Current Affairs EU In or Out
- Thread starter micknick
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Old Blue 2
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This guy is a civil servant. There is a code of conduct for all civil servants to follow. From what I am seeing, I don't believe he is following all that he should.
To tell his staff to speak up, is something that is fine, internally. Even then, a lot of staff will not speak up for fear of being taken to task by superiors. It's the way the civil service works, even though the public may think otherwise.
To even talk publicly about working issues, or to have the contents of an internal e-mail made public, does not equate to public service. In the ordinary course of events, that would lead to the invoking of internal disciplinary procedures. However, whether that applies to a diplomat is another matter altogether.
'Boots on the ground' does not bring with it the right to talk about anything and everything concerning the job, and the complete range of duties, and the in-depth duties carried out. It is why civil servants sign the Official Secrets Act...
The last bit of that Ivan Rogers email/letter:
For my part, I hope that in my day-to-day dealings with you I have demonstrated the values which I have always espoused as a public servant. I hope you will continue to challenge ill-founded arguments and muddled thinking and that you will never be afraid to speak the truth to those in power. I hope that you will support each other in those difficult moments where you have to deliver messages that are disagreeable to those who need to hear them. I hope that you will continue to be interested in the views of others, even where you disagree with them, and in understanding why others act and think in the way that they do. I hope that you will always provide the best advice and counsel you can to the politicians that our people have elected, and be proud of the essential role we play in the service of a great democracy.
Very apt for this thread.
For my part, I hope that in my day-to-day dealings with you I have demonstrated the values which I have always espoused as a public servant. I hope you will continue to challenge ill-founded arguments and muddled thinking and that you will never be afraid to speak the truth to those in power. I hope that you will support each other in those difficult moments where you have to deliver messages that are disagreeable to those who need to hear them. I hope that you will continue to be interested in the views of others, even where you disagree with them, and in understanding why others act and think in the way that they do. I hope that you will always provide the best advice and counsel you can to the politicians that our people have elected, and be proud of the essential role we play in the service of a great democracy.
Very apt for this thread.
Well I personally don't want him in the hot seat in the EU negotiations when he was fluffing up pre negotiations before the referendum with PM DC - should have been sacked for that alone the doom monger he's been replaced no time to move on and get out of the EU - His criticism on his resignation summed him up as disrespectful to the out vote!
I was only following orders, your honour.
So any criticism of anything is 'disrespectful'?
Old Blue 2
Player Valuation: £40m
Ah yes, Befehl ist Befehl! Carries no weight in the British Civil Service, unfortunately...
He was a Remoanersr - been replaced not missed him never will, the other guy is a remainer but has vast experience back to the Russia affairs !
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peteblue
Welcome back Wayne
No, but being a German sympathiser in WW2 doesn't qualify you for being a UK/German negotiator either........horses for courses.....
peteblue
Welcome back Wayne
The thing is that all of these words and views are drilled into our civil service. So the question has to be asked why he felt the need to lecture his staff on standard practice. Did he feel that they would not continue to behave properly or was he putting words into the public domain (he knew it would be leaked) to make himself look good for his next job. This was a self serving note, done for no ones benefit but his own..........
Here's something for you to think about.
Say now you work for a company, and you want to do a bit of negotiating with one of your main suppliers in regards to pricing.
Are you going to...
- Try to get along with them, reason with them and seem like you're effectively "one of them"?
- Or, go in all guns blazing with someone that doesn't even believe in what they're negotiating with?
Don't think it was disrespectful at all, and probably not meant for the public like his comments of it could take ten years to sort a trade deal with the EU.
As the highest serving civil service in the EU he might be right for all we know.
peteblue
Welcome back Wayne
It's the wrong scenario. We need to do a deal that benefits both the UK and the EU, we do not need to antagonise anyone, but neither do we need to be afraid to walk away from the negotiations as the Eu trades more with us than we do with them. We need a negotiator that knows how to convince others what is the best deal for everyone.....if we do a good deal then excellent, if we can't then we walk away and revert to WTO rules, either way we will prosper..........what we don't need is a one sided deal agreed by an EU supporter........
peteblue
Welcome back Wayne
It was self serving. At best he was proposing that his contract be extended, at worst he was following the Eu line.......
He was telling the team to act how civil servants should, and question the MP's if need be.
Nothing wrong with that.
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