GovWire

INTRODUCTION

Public service.

Easily said - and for many - its meaning easily conjured in the mind: a commitment to assisting others - a calling or purpose.

Sadly, for some, it is a concept that provokes suspicion and cynicism.

For me, public service inspires thoughts not at the conceptual level, but of the people themselves: those who choose just that - the service of others, the service of a nation.

And all those who do, in my view, deserve thanks.

These are the men and women who put themselves in the arena, as Teddy Roosevelt put it (and Ill come back to that later) - whether it be in politics, the Civil Service, the Armed Forces, the emergency services, our National Health Service, local government and beyond.

Our nation could not have survived and prospered without these people who put themselves forward for public service.

But equally, our nation would not have survived and prospered had those people not adapted to the times - to the global, economic, societal and technological trends, opportunities and pressures.

Our public servants and their institutions have always had to find the right balance between continuity and change.

And that same pressure to find the right balancing point between the past and the future is as acute now as ever.

This evening, I would like to share with you some of the characteristics of one of the breeds of public servants - or maybe one of the tribes, if you think as an anthropologist - the Civil Service - and how we are reshaping ourselves.

As Edward Bridges offered in his portrait of our Service in 1950 and Richard Wilson - here with us tonight - revisited in 2002, I would like to offer my own sketches of the people and virtues evident today.

I will do this through vignettes, drawn from my interactions with a number of individual civil servants.

Like Bridges and Wilson, and others here tonight, as Cabinet Secretary I have sat at our particular intersection of the Civil Service with politics, the military, royalty and faith; the private sector, public services, education and many other organisations.

Like them, time and again - when confronted with a problem - thought and imagination have been required, to reach for either lithe or muscular solutions, depending on the circumstances of the day.

And all thirteen of us who have held this post - soon to be fourteen, with Chris - have been able to draw on the strengths of the Civil Service the distinctive inheritance, character and values through which it has provided enduring support for governments down the ages.

Bridges may well have been astonished by the speed of the modern world and how quickly his beloved Service has to respond and react.

But I am also sure he would immediately recognise and admire much else about the organisation

our enduring inheritance that is passed between the ranks, from veterans to new recruits

our storehouses of experience and philosophies, filled and refilled to meet the demands and expectations of successive governments.

The pride with which we serve ministers and the country.

And our commitment both to continuity and to change.

The volatile global context, the relentless evolution of technology, the increasing public expectations of the services we provide, and many more factors - they all require us to adapt and flex.

We must show our determination to meet these 21st century challenges.

We must be determined to solve problems across departmental and organisational boundaries, and beyond Whitehall and Westminster - a particular priority under this mission-driven government.

For we are, in part and with others, stewards of the core essentials for our nation and its citizens:

Economic growth that benefits the whole country;

Public services that suit the needs of their consumers;

The preservation of the United Kingdom;

Upholding the rule of law;

And, maintaining strong defences, built on the cornerstone of our nuclear deterrent, our security and intelligence agencies and our long-standing alliances with partners.

To be those stewards - better stewards - we must remain relentlessly curious; improve our skills and knowledge particularly in science and technology - and be open to changing how we design and deliver public services.

But we must also make sure that we represent the vital enduring values of the UK and be the constant, at times of political turnover and transition - whether in rapid or slower time.

When, as in 2022, we had three prime ministers in less than two months, and the fifth in six years, the Civil Service helped manage the transfer of power from leader to leader.

The opposite of rapid turnover also places a unique responsibility on us.

Where the electorate has decided to keep one party in power for very long periods, the change - when it comes - requires the Civil Service to support people with no or limited experience of government.

At every handover, civil servants are there, delving into the storehouses of knowledge, to support a new regime at the elbow.

In this role its been my honour to serve two sovereigns, four Prime Ministers and as of today nearly 130 Cabinet Ministers.

Having occasionally felt like the weight of some of the world was on my shoulders, I now gladly let that perceived burden - hopefully more lightly - rest upon the capable shoulders of others.

What I will miss - the undoubted highlight and privilege - has been serving alongside so many remarkable public servants around the country and in our overseas posts; and with counterparts from close allies and partners around the world.

Together, weve dealt with Brexit, a pandemic, wars, a change of reign, economic emergencies and an unprecedented demand for modern public services.

And for all that we spend time talking about our institutions - actually it is the combined experience, wisdom, strengths - yes, and weaknesses - of the people within, that determine our collective successes and failures.

I have seen so many individuals display unbelievable tenacity, ingenuity and adaptability, whilst sacrificing their personal interests for the good of others.

I have come across far more shining lights and bright sparks than damp squibs.

And thanks to them, during my period as Cabinet Secretary there have certainly been more ups than downs. Truly motivated people doing wonderful things, in pursuit of their nations and communities interests.

My regret at having to step down is tempered with pride when I reflect on their achievements.

And the contemporary sketches or Portraits - plural - that I will share with you this evening are of some outstanding civil servants. Not my Magnificent Seven but my Magnificent Eight.

A mix of ages and backgrounds, seniority and professions.

But they all have a particular quality that makes them best-in-class.

Key character traits which I have observed that speak to the balance of continuity and change.

Seizing opportunity, protecting impartiality; selflessness. They are inspirational, connected, innovative, responsive and committed.

And above all, like so many others here tonight, they are passionate about public service.

And as long as we keep hiring people with these characteristics, and can persuade them to stay in the organisation, I shall remain optimistic about the future of the civil service and the country we serve.

Its through people like this that the Civil Service creates impact and re-earns its right to exist.

And for those who are cynical about public service, or war-weary about whether government can help solve the major challenges we face as a nation - I offer these civil servants as a human antidote.

So, charcoal in hand, let me begin sketching

PORTRAIT ONE - SEIZING OPPORTUNITY

It is an enormous wrench that, in leaving the Civil Service, I am also having to give up my dream job.

No - not the current one.

My secret dream job.

One I have hankered after since a visit to Porton Down.

Behind the wire, highly secretive research goes on into chemical and other weapons, and fatal diseases such as Ebola, the plague and for a time a brand-new coronavirus called Covid-19.

Bec is an apprentice, working on the frontlines of keeping the United Kingdom and her citizens safe.

Bec is my first portrait subject - and she exemplifies opportunity.

We must keep creating it; and attracting people like Bec who seize it, and run with it.

When we met, Bec was working on a remotely-operated underwater vehicle.

It was a way to get Navy divers out of the water and away from danger while still neutralising a threat.

Remarkable work in itself but for me what was also interesting was Becs account of winning her apprenticeship in the first place.

She had been keen on engineering at school but an old-fashioned teacher snuffed out her career ambitions. The workshops no place for girls, he told her.

Ironically, Bec would find a role at DSTL - in its staff nursery. And when she began chatting to a scientist who came to pick up his child, her yearning for engineering resurfaced.

She told me how the scientist drew a DNA helix in the sandpit as he described his work - sharing his passion and expertise; seeing her interest and reciprocating.

Bec was inspired to look up more jobs on ou

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