Monday 10 March 2008

Civil Serf

Damn! I seem to have missed out on something interesting! Sadly, until today, I'd never heard of a blogger called Civil Serf, but from what I've read of her(?), the loss is entirely mine.

According to the Times (and just about every other news source, too), "The Civil Serf - as she calls herself - claims to be a 33-year-old fast-stream civil servant ready to expose the daily chaos of the Labour government machine while lampooning ministers and highlighting the idiocy of mandarin colleagues. There are also moans about drunken advances from the opposite sex. "

Foolish behaviour and sex-mad politicians? Yep, that sounds pretty close to the mark. Unfortunately, her bosses seem to think so too. Her blog has been pulled offline, and, so says a spokesman for the Department of Work and Pensions, nobody has yet been disciplined but there are suspicions as to the blogger's identity.

Disciplined? Sounds a bit radical, doesn't it? Well, yes, maybe, but then you have to realise that Civil Serf has been taking the lid off some very touchy subjects. Like the forthcoming budget, for example, about which she said, "High up on the list will be both child poverty and incapacity benefit. On these issues the little ‘p’ politics between my director-general and our private office has reached fever pitch with one accusing the other of scaremongering about spiralling costs. I’m getting restricted e-mails, night-time meetings and all sorts of other shenanigans."

She, if it is a she, of all people should know that the Labour Party, and the pathetic Government that it pretends to run, do not like it when their dirty little secrets get out. They will figure out who she is, and they will... well, what will they do? The Civil Service has a code of conduct, of course, and no doubt disciplinary action could be take against her. But won't that make her a martyr? If they don't set an example, won't others follow in her footsteps? Won't they do that anyway? And what of the need for revenge? Ooooh, the degree of hand-wringing must be almost unbearable for those in the know, and respect is definitely due to this blogger for bringing it about!

And, of course, there's always the risk that other people will find out who she is, offer her a lucrative contract and let her write what she likes about the hitherto-unmentionable oddballs who think they run the country. That must be the scariest prospect of all - in the know, out of their control and (reasonably) well paid to be scathing about the shoddy way this country is run. You can see why they're screaming for disciplinary action, can't you? Pity there's no chance of any befalling Gordon Brown-Trousers just yet.

Good on you, Civil Serf!

Billy Seggars.

No comments: