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The announcement was made in an interview with the BBC by Pat McFadden, Cabinet Office minister. It came on Sunday, ahead of major Whitehall reforms set to be unveiled this week.
“The central civil service would and can become smaller,” he said.
In a separate statement, McFadden said the Labour government would launch a digitalization campaign. Under the initiative, 10% of all civil servants will be assigned to digital or data-related roles within five years.
“No time should be spent on a task where digital or AI can do it better, quicker, and to the same high quality,” he said.
Bloomberg notes that under Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the Labour government has prioritized boosting productivity to close the “hole in its finances.” The civil service overhaul will align with government cost-cutting plans, which Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves is expected to outline in a statement on March 26.
McFadden also noted that Brexit and Covid-19 had led to increased government hiring. He said reducing staff size aimed at getting “bang for our buck.”
Additionally, the government will introduce a “package of welfare changes” to address the rising number of people dependent on state benefits.
In December, Bloomberg reported that the UK government plans to cut more than 10,000 civil service jobs. The reductions will include a series of voluntary departures after the number of civil servants exceeded 513,000 in 2024 — an increase of 34% since 2016.