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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Toby Helm

Unions on alert as Labour prepares to unveil ‘Trumpian’ plan for civil service

Keir Starmer has been critical of civil service performance, describing it as ‘managed decline’.
Keir Starmer has been critical of civil service performance, describing it as ‘managed decline’. Composite: Guardian Design/Getty

Highly controversial plans to revolutionise Whitehall by introducing performance-related pay, an accelerated exit process for under-performing mandarins and more digitalisation will be announced this week in what ministers say is a programme to “reshape the state” so it can respond to a new “era of insecurity”.

The proposed changes, to be announced by Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden, will inevitably provoke alarm and resistance from civil service unions, and be seen as the government using the current wave of global uncertainty as cover to drive through radical modernisation of civil service methods and culture.

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