We have led the world in many areas over the centuries but this is the current state of play in at least some parts of the British Civil Service.
Firstly, let me take you back to 1975
I had a tax problem to settle and it wasn't working well for me so I called the tax office and they told me that they were under staffed and overwhelmed
Fast forward to 1994 or 1995
I had a tax problem that simply wouldn't go away so I called my tax office and Mr N (I even remember his name!) told me we are under staffed and overwhelmed with work.
Yesterday, 1st August 2025
Having suffered for two full months from Civil Service nonsense, I called them. They asked me why I was calling today and I explained. Her first response was, you've guessed it ... we have a backlog of thousands of cases ... I wish I could have played her the song, Tell me the old, old story ... I bit my tongue and we resolved my problem, I think. As she closed the call, she rightly asked me if there was anything else she could help me with, I finished by saying, if everything works in the way that you have said, I have nothing more to ask. Polite, civil, completely unnecessary.
DW
2nd August 2025
