Ministers should choose civil servants, claim Tory lobbyists

The Conservative-backed Reform lobby decried the "relentless" rotation of Whitehall officials and said ministers, many of which install their own permanent secretaries by the back door, should be able to do so formally.

Civil servants are typically moved between departments every two to three years to ensure their neutrality on policy.

Director Andrew Haldenby said civil service reform was "not an optional extra" if the coalition wanted to push their policies into practice.

But the Alliance for Lobbying Transparency said legitimising backroom deals was not the answer.

"The public relies on the civil service to be the neutral and experienced voice in government," the lobby's Tamasin Cave said.

"They're there to point out unintended consequences, flag up policies that won't work and advise against ideas that are clearly bonkers.

"Only three years ago the government supported protection for civil servants against ministerial political interference - if they're feeling frustrated now, it's probably for good reason," she said.

Tory Education Secretary Michael Gove was accused of freezing out senior departmental officials in 2011.

He presided over four exits in the space of a year and a string of emails between Mr Gove and special advisers outside official departmental channels.

The Public and Commercial Services union representing civil servants did not respond to requests for comment.