Results for: Civil Service

Grant Shapps, Minister of Defence, faced intense questioning from Sally Nugent on BBC Breakfast over potential budget cuts to the civil service. Shapps’ suggestion that the civil service would be reduced by 72,000 to accommodate increased defence spending drew a sharp reaction from Nugent, leading to viewer outrage. Some viewers expressed dissatisfaction with the perceived bias and aggressiveness of BBC Breakfast’s presentation and threatened to switch to GB News. Despite the criticism, one viewer defended the BBC, emphasizing the importance of diverse perspectives and the need to avoid echo chambers.

In response to global threats, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has unveiled a significant increase in defence spending, allocating an additional £75 billion by 2030. To fund this pledge without increasing borrowing, around £3 billion will be saved by reducing the civil service to pre-pandemic staffing levels. The move has been welcomed by senior Tories, who advocate for investing in military capabilities rather than bureaucracy. Sunak’s announcement comes during a whistle-stop European visit where he pledged further military aid to Ukraine and emphasized the need for allies to enhance their defence spending.

Liz Truss criticized President Biden for intervening in her mini-budget and called for the UK to adopt the U.S. system of appointing senior civil servants. She also attacked international bodies like the UN and WHO, arguing that decisions should be made by democratically elected officials.

Pramod Kumar Mishra, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s principal secretary, emphasized the critical juncture India faces in its socio-economic development and global prominence during a virtual address to the Central Training Institution (CTI) Workshop on Capacity Building Needs of India’s Civil Service. Mishra stressed the importance of empowering civil servants to drive change, uphold good governance, and deliver efficient services to citizens, as envisioned by Prime Minister Modi’s ‘Viksit Bharat’ (‘Developed India’) by 2047.