Mandarins routinely take Fridays off and sometimes can’t spell ministers’ names. Why does this go on?

It’s a fact that most ministers are most scared, not of their political rivals but of their civil servants. Ministers know that if they cross civil servants, all of their foibles may soon end up in print. It’s one reason why politicians so often repeat the mantra ‘Our civil service is the best in the world,’ so as to keep on their good side.

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TaggedAlistair Darling, Civil Service, Francis Maude, Iain Dunacn Smith, UK politics Universal credit

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Mandarins routinely take Fridays off and sometimes can't spell ministers' names. Why does this go on?

People like Francis Maude have been condemned for pointing out the inefficiencies of Whitehall. But change could be coming

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