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…
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…
It doesn’t look like Labour’s high-minded attitude to cronyism and chumocracy will stop blowing up in its face anytime soon. Despite Starmer launching a leak inquiry into the briefings against Sue Gray…
Guido can now reveal that the government is pushing through dozens of ‘exceptions,’ which allow it to circumvent usual impartiality rules in making civil service appointments. From 5th July 2024 to 19th August 2024, the Civil Service Commission approved a total of 70 exceptional appointments. That includes 16 senior-level positions for directors…
37 ‘temporary appointments’ were pushed through in Labour’s short initial period, alongside 20 secondments from outside the civil service. DSIT leads the pack with a whopping 12 exceptions alone, including an appointment to the highest pay band from £127,000 to £208,100. This is the system that allowed Labour Together Starmtrooper Jess Sargeant to be appointed as a Deputy Director in the all-knowing Propriety and Constitution Group…
The Commission says it is “keen to reduce” the number of civil service exceptions it makes while it launches a “rapid review” into Labour’s crony appointments. Government of Self-Service latest…
