Sir Philip Rutnam's resignation

There are over 400,000 civil servants in the UK , Opal. Are you suggesting that we elect every single one of them?

Yet you and your cronies have constantly complained on GN that a certain "special advisor" is unelected. Are you suggesting that we elect all special advisors?

Same difference, and you know it.

one man complaining about a minister not being nice to him is really pretty trivial

I think it’s rather more than that, jane.
Whatever the internal politics of the Home Office, coming only two weeks after Sajid Javid was forced to resign by Dominic Cummings, it seems to me sinister.

So DC and BJ want to reform our system of government. They should do it by democratic means and not by decree.

The person who was Permanent Secretary at the Home Office when the "hostile environment" was introduced and was responsible for deportations was Sir Mark Sedwill, who is now Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service.

Philip Rutman wasn't appointed until the tail end of it, although he was Permanent Secretary when the scandal broke in 2018.

Special advisors and civil servants are NOT the same Opal.

It really isn't the same difference and, if you knew what you were talking about, you'd know it too!

growstuff
Special advisors and civil servants are NOT the same Opal.
it's no good trying to explain

ps I don't have any cronies on GN

It’s funny that some people know how civil servants vote. Most top civil servants are super posh like most Tory politicians. You are obviously convinced that this gentleman is in the wrong and Patel is in the right because you agree with her policies without any evidence other than that of the gutter press. No doubt if he succeeds in court you will blame biased judges who don’t vote the “correct“ way. We are becoming more and more like the Chinese one party state where only one way of thinking is allowed.

I was shocked to read that Mary Beard’s appointment as a trustee of the British museum had been vetoed by no 10 because of her political views. Fortunately the museum found her a place on the board anyway. But talk about one party state!

I'm bothered one way or the other. I just wondered if it's something that might be the start of a bit of a clear out of the 'old guard' in the civil service to reflect Boris's determination to do things differently. Civil servants aren't automata. Their personal predilections must sometimes shade their judgment - something about being human I suppose.

I’m very much looking forward to hearing the details of his constructive dismissal case - I suspect it will make for interesting reading. The Tory apologists of course will deny any wrongdoing because, y’know, Brexit.

I'm not a Tory apologist and I'll be equally interested to hear about the case. I wonder if it will really happen.

I didn’t say you were Jane - just that those who seek to excuse the whole raft of shocking behaviour emanating from No10 at the moment will dismiss it regardless of the outcome.

The nastiness about Sir Tim Rutman is allegedly emanating from Number Ten - well, I only need one guess who that might be and it isn't Boris.

Yet another SPAD coming out with a priceless remark which, on further inspection, is not only utterly stupid but downright dangerous.

Tim Leunig, economic adviser to the Government, says that the food sector, in particular agriculture and fisheries, is not important to the economy. He argues that we could become rich enough to import all our food.

Sorry, Sir Philip Rutman, former top civil servant in the HO.

It's Tim Leunig whose potty thoughts are advising the Government.

Oh good grief - every day produces something more mind boggling and ridiculous. Are they taking advice from the Trump administration or do they come up with this nonsense all by themselves?

He is apparently an adviser to Richi Sunak

George Eustice has not ruled out importing chlorinated chicken or hormone treated beef.
Probably because he doesn't know.

Special advisors and civil servants are NOT the same Opal

FFS I've already said they aren't "the same", but that there are "similarities"! There is a difference between the two statements, growstuff, it's a shame you obviously can't differentiate. I think you're the one who doesn't know what you're talking about.

What are the similarities please, Opal?

Could you list them?

As you called him an unelected aide and compared him to that actual unelected aide, Cummings, I got the impression that you didn't know the difference.

Think of it as ‘the Trump administration and the Johnson administration aren’t the same but there are similarities’.

I feel like I fallen down the rabbit hole or walked through the mirror! Normally I would regard the civil service and those at the top of it as posh Tory supporters who work reluctantly with Labour governments, now it seems it's the Tories they can't work with!!! Curiouser and curiouser! I do hope it goes to court and all the dirty linen gets washed in public!

Sounds like there would be dirty linen on all sides. Yuk. Horrible thought!

normally I would regard the Civil Service and those at the top of it as posh Tory supporters

Well, that is very prejudiced trisher

It's like me saying that I regard all teachers are rabid left wingers!
Of course I know they are not.

The Civil Service has unions which represent members and the General Secretary of the FDA has already expressed astonishment at what has happened.

And if you think that Mark Serwotka of the PCS union is a posh Tory supporter then I am indeed astonished.

It’s rarely all the fault of one side, in instances like this, it’s complicated and grey shaded.
I will be interested too Jane10 to hear all about it, if there is a court case.That’s more because I am fascinated by all things to do with court cases.?

My SIL is a civil servant, he supports the Lib Dems.