Public service reform in the United Kingdom stands at a crossroads. This paper focusses on culture: why promising reforms struggle to get through the central government system in the first place, and even more so to embed themselves for any length of time. It identifies five major barriers to a more reforming culture in central...

Despite widespread agreement on the need for reform, certain patterns and behaviours continue to hold back meaningful change in government – especially at the centre. This briefing paper outlines the challenges and barriers to public service reform.