Tories subjecting civil servants to ‘stream of ill-informed criticism’ over Brexit, Whitehall union says

A row over the civil service and Brexit has erupted

Whitehall (nataliej/Flickr)

Trade unions representing civil servants have hit back at attacks on their profession by eurosceptic politicians over the handling of Brexit.

Dave Penman, the general secretary of the FDA trade union, which represents the senior civil service, said Whitehall workers had been subjected to a “stream of ill-informed criticism”, while the PCS warned a Tory critic was “missing the point”.

Bernard Jenkin is the latest Conservative to hit out at the civil service, writing in a newspaper article on Friday civil servants should either adapt to the new Government’s approach to the EU or resign.

“It is not politicising the civil service to insist that the UK ambassador to the EU understands and will implement the government’s policy on Brexit,” the chair of the Public Administration Select Committee had argued.

The latest attack comes after a string of eurosceptic Tories criticised civil servants for their attitude to the EU. Iain Duncan Smith said in November that lines had been “blurred and broken” during the referendum campaign while colleague Steve Baker said the “entire civil service machine” had been mobilised as a campaign device by Remain.

The general secretary Mr Penman however said Mr Jenkin did not need to remind civil servants of their duties – accusing him of joining a “stream of constant ill-informed criticism”.

“Every civil servants knows, from day one, that they serve the government of the day, regardless of political colour. It’s rule number one, so they do not need reminding by Bernard Jenkin or any other politician,” he said.

“As is now clear, even before the referendum result was known, civil servants had begun the Herculean task of preparing for the possibility of exit.

“Every day, hundreds of civil servants are working to support the government's negotiation to exit the EU, despite being starved of resources and subjected to a stream of constant ill-informed criticism from some politicians.”

A spokesperson for the PCS trade union, which represents civil servants more generally, said: “Jenkin is missing the point about the nature of the complaints coming from the civil service.

“They’re not about whether civil servants agree with this or that policy, but about capacity.

“Expertise at all levels has been seriously compromised by six years of Tory cuts and the obvious solution is to invest in people and skills.”

The row over the civil service was reignited after the resignation of the UK’s top ambassador to the EU, Sir Ivan Rogers, resigned, citing the possibility of “muddled thinking” by the Government in a farewell letter to his staff.

Sir Ivan was dismissed by Mr Duncan Smith, the former Tory leader, as someone who could no longer be trusted to be closely involved in the Brexit process.