They told the paper that “civil service stability” will be important for delivering Labour’s aims in office, if it takes power after the next general election. Former senior civil servant Sue Gray, who oversaw the report into pandemic-era rule-breaking in Downing Street, is among the top figures advising Sir Keir ahead of the next nationwide poll. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer (Jacob King/PA)An election must be held by January 2025, but Rishi Sunak is expected to call an election next year. He said that there already is a “default minimum length of service for a director-general in the civil service at four years”. A Government spokesperson said: “All appointments go through rigorous processes, based on merit and through open and fair competition, as set out in the Civil Service Commission’s recruitment principles.

Source: The Times December 29, 2023 10:19 UTC