The civil service grew under the Tories. Can Starmer reduce it without further harming morale?

The new Labour government under Keir Starmer is taking a challenging stance on the civil service, promising necessary changes amidst calls for budget cuts and job cuts.

Keir Starmer praised civil servants for their public service commitment, yet stressed that a fresh approach is essential to move beyond managed decline and inertia.

The civil service has grown significantly since the post-Brexit era, with its workforce expanding from 380,000 to 513,000 under various prime ministers, raising questions about future cuts.

With the demand for a 5% budget cut across government departments, civil servants brace for a challenging period as changes appear imminent, despite previous hopes for stability.

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