The start of a new year gives time to reflect after what has been a whirlwind start for the new government and civil service alike. The government has been clear about the challenges they have inherited, and their ambitions for change. A blitz of new legislation on everything from employment rights to devolution and legislation have signalled the seriousness of this ambition, and the civil service has risen to the task of helping the government to deliver on it.
New personnel, not just ministers and advisers but also a new head of the civil service, bring with them an opportunity to reset relationships and look with fresh eyes. In that vein, the positive steps the government took on entering office to acknowledge the unacceptable ways in which civil servants were often treated and spoken about by the last government were welcomed by Prospect members. We are clear, there must be no going back to treating civil servants as political punchbags.
Ministers have also been clear that they want to see reform in the civil service and across the wider public sector. Prospect and our members are not opposed to reform, we all want to see an effective civil service that is able to deliver for the country. But if these reforms are to be a success, it will be important that they are devised and delivered in partnership with civil servants and their unions and that they are focused on clear delivery objectives rather than simply driven by a need to find cost savings. We look forward to deeper engagement with the Cabinet Office on this agenda in the new year.
"If ministers want reforms are to be a success, it will be important that they are devised and delivered in partnership with civil servants and their unions"
More broadly, the challenges the government are facing are changing rapidly. To take two examples, the drive for net zero (now embedded in one of the government’s missions) and the debate around the adoption and regulation of AI will both involve the civil service in fields where scientific and technical knowledge and skills will be mission-critical. Prospect will continue to champion the promotion of these specialist skills within the civil service, and urge a deeper understanding of the challenges government faces in recruiting and retaining staff with these skillsets at a time when private sector demand for their services is also rising.
Specialist staff will also be vital in delivering on the government’s wider growth agenda. For example, while the initial focus of the planning reform has naturally been on the legislation itself, attention must quickly shift to the skills necessary to speed up the processes. This is as true on the government side as it is in the construction sector. Agencies such as Natural England, which will have a key role in facilitating the new agenda, have been badly underfunded in recent years and seen real challenges in recruiting and retaining expert staff. As the Spending Review looms large, we will be reminding government of the link between their ambition and the staff who are delivering it on the ground.
Finally, we do have to address the elephant in the room. The pay stagnation in the civil service has underpinned many of the challenges it has faced in recent years. We all understand the fiscal context the government has inherited, but ministers must also be aware that a change of approach is needed on civil service pay, especially in the areas that face the biggest challenges retaining staff. The 2024 pay settlement was a welcome step in the right direction, and we will continue to work constructively with the government to ensure that the efforts of our members are properly recognised.
Mike Clancy is general secretary of the Prospect trade union