The Civil Service looks and sounds both wet and dim

Sir Philip Rutman has resigned as chief pen-pusher at the Home Office and I say 'good riddance to bad rubbish'!  Of course, I say that with absolutely no knowledge whatsoever as to the sundry disputes between him and his minister, Priti Patel.  Even so, I do understand the basics which is that the minister rules and the civil servant obeys unless it is a matter of principle.  So far, there has been no indication of such a serious rift, merely an indication that the smug, useless servant has obstructed or even, possibly, disobeyed the instructions of his boss. 

The boss, of course, is under the instruction of us, 'the Peeps' because it was us that, in effect, voted for her based on what she and her Party had proffered at the election.  The opinions of her chief quill-pen sharpener is of some interest given his time and supposed expertise in the job but only up to a limit.  After that, the minister acts and the pen-pusher does what he is told.

I suspect, that the pompous and pathetically weak but weaselly Sir Phillip Rutnam has forgotten his place in the scheme of things.  He is the pen-pusher and Ms. Patel is the one who tells him what to write!  End of!  We, 'the Peeps' will, in due course, exact our judgment on her.

 

 

 

Comments

[Whitewall]

Our "administrative state" to put it decoratively is so smug that they believe they run policy in too many government agencies. The quaint Madisonian notion that the Executive sets policy and the agency heads and pencil pushers carry out whatever policy is. Too many of ours ignored the Chief Executive to the point where he was forced to fire or demote some. In turn, the Chief found himself under a plot to be overthrown by the "deep state", the media and the opposition party in Congress.

The Civil Self Servants really don't like to be interfered with.

[Backofann]

By the rules of the Guardian Reading Class, Rutnam is a Racist Mysogonist!

[Pat]

I see that Rutnam started in the Treasury, then got a promotion into Transport. It is not obvious that Treasury civil servants are expert on Transport. He then got moved to the Home Office. I find it difficult to believe that he had relevant expertise there.
It's like having a banker promoted to run a transport company and then moving into law- with no retraining required.
If the Civil Servants are not experts, why should Ministers listen to them?

[Backofanenvelope]

Their problem is that we have all seen Yes Minister!

[Glesga]

I reckon Boris was shafted by the civil service over the prisoner Ratciffe Iran affair. It was clear he not properly briefed by them.

[Loz]

Can't wait 'til DomBo's "weirdos and misfits" take over from the Sir Humphrey's. That'll really get everything sorted and some spectacular results - like total effing meltdown.

Running Blighty like a Bolshevik state is always going to turn up the worst leaders and commissars.

Blue socialism in action: same outcome, different coloured flag.

SoD