The Reform UK party has pledged to dismiss top civil servants and eliminate nearly 70,000 officials if it wins the next general election, promising to save taxpayers billions of pounds annually.
A Radical Overhaul of Whitehall
Danny Kruger, the head of Reform's 'preparing for government' unit, announced the plans, stating there would be 'real change' among the 'Permanent Secretary class' should Nigel Farage enter Downing Street. The proposals aim to cut 68,500 civil service jobs, reducing the total salary bill by 17 per cent and generating estimated annual savings of £5.2 billion.
The party has vowed to aggressively trim what it describes as a 'bloated, overstaffed' Civil Service. Specific targets include a 67 per cent reduction in Human Resources (HR) staff and a 50 per cent cut in policy officials. Reform emphasised that the initial phase of its reforms would protect frontline roles, such as Border Force officers, DWP assessors, and HMRC tax investigators.
Targeting 'Woke' Culture and Management Bloat
Instead, the focus is on what the party calls bureaucratic excess. In a stark pledge, Reform committed to 'no more woke, no more DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion), no more bloat, no more fat cat middle managers doing nothing'.
Speaking at a press conference, Mr Kruger clarified the party's intent. 'We clearly can't replace the whole Civil Service, nor would we want to. There are very good people in there…. But I do anticipate quite significant change at the top,' he said. He criticised the senior civil service for presiding over a 'collapse of productivity' and wasteful outcomes despite changes in government.
'So I think there is real change coming at that level, and part of that will be bringing in people from outside to take those roles and to give ministers more authority to appoint and to dismiss the people who advise them,' Kruger added.
Financial Savings and Union Clashes
The proposed cuts are projected to deliver a £4 billion reduction in salary costs and a further £1 billion saved on pension contributions. Mr Kruger stated that the cost of redundancies—estimated at around £60,000 per person—would be recouped within two years. The party also plans to announce later cuts to Quangos.
In a move likely to provoke conflict, Reform is 'looking at closely' Civil Service membership of trade unions. Mr Kruger indicated that existing union agreements would not be allowed to obstruct reforms, potentially necessitating renegotiations of terms and conditions.
Paradoxically, Reform also pledged to increase the bonus pot for 'high-performing' civil servants from £100 million to £500 million, shifting reward away from what it termed 'over-generous' pension contributions.
Criticism and Context
The announcement follows a party review launched in October, which noted the Civil Service had grown by a third over the past decade to 540,000 staff. At that time, Mr Kruger suggested cuts to 'levels it was at before Brexit'—a reduction of about 140,000 people, far exceeding the 68,500 figure now specified.
Responding to the plans, Dave Penman, General Secretary of the FDA union, said it was 'encouraging' Reform recognised civil servants' frustrations. However, he warned, 'the idea you can slash swathes of 'corporate functions' while protecting front line services... is unrealistic.'
A Labour spokesman dismissed the proposals, pointing to Reform's record in local government. 'Nigel Farage has consistently promised massive savings but failed to deliver them in any of the councils Reform runs,' they said, contrasting this with Labour's own actions to cut consultancy and administrative spending.
