Keir Starmer faced accusations of channelling Donald Trump this morning after his sharp critique of the civil service.
Following a rocky first five months in office, the prime minister attempted to rejuvenate his administration on Thursday by unveiling a series of new “missions” and his overarching “plan for change.”
However, his landmark speech also included a pointed attack on Whitehall, drawing significant backlash.
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Starmer remarked, “I don’t think there’s a swamp to be drained here, but too many people in Whitehall are comfortable in a tepid bath of managed decline.”
He further criticized the civil service and political spheres, suggesting that many had “forgotten, to paraphrase JFK, that you choose change, not because it’s easy but because it’s hard.”
In a parallel, Trump has lambasted American civil servants, accusing them of “destroying” the US and labeling them as “crooked” and “dishonest.” Sky News presenter Anna Jones questioned housing minister Matthew Pennycook, suggesting that Starmer was emulating the US president-elect.
Jones asked, “Keir Starmer yesterday was pretty rude about civil servants, wasn’t he? He seemed to be channeling Donald Trump. Do you think insulting civil servants is the right way to make progress?”
The general secretary of the FDA union, Dave Penman, also criticized Starmer’s use of “Trumpian” language.
However, Pennycook defended the prime minister, stating he did not believe Starmer was insulting civil servants “in any way.” He praised the dedication and professionalism of civil servants but acknowledged the need to break down “silos” in Whitehall.
Pennycook emphasized the importance of implementing “stretching milestones” and warned, “We are going to do things differently.”
Starmer’s comments have sparked a backlash among civil servants, with Penman telling the i newspaper, “The language of leadership is important and I think he got it wrong. Try that language as a CEO and see if it boosts productivity.”
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