Unelected Officials - becoming a UK disease!

[Foxholer]

While Public Servants have never been elected, they have always been responsible to their Ministers.
It now seems, at least to me, that the PM and his Advisors (aka Cummings) are now having a significant influence on whether current incumbents are acting 'in the interests of this government' and simply ejecting those that don't 'conform'!
The possibility of creeping dictatorship - by those we haven't actually elected nor can be held responsible (aka Advisors) - looms!
With Parliament pretty much stymied, it's only 'the Press' that is really in a position to challenge dodgy changes in the Whitehall 'power' structure! And they haven't been particularly visible in that area!

 

[Lord Tyrion]

To counter that, civil servants are not elected. The people can not remove them if they attempt to block the wishes of the elected government. There is a fabled image of senior mandarins steering the country but what right do they have to do that unopposed? What if the direction they want to steer is not the same as the elected govt?

Governments have had advisors for a while. Whilst we can not remove the advisor we at least have the ability to remove those who appoint them, thus removing them ultimately.

 

[fundy]

We need another politics thread, said no one on this forum ever!

 

[IanM]

Creeping dictatorship? If only we had regular General Elections!

The Civil Service need to respect the ballot box a bit more. That's a whole subject on its it's own

 

[CliveW]

The Civil Service need to show respect, full stop! Today in a picture on the BBC news with Boris shaking hands with Sir Mark Sedwill, Cummings can be seen in the corner wearing a tee shirt and jogging pants whilst the rest are suited and booted.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

That’s not Boris, but someone wearing one of that cardboard head masks with the eye cutouts....