Top UK Civil Servant Says Whitehall Is Too Risk-Averse

Antonia Romeo delivered a lecture outlining a new approach to managing the performance of civil servants, aiming to reward top performers and take decisive action on poor performance. She stated that fundamental reform is essential to improve productivity given tight fiscal constraints and global uncertainties. The plans include reducing staff churn, encouraging the responsible use of artificial intelligence to cut bureaucracy, and streamlining public services. A government spokesperson noted support for her vision to create a future-fit civil service.