2 thoughts on “ANDREW NEIL: Final triumph of the New Establishment: Now with a Leftie lawyer in Downing Street, they’ve seized the last piece of the jigsaw…”
And to confirm this Starmer has indicated his Civil servants can call him Keir rather than Prime Minister. Of course he would, as he’s amongst friends with no need to assert his Office because he’s safe from the leaking, insurbordination and outright opposition his Conservative predecessors faced. After all one of their number produced the silver bullet report that shafted Boris Johnson , and then became one of Starmer’s team! Both indicative of who is really in charge, and just why the defeated Government was unable to do much more than slow the advance of the takeover by the public servants. Not for “Keir” the prospects of confected “scandals”, or threats by public servants to strike, or “leaks” or indeed outright and public declarations public servants won’t do as they are told. No Keir is with his mates now, and they will see their power undisturbed (so no need to busily undermine and frustrate Ministers).
I know many see the post mortems by ex ministers as excuses, but the stories of how public policy was thwarted by supposed public servants ring very true.
Justice for Men & Boys 
And to confirm this Starmer has indicated his Civil servants can call him Keir rather than Prime Minister. Of course he would, as he’s amongst friends with no need to assert his Office because he’s safe from the leaking, insurbordination and outright opposition his Conservative predecessors faced. After all one of their number produced the silver bullet report that shafted Boris Johnson , and then became one of Starmer’s team! Both indicative of who is really in charge, and just why the defeated Government was unable to do much more than slow the advance of the takeover by the public servants. Not for “Keir” the prospects of confected “scandals”, or threats by public servants to strike, or “leaks” or indeed outright and public declarations public servants won’t do as they are told. No Keir is with his mates now, and they will see their power undisturbed (so no need to busily undermine and frustrate Ministers).
I know many see the post mortems by ex ministers as excuses, but the stories of how public policy was thwarted by supposed public servants ring very true.
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Thanks Nigel. By “one of their number” you’re evidently referring to Sue Gray, still Starmer’s Chief of Staff:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sue_Gray_(political_adviser)
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