Personnel from the new employment rights policeman enjoyed five-star accommodation in faraway Uzbekistan for a conference. Despite only being an operational agency for two months…
Some Whitehall-watchers were perplexed when staff from the newly-founded Fair Work Agency, which launched in April, announced they had travelled to the Tashkent International Migration Forum in Uzbekistan. Sara Crawford, International Liaison Manager at the Fair Work Agency (FWA), and Neville Bradbury, National Investigations Manager (South West) were in attendance…
According to the government the “visit provided an opportunity to meet stakeholders, build relationships and explore areas for future collaboration.” The itinerary was: “travel from the UK to Tashkent; attendance at the Tashkent International Migration Forum; associated stakeholder engagement meetings; and return travel to the UK.” The flight booking was made on 7 May, less than a month after the agency launched…
Guido’s FOI Unit has discovered that the ‘host organisation’ paid for the costs of one civil servant while the British taxpayer stumped up for the other. Those included:
Senior staff and heads of section at the FWA have been offered part-time working hours. Labour has also given the agency powers to recommend its own expansion. Can it recommend more five-star jollies?
PA: Craig Williams, who was parliamentary private secretary to Rishi Sunak, has pleaded guilty at Southwark Crown Court to cheating at gambling with bets on the date of the 2024 general election. A long-running saga…
While Burnhamites discuss splitting the Treasury in two there are plans – led by Cabinet Secretary Antonia Romeo – to push ahead with a project to split up the Cabinet Office. The dysfunctional behemoth department which runs government has caused headaches for successive political leaders. Just have to get Andy on board…
A government source tells Guido there have been discussions over the proposal, pushed by the Institute for Government among others, for some time. Decisive progress was parked by a succession of political crises which then toppled Keir Starmer…
Prominent machinery of government watchers say the Cabinet Office should be split into its management and ‘delivery’ parts. That means expanding No10 (which technically sits in the CO) into a Prime Minister’s Office to run policy and govern from the centre, while creating a department for Civil Service management, shared services, estates, and Whitehall business in general. The Cabinet Secretary would have to decide which one of these to run. If the plan goes ahead Romeo is seen as likely to lead the PMO while promoting a senior mandarin to run the slimmed down Cabinet Office and take on the Civil Service management role…
Efforts have been made to clear out the senior leadership of the Cabinet Office which have also seen a go-slow thanks to political turmoil. A Downing Street source tells Guido: “We all hope Burnham tells her to proceed with the plan ASAP – he needs it to be refocussed. It seems James Purnell already gets that too.” An ambitious Chief of Staff and CabSec could push through the creation of a new PMO alongside the ill-fated ‘No10 North’ which Burnham wants to construct in Manchester…
H/t: Christopher Hope
David Miliband has been very coy about his potential appointment by Andy Burnham as Foreign Secretary. The Miliband coming back together…
Guido has cobbled together some of his positions. He hasn’t been silent as of late despite heading the International Rescue Committee on a £1 million salary…
Europe and Brexit:
Refugees and migration:
Trump:
Foreign aid:
Here we go…
Badenoch said at her speech on Monday morning: “We are absolutely ready to fight a general election. We say the results in Aberdeen South: 50% of the vote. Because we can unite the country… It’s about uniting the country, for God’s sake, behind a centre-right agenda.”