in the office".
Mission-led government 'not just a slogan'
Starmer said his desire to lead a “mission-driven government with a real sense of purpose” – a common refrain during Labour’s general election campaign – was “not just a slogan”.
“It’s about setting clear long-term objectives that drive our decision making and help us to prioritise our work: higher growth, safer streets, secure borders, cleaner energy, more opportunity, the NHS back on its feet.”
“Delivering change won’t be easy, you don’t need me to tell you that. It will require a different way of working. One of openness, of collaboration and transparency in everything we do,” he said.
“Together, as one team, we can deliver our mission of national renewal and change. Let’s start that work immediately,” he added.