21 Apr Civil Service is too slow to react to real world demands, says Esther McVey
THE Civil Service is too sluggish and reluctant to make changes, according to former Cabinet minister Esther McVey MP.
She was commenting on claims that former Deputy Prime Minister had bullied civil servants, following his resignation.
The GB News presenter said: “I think maybe now the demands of having to move quickly – they don’t like doing it, so it’s change rather than right or left.
“At the moment, you can’t say ‘I’m going to go at the pace I’ve always gone and this is how we’ve always done it’. Things have never moved so fast. You’ve got things and issues coming from you in all directions.
“People talk about Dominic Raab’s exacting standards. He was working 24/7 so he expected other people to work 24/7 with the passion that he had, and maybe they didn’t because they were wanting to do three days working from home and only on a five-day week and nine to five.”
Speaking of her experience dealing with Civil Servants as a Cabinet minister, she said: “Well, I do think there is a power of conversation to be had there, a power of narrative. What are we doing, how do we all work together? What is it we’re trying to achieve?
“So there is that big picture, which you’ve constantly got to be setting. This is about making sure people are at work, this is about people filling their potential.
“This is about making sure that they can spread their horizons and that constantly has to be said. Equally, one thing I think you’ve got to have, you have got to be able to come up with the solutions because these people are incredibly good at detail and putting in place and implementing what you’re doing.”
“So I always think if you’ve got a clear narrative for them, they can do it. It’s not for you to tell them or ask them to solve this problem.”
