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Boris Johnson threatens to ‘privatise the a**e off’ Swansea’s DVLA in Cabinet meeting

26 Apr 2022 2 minute read
Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves 10 Downing Street, London, to attend Prime Minister’s Questions. Photo by
Jonathan Brady PA Images. DVLA Swansea image by Sarah Morgan Jones.

Boris Johnson has threatened to “privatise the arse off” the DVLA and other public bodies unless they start delivering better services, according to government sources.

The threat comes after Minister for Government Efficiency Jacob Rees-Mogg said that the DVLA could be shut down in comments reported over the weekend.

The DVLA is one of the largest employers in Wales, with over 5,000 staff in Swansea.

In comments leaked to the Evening Standard, the Prime Minister asked the Cabinet to provide examples of ways the cost of living crisis could be alleviated, before promising to tackle the  “post-Covid mañana culture” at some public bodies.

Another body singled out for criticism was the Passport Office which has been hit with an unprecedented surge in applications as many families plan to take their first summer holiday since the pandemic this year.

One Whitehall source told the Telegraph newspaper over the weekend that there had been a “total failure” by the DVLA “to provide the public service it is meant to”.

Last week, Jacob Rees-Mogg told Bristol Live he was “still constantly writing to the DVLA on behalf of my constituents to get them driving licenses, and we know that the DVLA was simply not working properly with people working from home. That’s very unfair on my constituents.”

Jacob Rees-Mogg has embarked on a drive to end the work from home culture in the Civil Service.

The Public and Commercial Services Union meanwhile have been critical throughout the pandemic of the DVLA’s insistence that staff are unable to work remotely. Last year members staged 58 days of strikes in response to what they called “unsafe” working conditions.


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Nobby Tart
Nobby Tart
2 years ago

If this happens, then be prepared to have your details, both drivers and medical, sold off to anyone who wants it.

Carol Loughlin
Carol Loughlin
2 years ago

So rather than identifying the reasons for the public service failings, ie government initiated staff cut backs, and putting things right Boris once again takes the easy option of passing the buck to someone else. When public services are adequately funded and supported by the government they are infinitely better than being run for the benefit of the shareholders under private ownership.

hdavies15
hdavies15
2 years ago
Reply to  Carol Loughlin

Many of them are adequately funded, far better than after a few years of privatisation I can assure you. The weaknesses are often in top management, politically approved appointments of people who lack the skills to manage change and deliver performance on a sustained basis. The serial failures of sundry government departments and agencies to implement modern I.T without causing crashes in systems, loss or leaks of data proves that very few of the so called leaders can tell their arses from holes in the ground ! Again all problems linked to the Establishment way of doing, or not doing,… Read more »

Phil
Phil
2 years ago
Reply to  hdavies15

When the issue is one concerning the handling of sensitive data then it is difficult to work from home and safeguard the said data.
If you were asked to work in an enclosed environment when people were dropping like flies, transmitting the virus, would you not request that your working environment was safeguarded?… and if it wasn’t, wouldn’t you refuse to attend the office?
If not you’re either very brave or a total fool!

Quornby
Quornby
2 years ago

Don’t worry even a wet fish like Starmer could beat Johnson when an election comes.

I.Humphrys
I.Humphrys
2 years ago
Reply to  Quornby

Making what difference to Cymru, though?

Dafydd
Dafydd
2 years ago

How reading this articles title has made my blood boil! How can we as a nation be happy to be ruled over by such things?

Phil
Phil
2 years ago

If ‘Party Boy’ and his simmering minion Grant Shapps had made working conditions at the DVLA comply with the covid rules which they themselves brought into law then maybe staff could have turned up and worked in safety, but they didn’t.
I believe that even the woman in charge of the agency only turned up occasionally.

Vyvyan
Vyvyan
2 years ago

Privatisation means that the company is beholden to its shareholders, not the public.

The desire for profits often means cutbacks in other areas, e.g. maintenance.

Llinos
Llinos
2 years ago

Tory Privatisation Process:-

  1. Identify organisation
  2. Cut funding
  3. Install incompetent management
  4. Undermine organisation’s performance
  5. Lie to the public about the needs for privatisation
  6. Manage the project according to the level of outcry
  7. Offer opportunity for paltry amount of shares to the public
  8. Receive private bids from MP’s relatives / PM’s chums / party donors / Russian oligarchs
  9. Consider which will most benefit the PM and cabinet personally
  10. Public tender
  11. Accept most beneficial offer from point 9.
  12. Sell public organisation
  13. Pocket cash
Last edited 2 years ago by Llinos
Y Cymro
Y Cymro
2 years ago

What is it with the Tories and threats? If it’s not threatening to privatise the Passport Office, it’s intimidating workers at the DVLA in Swansea. The Conservatives are unhinged! 🥴🇬🇧

Last edited 2 years ago by Y Cymro
hdavies15
hdavies15
2 years ago
Reply to  Y Cymro

I’ve got an unhinged gate that’s more use than Boris !

Jack
Jack
2 years ago

Surely the Nationalists would be glad of this? A hated UK Government arm, once privatised, leaving Wales?

Paul
Paul
2 years ago
Reply to  Jack

Are you suggesting that you are NOT an ultra Nationalist? One that has a hatred of Wales…

Gill Jones
Gill Jones
2 years ago

It’s dead cat distraction tactics again!

adopted cardi
adopted cardi
2 years ago

i wish somebody would denationalise johnson and his flaming tories. Withdraw their funding & make them pay for all their mistakes that cost us so dearly.

Richard 1
Richard 1
2 years ago
Reply to  adopted cardi

That will never happen until the parties of habitual opposition make an electoral pact to defeat the tories and set up a fair voting system for westminster.

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