Top civil servant, Sir Mark Sedwell, is to be dismissed tomorrow.

MaizieD what did we say that was so shocking??Have just looked at this thread and have no idea.

Every 'would-be voter' to be pedantic.

It's truly shocking.

Every voter should take a course in PPE and get an A* before being allowed near a ballot box.

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Even some Conservatives are feeling uneasy about people being got rid or or jumping before they're pushed - being replaced by people whose faces - and politics - fit.

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Con Coughlin in the Telegraph today:

‘It is misleading to suggest, as Theresa May claimed in the Commons yesterday, that Mr Frost’s appointment represents the politicisation of the NSC. It has been a political body since its inception, not least because it is chaired by the Prime Minister, and its deliberations undertaken at Downing Street’s behest. What could be more “political” than that?’

I’ll take the bait.

You know I have no experience of the civil service! Hey ho.

However, Mrs May promoted MS. Boris ‘inherited’ him. He was elected by a stinking majority (sorry) to Get. Brexit. Done. Which was why I voted for him.

MS is a Remainer. Yes, I do understand that civil servants are impartial. Hmm. Yeah right. They must however have slight leanings towards their inherent beliefs. Stands to reason.

Boris wanted his own man. Someone who would help him power through and deliver on his popular manifesto. Maybe he felt MS was thwarting operations. Maybe he just had halitosis. Who knows? Not I. Boris obviously felt he could not work with him.

3 people will now do the work that MS did. Maybe he had too light a touch on all his areas and Boris felt it could all be done better in some way.

Many articles in some newspapers today agree with Boris - saying the CS needs an overhaul. They might be right. Time will tell.

I bet those who voted to Remain in the EU wanted MS to remain in post. Funny that.

Bye Peardrop!

I do remember when Mark Serwotka was elected as General Secretary of the PCS. He was at one time expelled from the Labour Party for being too left-wing.

PS before I go I would like to add that Mr P has worked in Whitehall and although I can't say much he has confirmed that Sussexborn has made a valid statement which he would not dispute.

I made the decision a while ago not to bother to comment on political threads once I saw certain names WW2, MaizieD, Growstuff, Varian as invariably their arguments are predictable, their attitudes rude and aggressive and always a link to the Guardian. If we don't agree with their viewpoint we are usually called ignorant, stupid, told we haven't a clue are are talking a load of....! whatever that may mean or accused of living in la la land. Such intelligent debate.
Most posters here have made valid points on either side of the political spectrum but only those mentioned have made personal attacks.
Now leaving the thread to find some good political debate where I can express my opinion without receiving personal abuse.

Ramblingrose My daughter is now an HR manager in a national company and I'm sure she could come up with many suggestions, but it would be interesting to hear Firecracker's and Urmstongran's take.

I wonder which department Sussexborn's neighbour worked in. My grandfather and two of his brothers worked in Whitehall, as do some of my cousins. They are the most boring stereotypical Conservatives (with a big C and a little c) imaginable.

My daughter was a graduate Fast Stream entrant in the civil service. She left because she really couldn't see herself working for life alongside so many bumptious Conservatives. They're not supposed to discuss politics, but it was quite obvious what their political leanings were.

I think we can safely disregard the anecdote given by Sussexborn.

I worked in the civil service for over 30 years and in different departments and I never heard anyone express such views during all that time.

My work experience has made me think of some ways in which the civil service could be reformed and I was hoping to hear more from Firecracker123 and Urmstongran on this since yesterday in case they had more direct experience of the civil service than I have - but the silence has been deafening.

I don't think Sir Humphrey or any of his colleagues were / are socialist revolutionaries. They are almost all conservatives, at least with a small "c".

sussex I think your neighbour is having you on?

A neighbour who worked in Whitehall, who was open about her left wing views, was alarmed by her colleagues constant references to “come the socialist revolution” and their hope for a violent uprising. Quite worrying that comments like this were openly expressed in a civil service office environment. It was being said as a serious much awaited proposition.

Time for some changes.

That’s not difficult...she wasn’t effective at all as PM.

Theresa May may end yup being more effective as a back- bencher than she ever was as PM.

Theresa May has just shredded this government over the Sedwell affair.

Oh dear - it's quizqueen again! If you look at the thread about the Government being taken to court over the deaths of care homes residents she thinks it is easy to look after elderly relatives at home and that this is what everyone should be doing!

I don't know what newspaper you read quizqueen or maybe it's social media that is the source of your notion that civil servants have a secret agenda and are allowed to block what Ministers want.

Like growstuff I would like to see your evidence for this in recent times, leaving Brexit out of it if you can. I know it's hard if you're a UKIPper but there's more going on than just getting out of the EU you know.

Which Government policies have been blocked or subverted in recent years by the civil service? We need specifics like the policy, the name of the civil servant involved and when this happened to prove you're right and to get an idea of how prevalent this really is.

If you can't provide these simple facts, don't expect your assertions to be taken seriously.

quizqueen

I think a lot of civil servants have been working to their own agenda for many years rather than what the elected government of the time was voted in to do. As Mr Trump said, time to remove the swamp.

Do you have evidence other than gossip that civil servants have been working to their own agenda?

QQ, the swamp which Trump was going to 'drain' is exactly what we will end up with here if Cummings gets his way. A politically appointed administration, with no independence. He was talking about the Obama appointees. Of course, we all know that his own appointees have done a great job, including his own family..........

Dominic Cummings is a strange character but I don’t think he is the dark and dangerous man some people give him credit for being ( although I bet he enjoys his reputation.)