Part 9/14:

The civil service, with its 80,000+ employees, holds significant sway over policymaking. The tendency for permanent secretaries to "run the country" limits elected officials’ control, entrenching the status quo. Consequently, nothing fundamentally changes, leading to public disillusionment.

The Need for Radical Structural Reforms

To turn the tide, several big-ticket reforms are crucial:

• Repeal Legislation such as the Equality Act 2010 and the Human Rights Act—laws that, while well-intentioned, complicate decision-making and have, at times, led to harmful unintended consequences like local government bankruptcy.