The Whitehall civil service, according to a Cabinet Office minister, requires a transformation to align with Keir Starmer’s missions and tackle issues from the frontline. Georgia Gould, a former Camden council leader and recent Labour MP, emphasizes the need for civil servants to be more familiar with the difficulties faced in healthcare centers and family hubs. Gould aims to bridge the gap between policy makers and operational staff, allowing them to collaborate, share data, and innovate solutions for citizens who often fall through the cracks of different public services.
In order to achieve this, the government will be basing Starmer’s health mission in Leeds, his opportunity mission in Sheffield, and his growth mission in Darlington. Civil servants will work alongside local authorities and frontline workers to pioneer new approaches. This follows the Cabinet Office’s announcement that major government buildings in Whitehall will be closed, with 12,000 civil servant jobs moving out of London.
Gould believes that the integration of civil servants within their communities will lead to more effective policy making. She acknowledges the need for change, as some regional campuses of civil servants remain disconnected from their communities. Gould draws from her experience in Camden, where the council transformed children’s services under her leadership. She emphasizes the importance of engaging with frontline staff, who possess valuable knowledge about what works and what doesn’t.
Gould’s approach to public service reform is focused on empowering civil servants to test new methods and address barriers created at the center. She is excited about the enthusiasm of civil servants, although they also express concerns about the traditional way of doing things. Gould is the daughter of a prominent New Labour architect and has a background in public sector procurement and reform. She sees the value in cutting waste through efficient procurement, but also believes that innovating based on frontline experience can lead to cost savings.
Gould cites a personal experience of assisting someone with dental anxiety, highlighting the potential for human-centered approaches to save money and improve outcomes. She does not view artificial intelligence as contradictory to providing human-based services, arguing that it can streamline paperwork and free up frontline officers’ time. Overall, Gould’s vision aims to create a more collaborative and innovative civil service that is responsive to the needs of communities.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/jun/14/civil-service-is-too-remote-from-peoples-lives-across-uk-says-minister
