Dominic Cummings Articles
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Lack of ‘female perspective’ in No.10 led to women’s deaths during Covid, says former top UK civil servant
A lack of gender diversity among decisionmakers in the UK prime minister’s office meant that women were not adequately considered in pandemic-related policymaking, likely leading to preventable deaths, a former top official has told the Covid-19 inquiry. Helen MacNamara was deputy cabinet secretary – one of the UK’s most senior officials – between 2020 and…
Former UK communications chief blames civil servants for poor pandemic messaging
Downing Street’s former director of communications, Lee Cain, has blamed civil servants for the mixed messages the public received during the Covid-19 pandemic, and reaffirmed his call for a major shake-up that would see the communications profession centralised and staff numbers slashed. In a white paper published by the Institute for Government (IfG) on 4…
UK considers in-house consultancy amidst No10 in-fighting
A new element of the UK’s civil service reform agenda emerged this week, as one of the project’s principal architects announced his departure from government. Dominic Cummings, the former Vote Leave chief who has been PM Boris Johnson’s lead adviser since last summer, told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg on Thursday that he would be leaving…
‘An iconoclastic government’: former DEXEU chief Philip Rycroft on threats to the UK and its democracy
Philip Rycroft ran both the UK’s Brexit department, and Whitehall’s relations with the devolved governments. Now the former permanent secretary is speaking out: the Johnson government, he says, is ‘challenging the democratic basis of our system’ and boosting support for Scottish independence. Interview by Matt Ross “There is no tradition at the UK government level…
UK data strategy signals new cross-government standards
The UK government has published its National Data Strategy, setting out a series of actions to drive progress on civil service data management. Published by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) on 9 September, the strategy includes plans to develop an ‘Integrated Data Platform’ to link up datasets, and signals government’s intention…
Simon Case named as new UK Cabinet secretary
Simon Case is to replace Sir Mark Sedwill as Cabinet secretary and head of the UK civil service, prime minister Boris Johnson confirmed on Tuesday. In May, Case – a former principal private secretary to PMs David Cameron and Theresa May – was seconded from his job as private secretary to Prince William into the…
Crisis response: an interview with Sir Suma Chakrabarti
Suma Chakrabarti, the former UK permanent secretary and EBRD chief, sees opportunities as well as risks amidst the COVID crisis; but western governments, he warns, are fumbling their response. Matt Ross asks his views on global leadership and civil service reform – and learns why he didn’t apply to become UK Cabinet secretary The vast…
Former UK Cabinet Office minister to review department
Francis Maude, who as Cabinet Office minister drove the UK civil service reform agenda between 2010 and 2015, has been invited back to conduct a review of the Cabinet Office as part of prime minister Boris Johnson’s plans to shake up the UK civil service, the Financial Times (FT) reports. Maude led the Cabinet Office…
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Empowering Public Servants to Make Confident, Informed Decisions with Data and AI
Governments around the world are working hard to extract – and act upon – the insights held in their vast data stores, and to embrace AI and the promise it holds for innovation and transformation. At the same time, economic pressures and constrained budgets are compelling public servants to do more with fewer resources, while governments are called to respond quickly and effectively to complex challenges.
Against this backdrop, data and AI can help those working in government both to streamline their workflows and make fast, informed decisions. This in turn drives efficiency and can unlock productivity gains – and ultimately lead to improved performance and better services for citizens.
Global Government Forum surveyed over 600 civil servants worldwide to understand how data and AI are being used in government decision-making and where there are further challenges and opportunities.
Read this report for insight into how governments are using data and AI in decision-making today and the potential for the future; the major challenges to using data and AI in decision-making and how to overcome them; and how AI agents can be used in decision-making.
The report includes examples of data and AI in decision-making from countries including the UK, Ireland, Australia, Canada, Singapore, the US, and more.
(Published September 2025)
Making Government Work: Five Pillars of a Modern, Effective Civil Service
Around the world, governments are dealing with substantial challenges – from economic stagnation to the transition to net zero, military conflicts and cyber threats. Governments are also grappling with shifting geopolitics and the rise of populism – and all of these factors are set against the emergence of new technologies, including generative AI, which have the potential to fundamentally transform every aspect of society, but which also pose huge ethical, security and regulatory questions for the public sector.
The Making Government Work: Five pillars of a modern, effective civil service report was undertaken to help identify the key characteristics needed in a modern public service, with priorities ranging across leadership, digital service delivery, workforce development, cross-departmental integration, and citizen trust.
This report has been covered by publications around the world including the Financial Times, BBC Radio 4’s PM programme, Ottawa Citizen, Fed Manager, the Mandarin and the i newspaper.
(Published August 2024)
The Future of the Finance Ministry
From setting tax rates and financial regulations that create the ground rules for national economies, to allocating – and tracking – spending for public services, finance ministries occupy an essential role at the centre of government. Geopolitical crises have reinforced the importance of finance ministries, as they tackle both immediate shocks and long-term trends such as ageing populations, the digital transition, and the impact of moves to net zero.
Against this backdrop, this global research explores what the future finance ministry looks like and how to prepare for it.
Based on interviews with 10 senior leaders from finance ministries – led by John McCarthy, chief economist in Ireland’s Department of Finance, working with Ian Hall, editor, Global Government Finance, and Richard Johnstone, executive editor, Global Government Forum – the study identifies four key themes: the evolving role of the finance ministry in response to uncertainty; the shift to more flexible finance systems that support outcomes; digital transformation and the growth of AI; and the battle for talent and trust.
(Published May 2026)
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