A sweeping reform will prohibit Civil Service managers from recruiting new personnel solely focused on enhancing equality and inclusion efforts.
A new directive revealed by The Telegraph indicates a crackdown on Civil Service spending deemed as “woke” by Whitehall, aiming to curb what’s seen as the covert politicisation of the Civil Service.
Mandarins will be instructed to refrain from hiring personnel solely dedicated to diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. This overhaul will eliminate designated diversity roles within Whitehall, requiring managers to integrate existing DEI-focused staff into broader human resources functions.
Cabinet Office Minister Esther McVey has been vocal by what she sees as a troubling diversion of focus towards what she terms “woke hobby horses,” diverting attention from core duties.
In a piece for The Telegraph, she underscores concerns about the significant amount of time and resources allocated to DEI initiatives within the public sector. She states:
“Indeed, we have some employees in the public sector whose only role is to ensure that departments are meeting diversity targets.
“Time and money which should be spent on the core purpose of the public sector – delivering for the public – is being wasted on woke hobby horses and I’m determined to stop it.”
Moreover, she states there will now be strict regulations on departmental expenditure related to external DEI organisations, consultants, or campaigns. McVey emphasises the lack of transparency and proven effectiveness of such programs, indicating that future spending in this area will require explicit ministerial approval.
Following a review prompted by the Chancellor, which revealed substantial spending on diversity roles across Whitehall, McVey says she plans to interrogate department heads and quangos regarding the benefits of this expenditure for taxpayers.
In her Telegraph piece McVey asserts that diversity within the Civil Service should extend beyond race and gender to encompass a variety of backgrounds and perspectives, emphasising meritocracy. She questions whether excessive spending on advice from “equality professionals” aligns with taxpayers’ expectations of efficient public service delivery.
The government’s concerns about the growing influence of diversity initiatives have led to previous actions, including withdrawing from certain schemes and initiating reviews of diversity networks. Plans are also underway to refresh guidance on civil service impartiality to prevent officials from engaging in political activism through their roles.
These moves come amid fears within the Civil Service of what’s described as a “woke takeover,” with concerns raised about the influence of certain ideologies on government policy and impartiality.
