Departing head of the United Kingdom Public Service, Sir Mark Sedwill (pictured) agrees that Whitehall needs reform, while taking a swipe at anonymous “sniping” against him and other senior officials.
He urged his successor to look beyond the rhetoric of Prime Minister, Boris Johnson’s senior adviser, Dominic Cummings and engage with the substance of some of his ideas.
Mr Cummings has long been sharply critical of the work of Public Servants and of what he characterises as the inefficiencies of Government, and its failure to innovate.
Sir Mark, who steps down next month, said Mr Cummings’ plan to bring in more expertise to the Public Service was a good thing.
“The Civil Service, like every other big institution, needs to modernise and reform. The nature of the political debate is that things are expressed more vividly than a Civil Servant, including a Cabinet Secretary, is going to express them,” Sir Mark said.
However, he said political briefings against Public Servants were “counter-productive”, amid a wave of attacks on top officials.
Sir Mark said the compensation payment of £248,189 ($A454,800) authorised by Mr Johnson for his early departure was standard for someone leaving Whitehall from his position of seniority.
It was announced in June that Sir Mark, who was appointed by former Prime Minister, Theresa May following the death of Sir Jeremy Heywood, would be relinquishing his three roles as Cabinet Secretary, Head of the Public Service and National Security Adviser.
The move followed months of briefings in the media against Sir Mark and other senior officials.
It also came after Mr Cummings said a “hard rain” would fall on the Public Service in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
London, 13 August 2020
