Policy

The Institute for Fiscal Studies, the Institute for Government, and the Chartered Institute of Taxation say the UK's tax system suffers from "too little sense of direction, consultation or evaluation"

Ed Balls, Jacqui Smith and Jack Straw are among the latest former ministers to lift the lid on their dealings with the civil service. Suzannah Brecknell reports

PCS union says plan to move organisation employing more than 4,000 civil servants into the private sector appears to have been "quietly dropped" after it fails to appear in the new Neighbourhood Planning Bill

Treasury resistance hampered early planning, while over-stretched senior officials failed to spot warning signs that the project to overhaul benefits was failing, according to an in-depth report published by the Institute for Government

Martin Donnelly (pictured) will lead the new Department for International Trade for a transitional period, while former DECC perm sec Alex Chisholm takes on the expanded business department

Britain's former top civil servant argues that we must “push back” deadline for achieving budget surplus in light of post-referendum economic uncertainty

Treasury committee chair Andrew Tyrie wants a return to publishing Treasury analysis that shows how policies will impact household incomes

Tax experts and industry bodies urge rethink on plans to make public sector bodies, not contractors themselves, responsible for applying rules known as “IR35”

Equalities and Human Rights Commission paints stark picture of differing outcomes for ethnic minority groups and urges government to join up disparate initiatives

New prime minister wants new Spad pay to be capped at £72,000 a year unless signed off by Number 10

Institute for Government's latest "Responsiveness Ranking" paints a mixed picture of the way departments respond to requests for information

Latest bid to change the culture of the civil service sees 4,000 top officials asked questions on their background