Reform

First appearance at the Public Affairs Select Committee today. Always a nerve-wracking experience – but chair Tony Wright is a great thinker on how we reform Whitehall for the future. My basic argument? Simple. We can’t deal with new burdens by building new bureaucracy. In the 21st century, you don’t have to be big to be strong. We’re reorganising at the Cabinet Office to drive this agenda, and today I welcomed Chris Wormwald as our new director general for public service reform. He’s got a big job ahead.