Farage Says to ‘Take On’ Civil Service as Former Minister Labels CMS Powers ‘Incompatible With Natural Justice’

Nigel Farage speaks at the Reform UK conference, in the Hilton Metropole hotel in London, on Oct. 7, 2023. Joseph Robertson/The Epoch Times

LONDON—Nigel Farage has called upon politicians to “take on” the Civil Service as former Minister Ann Widdecombe labelled legislation giving unchallengeable power to the Child Maintenance Service as “incompatible with the laws of natural justice.”

In an interview with The Epoch Times Saturday, Mr. Farage spoke regarding a recent exposé on potential inflation of the debt owed to the Child Maintenance Service (CMS), labelling it “a symptom of a huge problem across so many aspects of our life.”

Mr. Farage, the honorary president of Reform UK and former MEP, specifically targeted the inefficiency of the Civil Service, referring to its bureaucracy as a “plain obstruction,” suggesting that government ministers were hindered from accomplishing their tasks effectively.

During the interview, Mr. Farage expressed concern over the politicisation of the Civil Service, contrasting its current state with the neutrality and lack of corruption envisioned by historical figures like William Gladstone.

He emphasised the urgent need for someone to challenge the Civil Service’s growing political influence. Mr. Farage said, “Someone, somehow, somewhere, has to take on a Civil Service that Gladstone made neutral and non-corrupt, to now being politicised to the most astonishing degree.

“Somebody needs to take it on. But I don’t see either of these leaders, referring to Sunak and Starmer, having the courage to do it.”

Mr. Farage’s comments highlight growing concerns about the functioning of the Civil Service and the need for reforms to address issues related to bureaucracy, neutrality, and political influence within the system.

Legislation ‘Incompatible’ With ‘Natural Justice’

Speaking on stage at Reform UK’s party conference Saturday in London, former Conservative minister Ms. Widdecombe accused legislation under which the Child Maintenance Service is allowed to assess the arrears of paying parents as “incompatible with the laws of natural justice.”

Under the Child Maintenance Support Act 1991, section 33(4), the power of assessing the calculation for what is owed by a parent paying for the support of a child falls entirely under the power of the CMS.

Ms. Widdecombe stated: “The law states that once an assessment has been made by the CMS, it cannot be queried in a court of law.”

She added that she originally “wouldn’t believe it until the actual wording was pointed out to me.”

The legislation states: “the sheriff shall not question the maintenance calculation under which the payments of child support maintenance fell to be made.”

Ms. Widdecombe said, “That is incompatible with the laws of natural justice.”

Last week, Ms. Widdecombe joined Labour’s chief whip in calling for a full public enquiry into the CMS, with doubts growing over the legitimacy of £3.7 billion in inherited debt it is still collecting.

In a scathing critique of the Civil Service, Richard Tice, leader of Reform UK, called for a radical overhaul of the system. Speaking to The Epoch Times in an interview Saturday, Mr. Tice argued that the public had been deceived into believing that the British Civil Service was the “envy of the world.”

He accused members of Parliament of perpetuating this misconception, asserting that the reality was starkly different. Mr. Tice said: “We’ve all been led to believe, over the last few years, decades, that our civil service is the envy of the world. And our MPs are guilty of that.

“The truth is, actually, that they’ve let everybody down over many years. And all they’ve done is grow the size of the civil service, they’ve become incredibly wealthy.

“And they seem to resent the will of the people. They seem to resent, actually, what elected ministers have been elected to deliver, and then they basically put blocks in the way.”

Civil Service Should Move ‘Towards the American System’

Mr. Tice called for a solution inspired by the American system.

He said: “You’ve got to get more towards the American system, where a new Secretary of State … should bring in 15 to 20 smart people from the private sector … [who] make sure that the will of the elected government of that Secretary of State is delivered and ensures that there’s some proper accountability, proper responsibility.”

These experts, Mr. Tice argued, would bring in fresh perspectives, ensure efficient implementation of government policies, and establish accountability and responsibility within the Civil Service.

Mr. Tice pinpointed examples of the public sector’s inefficiency, highlighting projects like HS2 and procurement processes within government departments such as the Ministry of Defence.

He attributed these failures to civil servants’ resistance to change and their inclination to please the private sector entities that hire them post-retirement.

Mr. Tice stated: “Our delivery of almost anything by the public sector costs a lot more. HS2 is one catastrophic example. You need great private sector successful minds to come in and change; that will be transformational. Absolutely transformational.”