DFE top civil servant sacked - AIBU to feel sad and frustrated?

[Gromitt]

Just came on here for a bit of a rant and to ask if anyone else feels the same way (whether you work in the Civil Service or otherwise).

I work in the Department for Education, and heard today that the Permanent Secretary at the Department for Education was sacked by Boris Johnson earlier. I just feel so frustrated and sad at this.

I absolutely love working as a civil servant (there can be lots of opportunities for positive change both in the jobs people do and in other initiatives encouraged in departments), and the work that departments have done over the last few months (and in general) has been fantastic.

I also am hugely grateful I have a job, as I realise this is a very difficult for lots of people in the U.K. and around the world, and realise I am very lucky to have a job that gives me an income and is relatively stable.

However, I still feel really demoralised at what’s happened to the Civil Service over the last few months.

I think how I’ve felt today has been the build-up of several months of feeling demoralised and uncertain at what this government is doing.

1. Over the last few months, the entire Civil Service has worked so, so hard to achieve what the government wants (I realise this is what we are paid to do). Our jobs have been made more stressful and hectic because of Covid, the lockdown and the mountain of policy or operational challenges brought about by Covid. The sacking of the DFE Permanent Secretary only adds to this negativity and loss of morale.

1. Boris Johnson and his government have now sacked at least 3 top civil servants (the Home Office Permanent Secretary, the Cabinet Secretary and the DFE Permanent Secretary). This absolutely isn’t the way things were or should be done! (This is at least my view - I may be alone in thinking this though!)

I do feel incredibly grateful that we her support systems like unions and we can of course talk to each other, but it just feels like this government has been hindering the Civil Service rather than helping it over the last few months in particular. And it just makes me feel so frustrated and hopeless.

Yes, another scapegoat.

Yay another anti Tory thread we've not had one for ages.

As someone in a profession that the government, media and some parents have made a scapegoat over the lockdown.

I am finding hard to have any sympathy with you.

I do however have sympathy with him.

I have appreciated many like yourself working through the pandemic, thank you and to others like yourself reading.

I am no Tory voter nor a BJ DC fan, unfortunately your boss and others get zero sympathy from me after what I consider their crimes against humanity for their ideological luxury beliefs, destroying families, truth and children's health are morally disgraceful in my opinion, so I am grateful your boss has been removed.

@FrippEnos

As someone in a profession that the government, media and some parents have made a scapegoat over the lockdown.

I am finding hard to have any sympathy with you.

I do however have sympathy with him.

Why don't you have sympathy for the OP? It's not a competition and kindness and empathy isn't a finite resource, if we use some on OP it won't mean there isn't any left for you...

I’m a civil servant in HMRC and I agree.

We’ve worked doubly hard during this

Hardbackwriter

I do empathise with the OP but I do not have sympathy for her.
As far as I can see she is in the same boat as many other professions.

But she is not being made a scapegoat. Someone else is.

@SilkCashmere

I have appreciated many like yourself working through the pandemic, thank you and to others like yourself reading.

I am no Tory voter nor a BJ DC fan, unfortunately your boss and others get zero sympathy from me after what I consider their crimes against humanity for their ideological luxury beliefs, destroying families, truth and children's health are morally disgraceful in my opinion, so I am grateful your boss has been removed.

What does this mean? What are 'ideological luxury beliefs'??

So by the same logic you don't think anyone else should feel any sympathy for teachers? Because I do feel sympathy for teachers, and for OP...

Hardbackwriter

Why are you telling me what I think?
Or who I feel sympathy for?

You have one opinion, I have another.

but lets be honest, who is having a go at the OP?
The answer is no-one.

She works hard, she loves her job, she has support systems in place that would protect her from this happening to her.

I am also in the civil service, different department. This government are terrifying, making scapegoats of anyone they can, getting rid of people who give them advice they dont like, removing comms from individual departments so they can control the 'truth' the public get to hear. Hard to believe this is happening in the UK.

Assume there will be a public inquiry about the government’s covid handling.

If it emerges that the civil servants provided timely, accurate and thorough advice and options, and acted on things promptly, and the issues were mainly due to politicians’ actions (or inaction), then yes, these senior people were unfairly treated.

It’s also possible, though, that the civil servants/organisations did poorly, eg provided late, inaccurate, incomplete information and advice, didn’t flag up issues etc. in which case fair enough for the top people to go.

This is chilling. It's like they are trying to destroy every possible check and balance restraining them from doing whatever the hell they like regardless of the cost to the people of this country. And so far they are getting away with it.

Op I'm a civil servant and I feel exactly the same as you. Its sad and demoralising. Cs worked long hours and moved fast to respond to the unprecedented changes covid required. I personally worked weekends and past 9pm every day in the early stages to deliver what was asked. On top of homeschooling and 3 kids at home. Of course many many workers in all sectors did the same. But for cs to be blamed like this is a slap in the face

@eveningsong it’s one and the same IMO

@HellsBills

I am also in the civil service, different department. This government are terrifying, making scapegoats of anyone they can, getting rid of people who give them advice they dont like, removing comms from individual departments so they can control the 'truth' the public get to hear. Hard to believe this is happening in the UK.

Yep.

You are so NBU. This government hates the civil service. It wants a more American style administration.

Scroll on by @adawong scroll on by!!

Retired Civil Servant here, and I fully agree.
I too hope that he can take legal action against them.

For those who whinge about another anti - Tory thread - do you honestly think that Johnson is a Tory, or a nasty self serving, lying piece of work, in hock to Cummings?

@FrippEnos this is much bigger than the OP's job. This goes to the very heart of our democracy and how we function as a society. Take away an impartial civil service and you take away one of the checks and balances that protect us from an overreaching govt.

YANBU I'm also a DFE civil servant and I'm disgusted that Jonathan has had to move aside in this way.
I think he is now the 7th perm sec this year to leave/move on/whatever and that frightens me. We are meant to be impartial and serve the government of the day (and it's people).
I am absolutely fuming still about DC 's Easter trip when two of my friends couldn't visit their dying parents in care homes.
Him and the PM are acting as though they are untouchable.

Well there had to be a couple of scalps- and apparently it was not to be Williamson.

Nothing is fair in politics, and often the wrong person is got rid of.

Johnson and Cummings made it very clear that this was their intention all along. Dismantling and undermining the civil service.

Rumour is that Gavlar will go at the end of September though - be blamed for whatever happens with return to school

Tories gonna Tory 🤷🏼‍♀️

Take away an impartial civil service and you take away one of the checks and balances that protect us from an overreaching govt.

He wasn't impartial, he was using his position to change society pushing his political luxury beliefs, I view him as incompetent and an attack on democracy, he should have gone.