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Alex Thomas @alexgathomas.bsky.social · 1d

Thanks Tim

Reposted by Alex Thomas

Tim Durrant @timdurrant.bsky.social · 1d

Great piece from Alex and Jack (of course)

Plenty of savings to be made in the civil service, but the response to all these kinds of announcements (from government and opposition parties!) should always be: what do you want the state to stop doing?

Alex Thomas @alexgathomas.bsky.social · 2d

Our reaction to Mel Stride’s big day at the Tory conference

There are savings to be made in the civil service. But an arbitrary headcount target & ignoring new demands on the state won’t deliver them

The hard work of doing that falls to the govt

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/mel-...

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Alex Thomas @alexgathomas.bsky.social · 2d

Our reaction to Mel Stride’s big day at the Tory conference

There are savings to be made in the civil service. But an arbitrary headcount target & ignoring new demands on the state won’t deliver them

The hard work of doing that falls to the govt

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/mel-...

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Alex Thomas @alexgathomas.bsky.social · 2d

Am looking forward to this post-party conference palette cleanser ⬇️

Ben Yong @bymyong.bsky.social · 2d

I‘m giving a public talk at UCL on Thurs 16 Oct. The title is “Bureaucracy and distrust: the civil service in the constitution” looking at the civil service’s constitutional foundations, and how it might respond to a populist govt. @sirJJkc.bsky.social will chair!
www.ucl.ac.uk/laws/events/...

Hybrid | CLP - Bureaucracy and Distrust: The Civil Service in the Constitution

This lecture will be delivered by Dr Ben Yong, as part of the Current Legal Problems Lecture Series 2025-26

www.ucl.ac.uk

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Alex Thomas @alexgathomas.bsky.social · 2d

And finally… and this is actually the main point… everything will be different by 2029

The Labour government also wants to cut the cost of the civil service. They are implementing redundancy programmes and hiring freezes and we’ll see if that works. So this is all a bit of a fantasy numbers game

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Alex Thomas @alexgathomas.bsky.social · 2d

A reminder that it’s a mistake to target headcount reductions

We should focus on the money saved, not the people lost. Because if you target headcount the incentives are skewed. The cheaper, easier-to-lose people go, the more expensive entrenched people stay

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Alex Thomas @alexgathomas.bsky.social · 2d

There is scope to cut the civil service. The central policy function has more than doubled since 2016. New technology will change the nature of civil service work and reduce costs, especially in the biggest departments. Civil servants also report duplication and unnecessary overhead all the time

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Alex Thomas @alexgathomas.bsky.social · 2d

CS grew especially because of Brexit & Covid. Some cannot be unwound, eg repatriated border controls, customs arrangements, new env & financial reg, trade negotiations

Also legitimate new priorities from ministers eg asylum processors in the Home Office, more prison staff in the MoJ

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Alex Thomas @alexgathomas.bsky.social · 2d

On the civil service bit of this…£8bn savings *a year* by the end of the Parliament claimed

Reducing headcount to 2016 levels is easier said than done, as previous govts know

on.ft.com/46Da3nm

Tories tout £47bn in spending cuts in bid to reclaim fiscal reputation

Shadow chancellor says he will target welfare spending, overseas aid budget and civil service staffing to find savings

on.ft.com

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Alex Thomas @alexgathomas.bsky.social · 2d

Obviously easy to dunk, but it is a good sign if new politicians are getting to grips with finance and trade-offs and wrestling with them. Denying reality is the danger, not trying to balance the budget

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Reposted by Alex Thomas

Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 3d

What an admirably clear statement from the Jewish Leadership Council, especially when all of those involved must surely have been dealing with so many other urgent challenges in safety, security and grief + shock today before having this further divisive and distracting intervention to address too.

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Reposted by Alex Thomas

Gavin Freeguard @gavinfreeguard.bsky.social · 4d

Absolutely astonished @hignfy.bsky.social just stated that Multiverse will be running the government's digital ID scheme

An incredibly basic failure of fact-checking

fullfact.org/technology/d...

Has Euan Blair’s company Multiverse been chosen to run the government’s new digital ID scheme? – Full Fact

Multiverse is an “upskilling company”, not a software developer, and both it and the government say there’s no truth to viral claims linking it to the scheme.

fullfact.org

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Reposted by Alex Thomas

Institute for Government @instituteforgovernment.org.uk · 5d

Five things the IfG learned at the 2025 Labour Party Conference

@timdurrant.bsky.social @alexgathomas.bsky.social @gemmatetlow.bsky.social @gilesyb.bsky.social @jillongovt.bsky.social explore what #Lab25 revealed about Keir Starmer’s government www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/2025...

Five things the IfG learned at the 2025 Labour Party Conference | Institute for Government

What did the Labour conference reveal about Keir Starmer’s government?

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk

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Reposted by Alex Thomas

Sam Macrory @sammacrory.bsky.social · 7d

🎧🎧Listen now!

Brilliant analysis of Starmer’s speech and the Labour conference with @drhannahwhite.bsky.social @cathhaddon.bsky.social @alexgathomas.bsky.social and guest @sophiestowers.bsky.social of @moreincommonuk.bsky.social

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/podcast/insi...

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Alex Thomas @alexgathomas.bsky.social · 10d

OK deal

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Alex Thomas @alexgathomas.bsky.social · 10d

Yep yep yep

Alex Thomas @alexgathomas.bsky.social · 10d

Every interview:

“you’re amazing!”

“no, you’re the best!”

“I did it for you”

“but you have my big golf heart”

“thanks gentlemen, appreciate it”

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Alex Thomas @alexgathomas.bsky.social · 10d

Separately / relatedly - v much enjoying Luke Donald and the Europeans leaning in to soppy love on the golf course

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Alex Thomas @alexgathomas.bsky.social · 10d

Ha - well they are being ravaged

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Alex Thomas @alexgathomas.bsky.social · 10d

Bad taste I suppose to suggest Trump might send the National Guard to Beth Page

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Alex Thomas @alexgathomas.bsky.social · 10d

Marvellous

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Alex Thomas @alexgathomas.bsky.social · 11d

Also - DeChambeau is charismatic and a good YouTuber. But desperate for him to lose this match after the Trump nonsense at the start

Alex Thomas @alexgathomas.bsky.social · 11d

Think golf is a hobby and a skill. The fact it’s unsporty is probably why I enjoy watching and playing it

F1. I lost interest after Nigel Mansell

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Alex Thomas @alexgathomas.bsky.social · 12d

What a ludicrous thing DOGE is. Predictable and predicted madness and bad government - this is well worth a read

Angela Watercutter @waterslicer.bsky.social · 13d

Huge DOGE oral history from @leahfeiger.bsky.social, @zoeschiffer.bsky.social, @telliotter.bsky.social, @knibbs.bsky.social, @makenakelly.bsky.social, @davidgilbert.bsky.social, @mollytaft.com, @aarianmarshall.bsky.social, @peard33.bsky.social, + @jakelahut.writes.news

www.wired.com/story/oral-h...

The Story of DOGE, as Told by Federal Workers

WIRED spoke with more than 200 federal workers in dozens of agencies to learn what happened as the Department of Government Efficiency tore through their offices.

www.wired.com

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Reposted by Alex Thomas

Institute for Government @instituteforgovernment.org.uk · 13d

How can government use leadership and innovation to deliver for the public?

📅 Tuesday 30 September | 10:30–11:30

Don't miss our #Lab25 event with Chris Ward MP, Kelly Beaver at Ipsos, Conrad Thompson at PA, Moira Wallace, @alexgathomas.bsky.social www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/ifg-la...

An image ad for an IfG event at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool.

How can government use leadership and innovation to deliver for the public?
Tuesday 30 September | 10:30–11:30
Speakers:
Chris Ward MP, Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabinet Office
Kelly Beaver MBE, Chief Executive of Ipsos, UK and Ireland
Conrad Thompson, Public Sector Lead for Innovation at PA Consulting
Moira Wallace, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government

This event will be chaired by Alex Thomas, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.

This event is in partnership with PA Consulting.

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