Conclusion

The next year will be pivotal for the fortunes of Keir Starmer’s government. Ministers enter 2025 with a large majority and having had time to get to grips with Whitehall. The outline of their agenda is clear – the last months of 2024 saw the prime minister doubling down on mission-led government, and brought more definition to the concept.

The government has also shown an awareness of what is necessary to make mission-led government work, with both Starmer and Pat McFadden explicitly linking its success to Whitehall reform. So there will be little excuse for a lack of progress this year. 2025 will reveal whether the mission boards will work as intended and if McFadden is serious about adopting a ‘test and learn’ culture. Then by the summer, the spending review will show whether government is truly being reorientated around the missions.

But as this year’s Whitehall Monitor shows, there are longer running challenges in the civil service that cannot be neglected. The problems themselves – from a poorly managed workforce to ineffective recruitment – are well-aired, as are potential solutions. Likewise, the bright spots where progress must be reinforced, such as improving diversity and experimentation with artificial intelligence, are clear.

This year is therefore an important opportunity for Whitehall reform. A government early in its term, with a large majority and an apparent appreciation of both the problems and solutions, having appointed a new cabinet secretary and head of the civil service, has little reason not to begin work immediately. Time will soon be running short.