No.126 - An Excellent Civil Servant Resigns!
Dear James,
Do you ever get angry? You know, suddenly, violently, lose-it-all, red mist angry? Probably never that bad I guess? You seem to be a pretty balanced, middle of the road sort of guy who probably gets frustrated at times - you know, the kids, the missus, small problems at work. But rarely do you lose it all. Or even use anger as a factor of production. As a way to get your point across, to intimidate, to bully, to shout down? I am sure you are not like that James. After all, we’re all British aren’t we? We know that displays of anger are definitely not acceptable in any circumstances. They reveal weakness rather than strength, an inability to win an argument on evidence rather than emotion. Or worse, a deliberate abuse of power to intimidate your opponent. I guess you know where I’m going James? I’m talking about anger as a tool of government policy
Some years ago I was driving from Sudbury in your constituency to Bury St Edmunds. You know the road - it is long and winding and comprises several sections of fast road, interrupted by 30mph zones as it passes through the various villages. I drive according to the rules and speed limits in force. This means that whenever I enter a 30 or 40mph zone, I decelerate to respect the speed rules. On this day I noticed that I was being followed by a very large truck and that whenever I decelerated on entering a 30mph zone he came right up behind me and tailgated me through the villages. After several villages I realised that the guy was angry. He was interpreting my driving behaviour as ‘aggressive’. When we reached Bury, I had to stop at some traffic lights. Suddenly I saw next to my window what I can only describe as a whirling dervish. Or perhaps you know the Hindu deity of Shiva, the destroyer? One of his avatars is Kali, the angry, dancing goddess with six legs and snakes coming out of her body? Kali was now next to my window, apoplectic, incomprehensible, dancing with rage. Now I am not easily intimidated but let’s say I was in minor shock. When he snatched open my door, reached in, took the keys from the ignition and threw them across the roads, all I could do was laugh in disbelief. I simply got out, walked round his vehicle taking note of names and numbers and calmly told him he would be hearing from me later (which he did).
My point is that Mrs Patel is that driver. Given the impossible job of getting her new immigration bill done by Xmas and recruiting countless thousands of new policemen and doctors in the next three years, she has simply lost it. I fear however, that she has not lost it. I fear that she is deliberately employing anger as her tool of choice in her dealings with our Civil Service. And that this policy is coming straight out of the Downing Street of Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings. And it is all predicated upon one premise. That your new party is right. That you have ‘seen the light’, you have won the argument, that you and your party have a messianic role to play in returning our country to greatness. It is the message of charlatans everywhere. It is the ultimate meaning of ‘the end justifies the means’. And in this case the means are shouting, bullying, yelling and cursing. Millions of people in our nation are appalled by what is happening under your government James, and, as a backbencher, you are complicit in it! Whatever has happened to that middle of the road Tory ‘Remainer’ of 2015?
Yesterday Sir Philip Rutnam, the most senior civil servant in the Home Office, resigned in front of cameras saying there had been a "vicious and orchestrated" campaign against him by Home Secretary Priti Patel's office. No one could remember a civil servant taking such a step before. Apparently the Cabinet Office had offered him a ‘package’ to go quietly but this man has real guts. He will make a stand for decency and will be taking the government to a Tribunal for ‘constructive dismissal’. Sir Philip said he had received allegations that Ms Patel's conduct towards employees included "swearing, belittling people, making unreasonable and repeated demands" and that this behaviour had "created fear and needed some bravery to call out". Yesterday he rose to the occasion. We have a new hero in our midst James.
I only wish we could see such courage on the Tory backbenches!
Kind regards,
BH - Your Concerned Constituent