Servants of the people
Prime Minister David Cameron reminded civil servants attending the Civil Service Live conference earlier this month that they are “the servants of the people of this country. They [the people] are the boss”.
Cameron urged the delegates to join him in bringing on “the people power revolution”, which is aimed at increasing competition, choice of service and improving value for citizens as the government emphasises “democratic accountability”. In response to a delegate’s question about allowing greater risk taking, Cameron acknowledged that the government and civil service must develop a culture around deciding which risks were worth taking. Cameron deferred another delegate’s question about investing in HMRC staff resources to “my good friend [Chancellor] George [Osborne]” but said that simplifying the UK tax system was key to better adherence to tax laws.
