Starmer’s AI takeover: Unions warn ‘don’t blame civil servants’
Credit: Shutterstock, Martin Suker
Prime Minister Keir Starmer is poised to announce a ‘digital revolution’ in government that will encourage the use of artificial intelligence to handle tasks traditionally carried out by civil servants – with the promise of saving billions for the public purse. But unions are less than impressed, urging Starmer to cool the anti-Whitehall heat.
Under new rules, officials will be told to follow a modern-day ‘mantra’: “No person’s substantive time should be spent on a task where digital or AI can do it better, quicker and to the same high quality and standard.” Starmer believes this approach could free up a whopping £45bn through streamlined processes, even before AI is fully deployed. To bolster this plan, the government will recruit 2,000 new tech apprentices for the civil service.
However, critics warn that the prime minister’s “digital dream” could lead to harsh spending cuts and the scapegoating of civil servants if the transition is not handled with care. Critics argue this is just the same as Elon Musk’s US Doge cutbacks in disguise, with civil servants being progressively phased out in favour of AI. Is it the right move for Britain? Will other European countries follow suit?
Critics are deeply concerned about morale in the civil service, which they feel has been battered by years of criticism from politicians.
Starmer insists the state has grown “bigger, but weaker”, failing to deliver for the public. He plans to slash civil service numbers by well over 10,000 and is eyeing tougher performance management and more performance-related pay to root out underperformers.
Some have likened Starmer’s proposals to Donald Trump’s radical cull of US government workers under his Department of Government Efficiency – Doge – with the outspoken help of Elon Musk. But a No 10 spokesperson rejects claims they are taking a ‘chainsaw to the system,’ calling such characterisations ‘juvenile.’
For now, Starmer remains upbeat, assuring that the chief aim is to strengthen core services through AI and digitisation. As he puts it: “There are up to £45bn worth of savings and productivity benefits, ready to be realised.” The question is whether his disruptive zeal can truly deliver a leaner, more efficient government – or if it will simply cut too deep and spark a high-tech headache for Whitehall.
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