The book considers the Service at the end of a period of reform which began in the 1980s, asking questions concerning the degree of politicization within it during the Next Steps and other reform programmes.

It remains the only comprehensive guide on how civil servants should effectively carry out their duties, hone their communication skills and respond to professional, ethical and technical issues relevant to the job.

This second volume of The Official History of the British Civil Service explores the radical restructuring of the Civil Service that took place during the Thatcher and Major premierships from 1982 until 1997, after a period of confusion and ...

The book also covers changes occurring in the civil service as a result of the Ibbs Report and the Next Steps Initiative, and looks at the relationship between Whitehall and Brussels.

Robert Pyper is Professor of Government and Public Management, and Head of the Division of Public Policy at Glasgow Caledonian University. He is author of The British Civil Service for which this is a fully-revised replacement volume.