Dear Keir Starmer: civil servants share your worries about public services. Don’t attack us – we’re keen for reform

‘We, too, feel deep frustration with the bureaucracy and want to work with the PM to improve how public services are delivered.’ Photograph: Andy Rain/EPA

Very uncertain times for the nation’s civil servants. Last week, we were publicly fat-shamed by the prime minister ahead of his landmark speech at healthcare company Reckitt Benckiser’scampus in Kingston upon Hull. No, I’d never heard of it either, but it turns out to be a UK manufacturer of a number of brands responsible for just about holding austerity Britain together: Durex, Nurofen and Dettol.

The thrusting symbolism of this choice of venue takes some beating. After all, Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden – employing the regretful tones of an obstetrics consultant who’s seen it all – had on 9 March foreshadowed Keir Starmer’s free-verse soliloquy by explaining how the civil service would be shafted to get “more bang for our buck”.