We need a government where our staff are freed up from unnecessary form filling and bureaucracy, and are using tech to get stuff done quicker. Great to speak civil servants at the @fdaunion.bsky.social conference this lunchtime on how I want us to do that and continue the hard work together.

I argued Radio 4's PM that the political turmoil we’ve seen demonstrates why an impartial and permanent civil service works. Ministers come and go but the work of government needs to continue.

Congratulations to the FDA Ofsted Section, winners of the Collective Impact Award for their work to deliver the FDA's 'Beyond the Framework' report, highlighting the value of HM Inspectors and pushing to tackle excessive working hours.

Congratulations to Matt Brown from DWP Branch, winner of the Individual Impact Award for his tireless work to improve health and safety across DWP offices.

Congratulations to Anna Whittaker from Welsh Government, winner of the 2026 FDA Wendy Jones Equality Award, presented by Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister @darrenpjones.bsky.social

Responding to a question from @fdagensec.bsky.social on how civil servants can be expected to take risks after the sacking of Sir Olly Robbins, @darrenpjones.bsky.social said: "We do as ministers want civil servants to take more risk but it has to be a shared risk."

"Our job as ministers is to give you the tools that you need to succeed" Referring to the FDA and @thefabians.bsky.social Adopt, Innovate, Transform report, @darrenpjones.bsky.social announced new AI training for civil servants to "seize the promise of technology" to improve public services.

Telling ADC he wants the civil service to "prize delivery of real world change" as much policy development, @darrenpjones.bsky.social announced that every department across Whitehall will be setting up new senior led delivery teams to "help identify barriers" and make it easier to escalate to No.10.

Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister @darrenpjones.bsky.social opened his address to ADC by thanking FDA members "for your service and all of your work" and defending the impartiality of the civil service as one of the "foundations of our democracy".

At this year’s ADC we are pleased to be joined by Political Editor of the i Newspaper Caroline Wheeler for an ‘in conversation’ discussion on the state of the political landscape.

“It is what you do Prime Minister, not what you say, that matters.” At our Annual Delegate Conference, FDA General Secretary Dave Penman warns that “trust is required for good, effective, and agile government. But I’m afraid that trust is in short supply”.

We’re hiring! As an FDA National Officer you’ll have the opportunity to join a strong, pragmatic union representing public sector professionals working in the civil service and parliaments across the UK. Apply by 5pm, Monday 18 May. www.fda.org.uk/news/job-adv...

Speaking to TalkTV, @fdagensec.bsky.social says: "Evidence has been given to parliament to show there's no difference in productivity whether you're working from home or working in an office."

FDA National Officer for Wales Jane Runeckles joined Professor John Curtice, @akashpaun.bsky.social and former Chief of Staff to the First Minister of Scotland Liz Lloyd tonight @instituteforgovernment.org.uk to discuss what the 2026 devolved elections will mean for Scotland, Wales and the UK.

"What makes a good and efficient government is stability, clear priorities for ministers and the right resources and skills to be able to deliver for the public" Speaking to Channel 5's Storm & Alexis show @fdagensec.bsky.social pushes back against claims that hybrid working damages productivity.

"We hear from civil servants and members... where their plans have had to be put in the bin" because "they don't have their pension money" FDA's Adrian Prandle discusses the human impact of the civil service pensions crisis, as members have their family, medical, and financial plans "shattered".

"I think one of the important things that needs to happen next is... how people are going to be held accountable for the problems" FDA Assistant General Secretary Adrian Prandle speaks to @skynewsrss.bsky.social about the current crisis with the administration of civil service pensions.

Speaking with Stephen Nolan, @robertmurtagh1.bsky.social agreed there should be transparency on NICS sickness absence but criticised the language being used, stressing "the cost of sickness absence in the civil service is 0.1% of the overall budget... this is not the cause of our budget issues."

"The restructure must not leave the department deprived of the staff or skills needed to deliver the government’s UK aid policy" FDA's Simon Hardcastle reacts to IDC report warning that the proposed reorganisation could impact UK's ability to influence. www.civilserviceworld.com/professions/...

To mark International Workers' Memorial Day, the FDA attended a ceremony at the Health and Safety Executive. FDA rep in HSE James Keating laid a wreath on behalf of the FDA.

Speaking at the @brightblueuk.bsky.social and @thefabians.bsky.social #TechSummit, FDA Assistant General Secretary Lauren Crowley tells attendees that the stand out finding from our recent research is how willing the civil service is to use AI.

Day 1 of TUC Black Workers Conference in Bournemouth draws to a close. The FDA delegation in attendance moved our motion on tackling micro-aggressions in the workplace.

"Over the longer term, it's really damaging to the reputation of the government and its ability to get things done" @fdagensec.bsky.social tells @itvnews.bsky.social about the damage done by sacking Sir Olly Robbins.

"All you need to do is see what happened last week when they unpacked what was in Mandelson's vetting file. 48 hrs later it was on the front page of The Guardian" Last night @fdagensec.bsky.social told @vicderbyshire.bsky.social of the difficulty of politicians getting involved in security vetting

“I don’t think anyone is going to conclude that Olly should have been dismissed or treated the way he was. It was completely unjustifiable, and yet that’s what happened”, @fdagensec.bsky.social tells @rowenamason.bsky.social

"Come into government, work, and be thrown under the bus when it's politically convenient." @fdagensec.bsky.social tells @skynewsrss.bsky.social what message the treatment of Sir Olly Robbins sends to other public servants.

At the heart of this debacle we have seen the unceremonious dismissal of a public servant who, as I said to @lbc.co.uk, has dedicated his career to the work of government and the protection of our national security.

As I told @lbc.co.uk, Sir Olly Robbins outlined today that there's a reason the vetting process is kept separate from ministers - to protect the integrity of the process, and ultimately national security.

Following the unacceptable issues arising from the civil service pension scheme transfer to Capita, Assitant General Secretary Adrian Prandle outlines the FDA’s ongoing work to ensure members get the support they need as quickly as possible. www.fda.org.uk/news/never-a...

Your career deserves protection 💼🛡️ That’s why thousands of professionals choose the FDA for advice, representation, and peace of mind when they need it most. Join today and make sure you’ve got the right support behind you. #JoinAUnion #WorkplaceSupport #CareerProtection

"Civil servants are not ‘blockers’, standing in the way of progress. Given the right conditions, they are ‘builders’, ready and willing to innovate to improve public services." @sasjkia.bsky.social on the findings of our research into AI in the service: www.civilserviceworld.com/professions/...

You would think from some of the commentary out there that, instead of Dame Antonia Romeo, the cabinet secretary, publishing her objectives on Tuesday, she had instead authored her own version of the Communist Party Manifesto. My latest column for @civilserviceworld.bsky.social

FDA members get free access to a range of professional development opportunities, from leadership and management training to career development support and wellbeing webinars 📚 Find out more: www.fda.org.uk/fdalearn/ #JoinAUnion #CareerDevelopment #CivilService #ProfessionalGrowth

FDA General Secretary Dave Penman has responded to Zack Polanksi's call to abolish Ofsted. "These are dedicated public servants going above and beyond to ensure children are receiving a high quality education in a safe environment. They deserve better from political leaders."

FDA National Officer for Northern Ireland @robertmurtagh1.bsky.social has responded to the written ministerial statement made by Minister for Education Paul Givan this afternoon:

This past weekend, FDA delegates at TUC Young Workers’ Conference moved motions calling for better support for young carers and improving understanding of workplace pensions. Read more about the conference and our delegation on our website 👇 www.fda.org.uk/news/fda-del...

“Govt’s stated desire to move fast and fix things can only happen if civil servants are given proper access to the tools and training they need to truly deliver a smarter state”, says @fdagensec.bsky.social of FDA’s new report with @thefabians.bsky.social www.civilserviceworld.com/professions/...

Following the signing of a partnership agreement with Transport for Wales, FDA National Officer Jane Runeckles said it was an opportunity to “shape industrial relations in the long term" and "organise around key workforce issues." FDA Head of Organising Deri Bevan signed the agreement for the FDA.

Co-author of Adopt, Innovate, Transform @sasjkia.bsky.social outlines the report’s main 5 asks of government to help encourage successful AI adoption:

The FDA’s Research Intern and co-author of the new FDA/Fabian Society report on the use of AI in the civil service, Aoife Donaghy introduces ‘Adopt, Innovation, Transfomation’, based on a survey of 2,000 civil servants.

The launch of our report on the adoption of AI in the civil service, in partnership with @thefabians.bsky.social, takes place this evening, with what promises to be an insightful discussion on how this technology can be adopted to deliver public services more efficiently:

There is “no real evidence that the civil service would get in the way”, @fdagensec.bsky.social tells @civilserviceworld.bsky.social. “Every civil servant knows they have to serve the government of the day. It’s absolutely clear – you serve or you go.”

Responding to calls to cut the public sector workforce by 10%, FDA National Officer for NI @robertmurtagh1.bsky.social says that “the civil service is reflective of the political realities”, and plans to change its shape and size need to be led by a consistent vision for public services in NI.

FDA Assitant General Secretary Adrian Prandle tells @theipaper.com that members who have experienced delayed pension payments "deserve to be repaid for their full losses". inews.co.uk/inews-lifest...

"An ideological purge does not make for good government. You would lose experience and institutional memory, but you would also send a message to the rest of the civil service that they are not trusted." - @fdagensec.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Following the announcement of his re-election as General Secretary, @fdagensec.bsky.social told @civilserviceworld.bsky.social that the FDA has “never been in a stronger position to face the many challenges facing the civil service”. www.civilserviceworld.com/professions/...

"In most areas of workforce policy – from performance management to recruitment – the government rightly emphasises evidence-based decision making. Hybrid working should be no exception." FDA Assistant General Secretary Lauren Crowley on govt's missed opportunity to make hybrid working a success.

“Pursuing headcount reductions & efficiency targets without a plan for what skills need to be retained for the future is counterproductive & staff know this.” FDA's Lauren Crowley responds as People Survey 2025 shows staff conerns about transformation. www.civilserviceworld.com/professions/...

Great to hear John O'Dowd MLA, Minister of Finance in the Northern Ireland Executive, with responsibility for the NICS, address the FDA Northern Ireland Conference on the scale of the fiscal challenge in NI and need for a fairer financial settlement combined with transformation of public services.

"If space is under used, the solution should be practical: making better use of offices or repurposing them, not suggesting civil servants are failing in their duties" FDA' Allan Sampson on the realities of hybrid working for civil servants Scottish Govt. www.heraldscotland.com/news/2586745...