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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Rowena Mason Whitehall editor

Starmer’s chief secretary reveals plans to bust ‘the sludge’ in Whitehall

Darren Jones Whitehall Prospect
Darren Jones.
Darren Jones, chief secretary to the prime minister, says ‘the doers, not the talkers’ would be in line for civil service promotions. Photograph: WPA/Getty Images

Keir Starmer’s chief secretary, Darren Jones, says he is going to bust “the sludge” in Whitehall by bringing in risk-taking taskforces to deal with problems, and providing the ability to sack senior civil servants who do not deliver.

Jones, the MP for Bristol North West, said civil servants should feel “jeopardy” if they were underperforming, highlighting that only seven out of 7,000 senior civil servants were on improvement plans.

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