The UK government is set to slash over 10,000 civil service jobs as part of a broader efficiency drive to meet spending limits, according to reports. This move follows directives from Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who has instructed departments to cut budgets by 5%, prompting discussions on reducing headcount within Whitehall.
The civil service, which currently employs 513,000 full-time staff, saw significant growth due to Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic. This figure represents a sharp rise from the 380,000 employees in 2016. However, multiple sources indicate an acknowledgment within the government that the civil service has become too large and unwieldy.
Departments Face Tough Choices
A Cabinet Office source acknowledged the challenge, saying departments will have to make “very hard choices” to adhere to Treasury-imposed budgets. Although Cabinet Office Minister Pat McFadden refrained from confirming job cuts, he emphasized the importance of improving productivity and leveraging technology. “We don’t have a target for headcount,” McFadden noted, “but efficiencies announced in the budget are crucial, and there will be more to come.”
Strategic Workforce Plan Underway
The Labour government previously abandoned the Conservative target of cutting 66,000 civil service jobs. However, plans to reduce over 10,000 roles are expected to go ahead. The Cabinet Office, identified as a department that has grown disproportionately, may face restructuring, with some staff redeployed to other Whitehall divisions.
A hiring freeze and voluntary redundancies are likely to continue across departments, as the government prepares to release its first-ever Strategic Workforce Plan in June. This plan will evaluate whether the current civil service structure is suitable for modern governance, focusing on efficiency, productivity, and reducing reliance on contingent labor and consultancy.
Balancing Cuts with Morale
Despite the focus on efficiency, concerns over morale have arisen. Civil servants are reportedly frustrated by comments from Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who recently criticized Whitehall for being “comfortable with failure.” Starmer’s remarks, describing Whitehall as a “tepid bath of managed decline,” drew criticism from the FDA union for senior civil servants.
FDA General Secretary Dave Penman described Starmer’s comments as “frankly insulting” and called for a reevaluation of his approach. In response, Starmer acknowledged the dedication of civil servants but maintained that inefficiencies in government delivery require urgent action.
Past and Present Civil Service Numbers
The size of the civil service has fluctuated significantly over the years. Under Gordon Brown’s administration in 2010, the workforce was about 490,000. However, austerity measures implemented by David Cameron and George Osborne reduced it to around 380,000. Since then, Brexit and the pandemic drove numbers back up to the current 513,000—a nearly 5% increase in 2023 alone.
Alex Thomas, program director at the Institute for Government, supported the absence of a fixed headcount reduction target. He noted that a focus on budget reductions and efficiency goals could achieve better outcomes without creating “perverse incentives” to cut essential lower-cost roles.
A government spokesperson reiterated its commitment to improving efficiency, stating: “We are dedicated to making the civil service more effective, with bold measures to enhance skills and leverage new technologies.”
