Annual Delegate Conference 2026 catch up
Catch up on the speeches from this year’s Annual Delegate Conference.

FDA General Secretary Dave Penman’s speech warned that “trust is in short supply” between civil servants and ministers, which is needed for “effective, and agile government”. Penman also celebrated the union’s successes and wins over the previous year and updated delegates on the FDA’s work on pay reform.
Caroline Wheeler, Political Editor of the i Paper, who took part in an ‘in conversation’ session with Penman, discussing topics including attacks on civil servants.
Darren Jones, Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster used his speech to a number of announcements, including new AI training for civil servants to “seize the promise of technology” to improve public services and new senior-led delivery teams in every government department.
Latest news
-

86% of carers are not aware of their civil service employer complying with new regulations, FDA report finds
To mark Carers Week, the FDA have published a new report, Changing Perceptions: Helping carers in the civil service reach their potential, which uses the experiences of our members with caring responsibilities to understand the working lives of carers in the civil service and highlight the barriers they face.
-

Pay progression for Senior Civil Servants is welcome, but remains ‘top pay priority’
In response to announcements on civil service pay, the FDA welcome progression for Senior Civil Servants, but introducing progression for other grades remains ‘top pay priority’ after ‘lack of meaningful change for two decades’.
-

FDA at the TUC Disabled Workers’ Conference
The FDA’s delegation attended the TUC Disabled Workers’ Conference in Bournemouth, alongside FDA National Officer for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Amelia Dowler.