Alex Thomas
Programme Director
Alex's recent work
Liz Truss blaming the deep state is an excuse for failure
Liz Truss's deep state delusions are undermining any serious argument she might make.
The PCS challenge on arms sales to Israel shows the strengths and limits of civil service unions
Civil service unions have a particular responsibility to show restraint on political activity.
Declining fast stream applications are a warning sign for the civil service
The fast stream is one of the UK’s best graduate schemes.
All work
In-house government consultants won’t solve underlying civil service problems
Stung by criticism that it is wasting vast sums of money on external consultants, the government wants to build its own readily deployable team
10 ways for Boris Johnson to reset his government
How the PM can make the period After Dominic more successful than the last 10 months.
No10 needs a chief of staff with the clear authority of the prime minister
The prime minister should be looking for a top adviser who can exercise authority on his behalf with subtlety and skill
Moving out: making a success of civil service relocation
The government’s plans to relocate 22,000 civil servants out of London will benefit recruitment but do little to “level up” the north-south divide.
Government communications fall flat over The Great British Bake Off
Dodgy tweets erode trust in government communications
England’s patchwork quilt governance is not strong enough for a crisis like coronavirus
England’s ad hoc governance structures are too reliant on politicians muddling through
Crossing the line
By introducing legislation that breaches international law the government is putting civil servants in an impossible position.
Decision making in a crisis
This report examines decisions made in three areas: economic support, Covid-19 testing and the lockdown.
The biggest challenges for the new cabinet secretary are coronavirus and civil service reform
The question is whether Simon Case can lead the civil service through coronavirus, Brexit and its own reforms
Confusion over local coronavirus lockdowns shows a government failing to learn from mistakes
The government needs to get slicker at imposing local lockdowns