The Prime Minister’s comments included saying that too many civil servants were “comfortable in the tepid bath of managed decline”. Following the speech, Penman wrote to the Prime Minister outlining the damage the language used had had and urged him to rebuild trust with civil servants.
As reported in Civil Service World, the Prime Minister wrote: “I recognise that civil servants bring something very special to their work: an unwavering and invaluable sense of public service”.
He continued, saying: “ministers and civil servants should work in a partnership that is based in trust”, but that there are “too many cases, across Government, where the current approach to delivery is not working”, and that “in the conversations I have had with civil servants, they want to see change, precisely because they believe in this mission of service.”
The Prime Minister also wrote, “I look forward to working with you further on this. I understand that we are establishing a deeper partnership approach to develop reform plans with you and other unions”.
Penman responded to the Prime Minister’s letter saying:
“I am grateful to the Prime Minister for a swift response to the concerns raised in my letter on Friday. He recognised the unwavering and invaluable sense of public service he witnesses every day and that civil servants also want to see change as they believe in a mission of service.
“He has also agreed that ministers and civil servants should work in a partnership that is based on trust and I am sure he will have reflected on the events of the last week and the impact they had. I look forward to working with Pat McFadden to help strengthen that partnership on civil service reform.”
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.”
FDA General Secretary Dave Penman spoke as part of the Bright Blue Panel ‘can AI improve public services?’ at Conservative Party Conference 2026 on Monday 5 October.
While these changes begin to address challenges identified by our members in the CPS, the union continues its call for increased CPS funding, in order to help tackle these crimes long-term.
