History & Policy

Dr Catherine Haddon, Senior Fellow and Resident Historian at the Institute for Government. Dr Haddon specialises in the history of Whitehall and the evolution of civil service reform. Reforming the Civil Service: the Fulton Report, 50 years on 9 June 2018 - 18:00 pm - 19:30 pm Room 2.03, Bush House (South Wing), King's College London, Strand WC2R 1ES The Report of the Committee on the Civil Service, commissioned by the Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson and chaired by Lord Fulton, appeared in June 1968. It was critical of the underlying philosophy of Whitehall, suggesting that the Civil Service operated as a “cult” of the generalist or amateur, that it lacked skilled managers, and overlooked scientists, engineers and other specialists for promotion. It made important recommendations for changes in the structure and practices of the Civil Service, some of which were implemented while others were not – and the themes it raised are still debated today. This is a unique opportunity for historians and practi