Rees-Mogg gets tough on Remoaner civil servants – Issues ultimatum on blocking Brexit laws
Jacob Rees-Mogg grilled on backing for Liz Truss by Burley
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Mr Rees-Mogg, who was first elected to the Commons as the MP for North East Somerset in 2010, instigated a probe into whether Ministers’ decisions are being properly implemented. It will also look into whether officials are “extracting maximum value from taxpayers’ money”, the Telegraph has revealed.
The investigation, known as the Governance and Accountability review, will be chaired by ex-Trade Minister Lord Francis Maude.
The review will also evaluate departmental experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr Rees-Mogg said: “The public rightly expects the Government to be a well-oiled machine, with clear lines of accountability ensuring the Government is making the best decisions possible and extracting maximum value from taxpayers’ money.
“Lord Maude is uniquely qualified to lead this review.
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“Leveraging his vast experience of public sector reform will help us learn lessons from the pandemic and better deliver on the British public’s priorities.”
Lord Maude also said: “I am happy to accept the Government’s invitation to conduct this review.
“The way Government makes decisions, how they are implemented, and how Ministers and officials are held to account, are all essential to delivering good outcomes for our citizens.
“I will seek views from current and former Ministers and civil servants and will draw on lessons from other Governments.”
The review comes after civil servants were accused of “standing in the way” of Government policy, including over the Rwanda immigration plan.
The Brexit Opportunities Bill, which vows to cut £1billion of EU red tape for British businesses, has been highlighted as another key example of a policy which has been frustrated by civil servants.
Mr Rees-Mogg’s intervention comes just weeks after Attorney General and ex-leadership hopeful Suella Braverman accused civil servants of holding a “Remain bias”.
Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith also urged civil servants to “stop moaning” about Brexit and get on with it.
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The Chingford & Woodford Green MP, who campaigned for Brexit in 2016, told Express.co.uk: “They have got to recognise now that we did Brexit and that means enthusiastically embracing it.”
However, Mr Rees-Mogg, who was demoted from his post as Commons leader by Boris Johnson in February, also announced the Government would reduce its civil service headcount by about 65,000.
The announcement comes after the number of civil servants soared following the Brexit referendum and coronavirus pandemic.
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