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Ministers are trying to restore relations with their civil servants after comments by Keir Starmer caused fury last week, HuffPost UK can reveal.
In a major speech, the prime minister claimed too many in Whitehall “are comfortable in the tepid bath of managed decline”.
He said they had “forgotten, to paraphrase JFK, that you choose change, not because it’s easy, but because it’s hard”.
That prompted Dave Penman, general secretary of civil servants’ union the FDA, to write to the PM accusing him of a “Trumpian” attack on his members.
A Whitehall source told HuffPost UK that senior ministers are “doing the rounds to show love” in their departments in an attempt to repair the damage caused by the prime minister’s comments.
One civil service source said: “We’re tired of being criticised in public and thanked in private – that’s what happened with the last government.”
In a further attempt at improving relations with officials, Starmer today wrote a letter to civil servants thanking them for their efforts.
He said: “From my time as Director of Public Prosecutions, I know first-hand just how fortunate this country is to have a civil service that is admired across the world.
“I saw it every day, I depended on it every day, I was proud to be part of it every day. And from all I have seen during my first five months as prime minister, my appreciation for your service to this country has only grown.”
But responding to the PM’s letter, Dave Penman said it did not go far enough.
He said: “I’m sure civil servants will welcome the message from the prime minister, recognising the challenges the civil service faces as it strives to deliver the government’s agenda and their shared desire to deliver better public services.
“But he needs to to go further. As minister for the civil service, the prime minister should not underestimate the damage his remarks last week made.
“If he is to deliver his vision for change, he needs to inspire, not denigrate the civil service.”
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