Civil Servants to Get 3.5% Pay Rise
The UK Cabinet Office has set a 3.5% pay uplift for civil servants in the 2026‑27 pay remit, giving departments flexibility to allocate the increase based on workforce needs. Unions welcomed the headline rise but criticised the absence of a clear pay‑progression pathway for delegated grades. A voluntary pay‑compression framework was introduced to tackle low‑paid staff whose wages have lagged behind the National Living Wage. Departments may also propose up to a 1% extra uplift for reforms affecting fewer than 500 staff, subject to a fast‑track approval process.
Civil Service Pay: 'We Could Be on the Brink of a Breakthrough', Union Boss Says
FDA general secretary Dave Penman told the union’s annual conference that civil service pay reform is nearing a breakthrough after years of stalled negotiations. He highlighted a new partnership with the Cabinet Office and the Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB)...
DfE Creates New ‘Digital and Infrastructure’ DG Role
The UK Department for Education (DfE) has announced a senior Director General role for Digital and Infrastructure, offering a £200,000 salary (about $250,000). The position will unite digital, AI, data, analytics, and estates functions to drive a "step‑change" in how...
Public Sector AI Productivity Claims 'Require More Robust Evidence'
The Ada Lovelace Institute released a briefing warning that UK public‑sector AI productivity claims lack robust evidence. It argues that single‑study estimates are driving billions of pounds in spending, workforce planning, and long‑term technology lock‑ins. The paper highlights methodological flaws, industry...
Harriet Harman to Help 'Drive Culture Shift' In Civil Service Through New Women-Focused Role
Veteran politician Harriet Harman has been appointed as the prime minister’s special adviser on women and girls, tasked with driving a cultural shift in the civil service to boost opportunities for women. The move was announced by Prime Minister Keir...
Civil Service Union Reps Secure ‘Radical’ Facility Time Boosts
The Civil Service Facility Time Framework, released last month, expands paid "facility time" for union representatives to include union conferences, learning and other activities, not just core negotiating duties. It removes the previous hard cap of 0.1% of a department’s...
ICO Publishes Guidance to Help Public Bodies Handle AI-Generated FOI Requests
The UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has released new guidance to help public authorities manage the surge in AI‑generated freedom of information (FOI) requests. Requests climbed to a record 94,526 in 2025, up from 83,041 in 2024, driven by tools...
Care Quality Commission Offers £220k Salary for Next Chief Exec
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has opened a recruitment drive for a new chief executive, offering a salary of £220,000 (about $280,000). The regulator, a non‑departmental public body with a £300 million (≈$381 million) budget and roughly 3,300 staff, has lost two...
New Civil Service Code ‘Should Target High Performance’
The UK civil service is set to overhaul its 2005 code after a Re:State think‑tank report urged a shift toward high performance. The draft proposes five core values—integrity, excellence, ownership, courage and openness—to replace the current focus on impartiality alone....
FCDO Faces New Strike Ballot over Restructure
The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union will re‑ballot staff at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) from 18 May to 22 June after a March‑April vote fell short of the 50 % turnout needed to legalise strike action. While 76.9% of...
Two Locations Shortlisted for Great British Railways HQ
Great British Railways (GBR) has narrowed its permanent headquarters search to two sites in Derby: the city‑centre Becketwell regeneration area and the existing Midland House opposite the station. The Becketwell option is part of a £200 million mixed‑use scheme that will...
Departments Can Learn From Success of Bank of England Tech Programme, MPs Say
The UK Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee highlighted the Bank of England’s nine‑year, £431 m (≈ $550 m) overhaul of its Real‑Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) system as a benchmark for successful digital transformation. The modernised RTGS now processes about £790 bn (≈ $1 tn) of payments daily...
FCDO: Report Warns of Need to Invest in Staff and Systems
International Development Committee released a report warning that the UK’s plan to slash Official Development Assistance to 0.3% of GNI by 2027 could backfire without a robust staffing strategy. The committee highlights a proposed 42% reduction to centrally managed programmes...
MoD Planning 'Phased Approach' To Ajax Restart
The UK Ministry of Defence announced a phased restart of the troubled Ajax armoured vehicle programme after investigations found no single cause for soldiers' noise‑vibration symptoms. Phase 1 will resume limited trials with existing vehicles under strict controls, while Phase 2 will...
Government Should Merge More Small Public Bodies, Report Urges
The Public Accounts Committee released a report urging the UK government to accelerate merging small public bodies into larger organisations. It notes that past reforms have focused on large entities, leaving many low‑risk quangos burdened by heavy reporting requirements. Consolidation...