Whitehall needs stronger independent regulator, says former top civil servant
The UK Civil Service is an unaccountable “closed shop” and there needs to be stronger independent regulation of Whitehall, according to a former top mandarin.
Lord Nick Macpherson, former permanent secretary at the Treasury, said there needs to be a “dramatic overhaul of the appointments system” to end the era of “personal patronage” in Whitehall.
He said, as a part of a report by the centre-right Policy Exchange think tank, that the system for appointing civil servants is too opaque and that The Civil Service Commission should be given greater regulatory powers.
The commission regulates Civil Service recruitment, however it does not have the power to investigate all civil servant appointments and annul those made improperly.
The report highlighted that UK law excludes most internal Civil Service appointments from the obligation to select on merit following an open competition and that most top jobs in Whitehall “remain unadvertised with appointments often made without any competition taking place”.
The report also called for ministerial approval for senior Civil Service vacancies to be advertised internally and to make it a legal obligation that civil servants are appointed on merit.
“Much of the focus of the current debate has been on the role of politicians, whether in awarding contracts or lobbying their former colleagues when they leave government. But the role of unelected officials merits as much if not more scrutiny,” Macpherson said.
“Their lines of accountability are often obscure, if not weak, and they do not face the sanction of potential removal by the electorate.”
Cabinet Office minister Steve Barclay said: “We must ensure that all Civil Service appointments are on merit and ensure that we attract the best outside talent into the senior Civil Service.”