The above sticker has popped up over at the Ministry of Housing. Guido had to check if it was a joke…
PCS, the civil service union, is taking a break from campaigning for Jeremy Corbyn to ramp up its efforts to have Fridays off for exactly the same pay. Its new petition touts:
“A five day week was introduced 100 years ago – but it’s not fit for our modern working world. Technology has overhauled the way we work, but our working hours remain the same…. A four day week would give us an additional day to spend how we like. For parents or those with caring responsibilities, care costs can be reduced massively, creating a fairer workplace. More time away from work to do the things we enjoy means less burnout, better health, and a better quality of life.”
Surveys of public sector pen-pushers indicate they want a four-day week. Will Rayner be able to resist demands from her own staff to spend more time “running errands”?
Taxpayers might wonder what exactly they’re paying for when HMRC tries to shut down its phone line and designs even more diversity training courses. The situation has got so bad that 89% of business owners now say poor levels of service from the taxman are negatively impacting their ability to work…
Apart from buying half a million pounds’ worth of new furniture, Guido can reveal that the UK’s tax overlords have been racking up an eye-watering bill on planes and taxis since the election. In July and August alone HMRC spent £490,700 on plane travel. It says “the most cost-effective means of travel is always considered prior to bookings of this nature.” That’s reassuring…
At the same time the taxpayer is coughing up about £6,000 a week on private taxis for the taxman to use, running up a £65,703 tab since July. Public transport is for thee, not for me…
The Ministry of Defence is now advertising for a “Senior Policy Adviser” on “Climate Change and Environment.” To join the swelling ranks of the existing Climate Change team…
At the same time as the Ministry is cancelling plans to fund military equipment and considering cutting training for the Army, it’s found £43,080 per year (more than their “Nuclear Threat Reduction Manager” is paid) along with a £12,480 annual contribution to the Civil Service’s gold-plated pension scheme to pay for someone to “lead on assurance activities and the review of the effectiveness of climate change policy across Defence.” In exchange for “providing coherence across Defence on environmental matters” the new adviser is offered “flexible working options” and “a culture encouraging inclusion and diversity”…
In three and a half days the position has just passed 100 applicants – attracting significantly more interest than GB Energy’s founding recruitment round. The number of applicants to a Civil Service job is inversely proportional to the amount of work that’ll actually be done…
If Sir Keir thought axing Sue Gray would grease the wheels of government, he might want to think again. No 10 insiders are already grumbling that no amount of reshuffling can fix the “systemic issues” bogging down the machinery of state, with Sue now painted as the “scapegoat” for Downing Street’s chronic inefficiency. The brief spin that Gray’s departure would magically bring about the “right structures to deliver change for the country” has already gone up in smoke…
One example of such effectiveness is the Cabinet Office. The department’s LinkedIn page proudly announces they’ve had a “very busy month” in September. Their idea of busy being just three achievements: the announcement of Queen Elizabeth’s memorial site, the introduction of the hereditary peers bill, and the formation of one committee. Not exactly a revolution in governance, though apparently enough to warrant self-congratulation…
One civil service expert said:
“This is a sort of thing most ministers would’ve managed in the first hour of a morning in previous administrations. Particular given that there are seven ministers pictured in the shot who collectively appeared to delivered three pieces of administrative work, which would’ve been the responsibility of civil servants anyway.”
So much for “change begins”….
While Labour Cabinet Ministers talk the talk on cutting costs in the Civil Service, departments have been keeping on with their usual lavish spending habits. It’s sofa, so good for wasting taxpayer cash…
Guido can reveal that HMRC has spent £513,092 on furniture and redecoration just in the period from 5th July to 20th August. An astonishing spend of £11,154.00 every single day on desks and sofas since Labour came in…
The tax agency has spent £402,737 on furniture and £110,355 on redecoration which it says includes painting, carpets, and so on. It explains the spend: “We are committed to providing a working environment that promotes staff productivity.” Laying off that diversity team might be a better idea…
While Rachel Reeves goes on about making savings in government, over at HMRC the nation’s tax overlords have been busy designing more “learning products” to enforce the agency’s equality and diversity goals. If only they could be bothered to pick up the phone…
HMRC’s 25-strong Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion team spent 2023 putting together an optional “Building an Inclusive Workplace” training module to “allow colleagues to upskill themselves in inclusive practices.” That’s £4 million in salaries for woke jobs well spent…
It turns out the training is so boring that the EDI team itself can’t even be bothered to do it. Guido can reveal that as of last month a measly 4 out of 25 had bothered to complete it. A completion rate of 16% – no inclusivity here…
