A sweeping reorganisation at the government's top-secret defence science facility, Porton Down, has severely damaged staff morale and hindered critical scientific work that underpins national security, a senior whistleblower has disclosed to the Guardian.
Organisational 'Limbo' Hits Morale and Productivity
The insider warns that the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), an arm's-length body of the Ministry of Defence, has been left in a state of paralysing uncertainty. This 'limbo' is a direct result of a restructuring programme that involved 'deleting' hundreds of jobs and forcing employees to reapply for their positions.
The whistleblower stated that this process has significantly impacted both morale and productivity, hampering vital research and potentially jeopardising safety protocols. DSTL's work is crucial to UK security, having played key roles in responding to the 2018 Salisbury novichok poisoning and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Staff Surveys Reveal Deep-Seated Problems
The concerns raised are supported by leaked internal data and trade union sources. DSTL's most recent staff survey showed its 'engagement index' had plummeted to a historic low of 43%. This compares poorly with a 57% score for the wider National Armaments Director group and 64% for the civil service overall.
Furthermore, a separate safety survey placed DSTL in the bottom 1% of benchmarked organisations across both the public and private sectors on the question of whether staff felt they had adequate resources to work safely.
'A Decade to Recover From Losses'
The whistleblower painted a stark picture of an organisation distracted by internal restructuring for over nine months. "We have been unable to do real science at times," they said. "The organisation is concerned about the shape of itself, it has lost its priority of science and technology to support our country."
They warned that the demotivation and subsequent exodus of specialised staff could have long-term consequences: "The losses will take a decade to recover from. They are treating us like a bunch of replaceable people in grey suits when we are a diverse team of world-leading science experts."
The Ministry of Defence did not dispute that morale had been affected but stressed there had been no redundancies due to the job deletions. A spokesperson said DSTL, now part of the National Armaments Director group following wider defence reforms, was meeting key requirements, citing recent successes like the DragonFire laser trial.
However, the whistleblower's account suggests the internal turmoil at one of Britain's most sensitive scientific establishments may be undermining its core mission to protect the nation from evolving threats.
