Windrush victims may be unhappy but Philip Rutnam was right to quit over MP bullying

Sir Philip Rutnam: he was contractually obliged to carry out the orders of the Tory government; he didn’t make those orders.

The Guardian has published a comment piece criticising Sir Philip Rutnam for his decision to quit as permanent secretary – de facto boss of civil servants – at the Home Office over bullying by Priti Patel.

Columnist Amelia Gentleman reports that some consider it offensive that, by contrast, he could preside over – for example – the “hostile environment” that led to the Windrush Scandal with no concerns.

The criticism is understandable, but wide of the mark because of one fundamental point:

Civil servants put into effect the decisions of Parliament. They do not have a say in those decisions.

So Sir Philip had to enact the policies of David Cameron, Theresa May and Boris Johnson that created the “hostile environment”, Windrush and all the other scandals because, as a civil servant, he had no choice.

Ms Gentleman suggests that he should have spoken up to get the Tories to change the harsh – racist, in my opinion – policies that they were ordering him to carry out. But who says he didn’t?

That would have been a private discussion that he or his officers would have had with the relevant Tory MPs. We would not have been told about it because civil servants put into effect the decisions of Parliament.

The decisions of Parliament, of course, are mostly dictated by the government of the day, and we have a Tory government.

And who has been able to persuade a Tory to change their mind?

But leading civil servants do have a duty to protect their subordinates and themselves from mistreatment.

So, if the allegations are correct, Sir Philip was right to highlight that civil servants in his department, including himself, had been mistreated by Home Secretary Priti Patel; to point out that this behaviour apparently had the support of the prime minister; and to take legal action over it.

It might be an uncomfortable fact, but a fact is what it is.

If you’re angry about a government policy, don’t blame the civil service for it.

Blame the government you elected.

Source: Victims of the Windrush scandal have little time for complaints about bullying at the Home Office | Amelia Gentleman | Opinion | The Guardian

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5 Comments

  1. SteveH March 4, 2020 at 12:25 am - Reply

    It is worth noting that on Tuesday evening BBC2 Newsnight exposed a third allegation against Patel (2 minutes from start of the program)

  2. Tony March 4, 2020 at 9:15 am - Reply

    Priti Patel and others 2012:

    “The British are among the worst idlers in the world. We work among the lowest hours, we retire early and our productivity is poor. Whereas Indian children aspire to be doctors or businessmen, the British are more interested in football and pop music. ”

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Britannia_Unchained

    • Mike Sivier March 4, 2020 at 3:22 pm - Reply

      She was then proved to be one of the laziest MPs of the lot.

  3. The Toffee (597) March 4, 2020 at 9:40 am - Reply

    Or, on the other hand…

    It could be the case rutnam actually designed and advised on the implementation of the windrush (and other) policies.

    Maybe patel was so angry at him because of windrush she ‘made life difficult’ for him. after all, she’s the daughter of immigrants, too, y’know?!.

    PS. Those mushrooms tasted funny…

    • Mike Sivier March 4, 2020 at 3:20 pm - Reply

      If he did advise on the implementation of Windrush, he was still doing his job. Responsibility for the policy being implemented ultimately rests on the electorate for electing Conservatives.

      Your comment about Ms Patel suggests that those mushrooms were very odd indeed.

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