Public Accounts Committee MPs have said the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs should take advantage of wide-ranging plans for regulatory change and consider merging the Environment Agency with Natural England.
In my experience, in the civil service, once the axe is hovering, the competent people will leave quickly for new jobs whilst those who know they would never survive in the private sector hang on for grim death, using every trick in the DEI/mental health playbook. Thus, over time, the corporate IQ dips ever downwards. When my own (totally useless) regional office was completely closed, very few of the middle to higher grades (HEO-G5) found new jobs. There were even a few suicides. It’s a totally fake work environment.
My grandfather was a farmer. He told me about the first time the "Men from the Ministry" came around to tell him what to do with his farm. Both of the 'officials' were men personally known to him. Both of them had been farmers - and had gone bust. There's no expertise at DEFRA except that relating to their own arcane regulatory metaverse, and you can bet your bottom dollar they've offloaded the talent and kept the dross
There are too many management levels in the civil service and clerical grades could be replaced by AI.
I gathered data for investigations and prosecutions of fraud. Twenty plus teams of 12 were employed (240 staff) plus a further 30+ managers.
I reckon perhaps a staff of 20 including managers and techies could do the job better and faster.
More prosecutions would require more staff but AI could present data in readily usable format for the courts thus reducing clerical grades.
With a little modification and easing of legislation over data collection, an AI computer could gather more data, faster/more accurately, fighting fraud.
AI can deliver massive reductions in staff numbers initially amongst clerical grades but as cases diminish, reducing senior grades too.
Its a matter of using new think over tasks rather than adaptation.
From my business experience in Telecoms, the formation of Ofcom out of Oftel to include broadcasting and media was and is an absolute disaster. Initially there was little difference, but after a while, real specialist knowledge got lost and it became a political and spin tool, too focused on media, so yes I'm slightly sceptical of merger!
I'm just applying good old common sense when I state the UK state will continue to limp on unchanged until the nettle is grasped to cut the annual welfare bill, excluding the old age pension, of £145 billion and virtually cut the annual expense of approx £50 billion a year on Net Zero policies.
That total of circa £200 billion compares to a defence budget of only £60 billion
As a country all our priorities are wrong which is why as Pete outlines the best we can do is arrange the deck chairs on the Titanic and like that ship we are sinking fast. .
In my experience, in the civil service, once the axe is hovering, the competent people will leave quickly for new jobs whilst those who know they would never survive in the private sector hang on for grim death, using every trick in the DEI/mental health playbook. Thus, over time, the corporate IQ dips ever downwards. When my own (totally useless) regional office was completely closed, very few of the middle to higher grades (HEO-G5) found new jobs. There were even a few suicides. It’s a totally fake work environment.
My grandfather was a farmer. He told me about the first time the "Men from the Ministry" came around to tell him what to do with his farm. Both of the 'officials' were men personally known to him. Both of them had been farmers - and had gone bust. There's no expertise at DEFRA except that relating to their own arcane regulatory metaverse, and you can bet your bottom dollar they've offloaded the talent and kept the dross
There are too many management levels in the civil service and clerical grades could be replaced by AI.
I gathered data for investigations and prosecutions of fraud. Twenty plus teams of 12 were employed (240 staff) plus a further 30+ managers.
I reckon perhaps a staff of 20 including managers and techies could do the job better and faster.
More prosecutions would require more staff but AI could present data in readily usable format for the courts thus reducing clerical grades.
With a little modification and easing of legislation over data collection, an AI computer could gather more data, faster/more accurately, fighting fraud.
AI can deliver massive reductions in staff numbers initially amongst clerical grades but as cases diminish, reducing senior grades too.
Its a matter of using new think over tasks rather than adaptation.
So
What you're saying is
Organisations funded from tax payer funding aren't fit for purpose.
Because they need more funding ?
Fuggedaboudit
That's not what I'm saying at all. The point is accountancy and deckchair shuffling will not lead to efficiency. Targeted policy will.
Sorry, Pete, but I'm losing the will to live with all these posts on the civil service. Wake me up when you get to something interesting. Thanks.
From my business experience in Telecoms, the formation of Ofcom out of Oftel to include broadcasting and media was and is an absolute disaster. Initially there was little difference, but after a while, real specialist knowledge got lost and it became a political and spin tool, too focused on media, so yes I'm slightly sceptical of merger!
I'm just applying good old common sense when I state the UK state will continue to limp on unchanged until the nettle is grasped to cut the annual welfare bill, excluding the old age pension, of £145 billion and virtually cut the annual expense of approx £50 billion a year on Net Zero policies.
That total of circa £200 billion compares to a defence budget of only £60 billion
As a country all our priorities are wrong which is why as Pete outlines the best we can do is arrange the deck chairs on the Titanic and like that ship we are sinking fast. .
OK, so you've forced my hand!
https://alfredtheo.wordpress.com/2026/03/25/the-rearrange-party/