Annual Delegate Conference 2025 catch up
Catch up on the addresses by guest speakers at this year’s Annual Delegate Conference.

FDA General Secretary Dave Penman used his speech to argue that civil servants are “hungry for reform” and called on the government to commit to “a clear plan for improved public services and a people plan to match” with a particular focus on pay
Journalist and broadcaster Lewis Goodall discussed the relationship between ministers and civil servants and the future of ‘mission-led government’ with delegates, predicting that the government’s appetite for experimentation may grow over time, having started out a year ago with a “pretty blank” plan.
Discussing the issue of civil service reform Gould told delegates: “The civil service is an amazing constitution, but it can get in the way. It’s deeply embedded and set up for a slower, less complex world, more hierarchical. Departments are far too siloed when all the challenges we face are deeply complex”.
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“Significant gaps” in current Northern Ireland standards regime, says Murtagh
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FDA delegation attends TUC Congress 2025
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Ministers must “step up to the plate” or risk undermining the civil service, says Penman
The FDA has defended the pay and pensions of senior civil servants and called for ministers to do more to defend the civil service.