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As the civil service responds to the immense challenges of  the coronavirus pandemic, they have achieved something incredible - leaving Dave Penman (almost) lost for words

Only the prime minister can address the growing fracture in the relationship between ministers and officials. But will he?

The Conservative Party’s newfound interest in the north of England could be a game-changer for civil servants. Or it might just be a passing fad

Dominic Cummings view of the civil service seems Frozen in time. Ministers and advisers need to realise its strengths in any reforms to avoid alienating a talented workforce

Dear Santa…

Next month’s election is an opportunity to fix the nation’s broken politics, but politicians must rise to the challenge by remembering the reasons they chose this job in the first place 

The Brexit-driven drama of Westminster ratchets up daily, but civil servants must be allowed space to do their job in safety, says FDA union chief

Dominic Cummings is sending signals out across government about how he plans to operate. But even the most high-profile special advisers have no real power – they only speak with the authority of their political bosses.

Taking a stand for civil service impartiality is more important now than at any time in the past 100 years

In these unprecedented circumstances, we should ditch the convention of confidentiality around civil servants’ advice to ministers – for the good of us all, says the FDA general secretary

Now Remainer voices have joined the fray, civil service values are under attack like never before

If set up properly and honoured, pay review bodies deliver better results for officials. Now all we need is for ministers to stop ignoring their advice…

The FDA has been batting for the values of the civil service for a century. This role remains as critical as ever, says general secretary Dave Penman

There’s some Brexit semantic skirmishes as the cabinet secretary and the civil service chief exec appear before PACAC. Dave Penman watches it so you don’t have to

At a time of turmoil in government, the latest trust rankings for top professions provide a fillip for civil servants – and for trade union bosses

Now court documents have disclosed the backstory to this year’s pay guidance, civil service bosses need to rework their script, says the FDA general secretary

The Northern Ireland Renewable Heat Incentive Inquiry shows what can happen when these values are undermined, writes the FDA chief

The lack of consultation over civil service pay has meant that trade unions have had to turn to the law to get the government to the table. It shouldn’t be this way, says the head of the FDA

FDA general secretary says ministers must step up and champion their civil servants after "contemptible” process led unions to call for Treasury pay guidance to be withdrawn

The UK’s exit from the European Union will affect countries beyond our borders. A conference in Dublin brought home to me the impact on our nearest neighbour

Politicians work within a hierarchical system where they are arbiters of their own fate – but the hierarchy itself can provide a solution to the harassment problem

The departure of the director of public prosecutions is just one example where public servants have faced scrutiny from a hostile media. It is time ministers had the courage to challenge unwarranted media attacks

Officials continue to serve the public interest despite DExEU’s Mr Lover Lover and a dodgy double act in the Commons

As the pay cap is being lifted for other parts of the public sector, SCS pay reform needs ambition and commitment, not aspirational blather

Two Cabinet ministers have effectively accused civil servants of politically-motivated attacks. They cannot hide behind anonymous sources to attack hard working government professionals

The system for civil service pay has turned into both a farce and a disaster. The government must lift the 1% cap and take action to address the gap with the private sector

If the UK’s negotiations to leave the European Union are at risk of bombing, it is down to the political uncertainty, not officials working in difficult circumstances

Hollywood has lessons for the long-running compensation scheme saga, but there's no guaranteed happy ending

Summer recess spurns all kinds of stories, but the international development secretary’s splash on ‘crazy’ Whitehall salaries was particularly cowardly

Policies without adequate funds for implementation are little more than hot air, says the FDA general secretary

Recording the extent of Whitehall's long-hours culture is the first step to a better deal for civil servants