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The salary bill for the civil service rose to £21bn last year, up more than seven per cent in a year when economic growth was anaemic at best. The private sector is funding a pay bonanza while businesses are ground down with higher taxes and more regulation, says John O’Connell

While Britain’s businesses struggle with soaring costs and working families tighten their belts, one sector continues to thrive: the civil service. New research from the TaxPayers’ Alliance now reveals a tale of two Britains.

Between March 2024 and March 2025, the civil service added another 6,820 employees. That means it’s had its ninth consecutive year of growth; our bloated bureaucracy now employs 550,000 people, a staggering 130,000 more civil servants than in 2016. So much for successive governments’ promises to slim down the state.

But the headline numbers only tell part of the story. If we look at where the growth is concentrated, the picture becomes more troubling still.

The number of senior staff jumped by nearly 10,000 last year. Meanwhile, junior administrative roles fell by over 4,500. The civil service is........

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