AI should replace the work of government officials that can take the same standard under new rules that have urged unions to warn unions to stop criticizing civil servants’ issues.
As part of his plan to reshape the state, the Prime Minister on Thursday outlines how the digital revolution can save the government billions of pounds.
Authorities are told to adhere to the mantra “Digital or AI should not be spent on tasks that can make it better, faster, and the same high quality and standard.”
In his speech, Starmer claims that even before AI is deployed, the use of digital methods in Whitehall could save more than £45 billion.
But with the bursa cut this spring’s spending review, Dave Penman, general secretary of the FDA’s Senior Civil Service Coalition, said:
He said civil servants welcome the commitment to more support through digital transformation, but the government “needs to set the details of how we can provide more with less.”
The priorities on reshaping the nation have surprised unions who fear civil servant jobs and are also concerned about morale among authorities after years of demonising them as counterproductive by Tories.
“It’s right for the Prime Minister to set up an ambitious agenda for transforming public services with digital and AI tools, but… I feel that many civil servants are looking for substance and using language of condemnation rather than transformation,” Penman said.
“We’re looking forward to seeing you in the future,” said Mike Clancy, General Secretary of Prospect Union. “While civil servants are not hostile to reform, these must be done in collaboration with staff and unions. We urge everyone in the government to avoid the inflammatory rhetoric and tactics seen in the United States and to make it clear that reform is to strengthen not undermining civil servants.”
Clancy said it is right to use technology better in public safety, but added that he finds it difficult for the government to compete for the skills needed to provide this agenda under the current wage system. That’s why prospects are campaigning for more wage flexibility to recruit and retain experts in areas such as science and data.
“The government should also do more to take advantage of talented professionals who are already free to use, many of whom have worked for regulators and other agencies that have been hungering for funding in recent years.”
In Starmer’s speech, he also vows to reduce regulations and reduce some Quanggo, taking on the “cottage industry of checkers and blockers that slow delivery for workers.” The government has a new goal of reducing the costs of regulations by 25%.
The priorities diagnose the UK’s problem that the state is “larger, but weaker” and does not provide its central purpose.
“The need for increased urgency will not be clear. Security and updates will need to move faster,” he says. “Every pound, every regulation, every decision must be provided for the people working…
“If we’re pushing for digitalization of government services, we’re ready to make it happen with savings worth up to £45 billion worth of productivity benefits.”
In the US, Donald Trump has embarked on a radical programme that fires government workers under the new government efficiency (DOGE), advised by billionaire businessman Elon Musk.
Starmer’s Government wants to reduce the size of the state and cut the number of civil servants significantly by more than 10,000. Cabinet Secretary Pat McFadden said on Sunday that the government is ready to throw away low-performing officials and bring more stringent performance management requirements to place more emphasis on performance-related salaries.
The Guardian revealed Tuesday that it is gaining close attention to proposals raised by workers, a think tank with close ties with the government, to rebuild the nation under a plan called the “Project Chainsaw.”
The nickname for the project is a reference to Elon Musk’s stunt, which equips a chainsaw to represent a controversial government cut for Donald Trump’s administration.
A Starmer’s Press spokesman said Wednesday that no 10 people have rejected the “boy’s traits” of the plan as a way to cut the nation.
“There’s no approach here that we’re chainsawing into the system,” she said.
