Responding to reports that Boris Johnson was planning a “revolutionary” reform of the civil service, FDA General Secretary has written for Huff Post warning the Prime Minister that if he wants to lead “a transformative government” then ministers must hear “the advice they need, not just the advice they want”.
In the blog, Penman write: “Every new prime minister (particularly those keen to demonstrate they have a radical reforming agenda) looks upon “the machine” of government – the civil service – with its dozens of departments, hundreds of quangos and thousands of civil servants and thinks that it’s ripe for reform.
“When you want to show that you’re doing something, changing the machinery of government – usually merging or abolishing departments – is sorely tempting, not least because as prime minister it can be achieved at the stroke of a pen.
“However, actually doing something to tackle the big public policy challenges of our generation is, of course, a little more complicated. Clarity of purpose and robust evidence-based policy is what changes people’s lives, but that’s a lot slower.”
Read the full blog on Huff Post UK
As the political temperature rises in the lead up to Northern Ireland’s May election, the FDA’s National Officer for Northern Ireland Robert Murtagh has once again called on MLAs to “keep civil servants out of the political crossfire.”
This week, the FDA attended the 2026 TUC Congress in Brighton. FDA delegates spoke to and moved motions on a range of topics, including the review of the civil service, supporting effective management, accountability and safe contracting in the NHS, and the importance of an evidence-led approach to regulation.
Yesterday, FDA staff and reps attended the 2026 Fast Stream annual Base Camp, welcoming this year’s new joiners to the scheme and sharing the benefits of FDA membership with them.
