Stupid and ill-conceived! Guaranteed to get an exodus of talent, a demoralised rump, and a public sector hollowed out until only the least mobile staff remain. Classic deskilling cycle dressed up as reform! Humphrey Appleby would dismantle it with that silky, lethal politeness he reserves for Hacker’s worst notions. Something along the lines of:“Minister, if you remove job security, pensions and professional status, you will naturally encourage only the most adventurous graduates to join the Service — those with no particular skills, no long‑term ambitions, and no objection to leaving at the first sign of difficulty. As for asking civil servants to run public events themselves, that would of course be possible… once we have replaced the trained staff you propose to shed, retrained the untrained staff you propose to keep, and reorganised the departments you propose to streamline. In short, Minister, the plan is entirely feasible — provided it is never attempted”!
