Security & Defence

With the appointment of Mark Sedwill, Britain is now on its fourth national security adviser since 2010. Dr Joe Devanny asks whether such churn at the top really makes for effective government

Cressida Dick set to leave Foreign Office director general role to return to policing

Westminster City Council approves proposals for Whitehall landmark despite heritage concerns

Government rejects think tank's calculations which suggest the UK missed target to spend 2% of GDP on defence thanks to unexpectedly strong economic growth

Whitehall insider-turned-academic Richard Mottram says EU referendum and its aftermath underscores the uphill struggle of speaking truth to power

Single Source Regulations Office seeks greater oversight of contracts for non-competitive military goods

Appointments watchdog gives Air Marshal Sir Simon Bollom green light to set up consultancy and accept commissions – one of which involves MoD project

Ministry of Defence perm sec Stephen Lovegrove offers "expertise" to DExEU as Whitehall readies for Brexit – but downplays impact of European Union departure on the MoD's own work

The map of Whitehall has changed considerably in the months since Stephen Lovegrove left the Department of Energy and Climate Change to become Ministry of Defence perm sec. He tells Colin Marrs about the Brexit help his department can offer, the MoD’s role in boosting Britain’s industry and the staffing cuts he’s tasked with making. Photos by Paul Heartfield

Cabinet secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood praises outgoing intelligence chief – who tells ministers he is resigning for personal reasons – for his decades of "dedicated public service"

With the end of 2016 fast approaching, we asked the UK's top civil servants to look back at the year, outline their goals for 2017 – and shed some light on their festive favourites. Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) chief executive Oliver Morley takes part in our annual perm secs round-up​

With the end of 2016 fast approaching, we asked the UK's top civil servants to look back at the year, outline their goals for 2017 – and shed some light on their festive favourites. Stephen Lovegrove, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Defence, kicks off our annual perm secs round-up​