Every single person who still cringes at the memory of trying to bullshit their way through an interview or exam question: today, the slate is wiped clean. Set down your burden of shame. Nothing - nothing, I say - could touch this.
This morning David Lammy's Ministry of Justice has launched a new two-year "Public appointments diversity and outreach strategy."
Here are the highlights of what the MoJ has now signed itself up to do:
-An expectation that at least 90% of campaigns achieve demonstrable diversity on sift and interview panels, with panel selection informed by the current diversity of the board and any representation gaps. For the purposes of this measure, a panel will be considered diverse where declared data shows representation of more than one sex, or at least one declared ethnic minority or disabled panel member.
-Explore novel application methods with colleagues across government (e.g. AI sifting, video applications, alternative to CVs) to widen access and reduce bias in the system.
-Host and collaborate on outreach events (virtual and in-person) to demystify the appointments process, especially targeting underrepresented groups and regions with structured pre- and post-event engagement tracking.
-Enhance senior buy-in by identifying a Public Appointee Diversity Advocate and strengthening informal networks of public appointees to support engagement activity and share perspectives on diversity with the Advocate reporting annually on progress and barriers.
-Utilise staff networks and MOJ Champions to raise awareness of public appointments.
-Establish, where appropriate, Steering Groups for boards with poor diversity, involving No10, Cabinet Office, Special Advisors, and other relevant stakeholders who can bring additional expertise, challenge and networks to support more effective campaign planning and outreach, with clear terms of reference and escalation routes.
-Introduce a documented post-campaign diversity review for 100% of campaigns, analysing progression data, panel composition and candidate feedback.
-Use feedback and lessons learned to refine future campaigns, with bi-annual reviews and a full strategy evaluation in 2028.
This warning from the UK’s biggest retailers is a wake-up call for the Government - not that they should need one with youth unemployment going up month after month, and NEETs now over 1 million.
The retailers' message is simple: taking on young staff is more expensive, new employment laws make it more complicated, and the Government’s youth employment schemes aren’t working.
When employers from Aldi to Amazon, IKEA to Primark are all saying the same thing, ministers should listen.
Young people need jobs. Government needs to stop making it harder for them to get them.
So in the blink of an eye, an attempted beheading by a migrant has been turned into a clampdown on freedom of speech by the Labour government. Everything Starmer does is designed to enforce an agenda that no one voted for. As always with him, it’s smoke and mirrors deflection.
The problem we have is that @Keir_Starmer thinks he’s right about everything and anybody that has the temerity to disagree with him is wrong. “I’m not doing this by committee” is the phrase he uses means “I’m right, you’re wrong”. It’s not leadership. It’s the opposite. I found this out on the utterly ludicrous jury trial curtailment plan. He nodded nicely to me and then still appeared to plough on. He’s not up to it. It saddens me as a lawyer, I looked up to him. I thought he was the answer and that he believed in something. He doesn’t believe in anything much. There isn’t a single member of the cabinet that has confidence in him other than those that know once Keir is gone, they are on the backbenches (and let’s be honesty most of them shouldn’t have been in the cabinet at all). If your life’s dream is to be in the cabinet you are in the wrong job. Those that aren’t fussed about being in it should be the ones that are in the cabinet. Doing it for the country and what you actually believe must matter more than doing it for yourself. NOT LONG NOW!
We owe those who serve the UK the kit to do the job and the loyalty to stand by them when it's done. We are failing on both.
I’ve spent my whole time in government making that case. Number 10 will not listen, so I am resigning as Minister for the Armed Forces.
Letter to the PM below.🫡🫡🫡⬇️⬇️
If the distinction between the sexes was a matter of belief, as per Forstater, would not the separation of the sexes in the provision of services be a manifestation of belief, and would then not be unlawful for the State to compel it?
🚨 Today at #LondonTechWeek, Deputy Prime Minister @DavidLammy has announced AI legal assistants for the Crown Court - developed with leading legal experts to speed up justice and cut delays for victims.
🚨NEW: Matthew Doyle attended leaving drinks with No. 10 and Labour Party staff at Labour HQ last week, despite being suspended over his links to a paedophile
[@thetimes]